NEW CWB Director Chairman is Johnson!

[TOM4CWB]

CWB board of directors elects Johnson as new chair


December 19, 2011

The board of directors of the Canadian Wheat Board today elected Bruce Johnson as its new chair. Mr. Johnson, a Regina business executive, has served as a CWB director since 2006.

"I look forward to the opportunity to serve farmers during this time of great change, as we transition to a competitive market environment," Johnson said. "Our immediate focus as a board will be to provide stability in the marketing of western Canadian grain. As we move forward, our board will work closely with the CWB's leadership team to offer farmers and international grain customers a superior package of contracts and services, building on this organization's 76-year history, its expertise and its valued reputation as a trustworthy supplier of grain to the world marketplace."

Johnson brings a wealth of experience to the board table from his varied and extensive role in the Prairie grain industry. He has served as executive vice-president of operations for the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool; CEO of Winnipeg-based Ag Pro Grain; CEO of FarmGro Organic Foods in Regina; and operations manager of Northern Sales in Winnipeg. He also has served on the boards of numerous grain handling and processing entities, including acting as chairman of the Western Grain Elevators Association. He is currently employed in the propane industry. Mr. Johnson was born and raised in Winnipeg and attended the University of Manitoba. He now lives in Regina. He is married and has five children.

Upon Royal Assent of federal Bill C-18 on December 15, the composition of the CWB's governing board of directors changed to consist of five directors appointed by the federal government. It replaces the former 15-member board that was first established in 1998. The five-member board also includes David Carefoot; Glen Findlay; Ken Motiuk; and CWB president and CEO Ian White, all of whom have served on the CWB board of directors for a number of years. More information about the board can be found at www.cwb.ca under "About Us".

"On behalf of the new board of directors of the CWB, I would like to recognize and thank the former farmer-elected directors for their dedicated service to the farmers of Western Canada," Johnson said. "We have all been committed to a single purpose, which is to assist farmers in the profitable marketing of their grain. That continues to be our steadfast goal."

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For more information, please contact:
Maureen Fitzhenry
CWB media relations manager
(204) 983-3101
Cell: (204) 227-6927
maureen_fitzhenry@cwb.ca

[Burbert]

Ringers, Harpers puppets, Ritz crakers.
Dicktaters that'll make us all want the
bored gone. Its a set up, clusterfu*k.
Soos the gobernment kin liquidate,
erradickat, destroy the org from within.
The devil is in the fine print boys/girls,
graffeti is on the wall. Grafettie on
gobermont railcars, is the only thing
we'll seee in the fututre!!

[TOM4CWB]

OK Burbert,

Bruce Johnson is General Manager, Prairie Region (Sask., MB, NW Ontario)
of Superior Propane; which is owned by Superior Plus companies. In 2010 they grossed $3.5B and had gross earnings of $787M.

Good growth over the past 5 years...



Good Choice of an experienced seasoned leader.

Should we have chosen you instead Burbert???

[wmoebis]

Tom,

"WE" implies that YOU were instumental in choosing replacement. Is this true?

[RalphH]

at least were movin forward got start somewhere

[wd9]

Smart successful business sense person. All the things the previous chair never had.

[TOM4CWB]

wmoebis,

You are TRYING to be funny again...

It is now 'Our' CWB as it is for us to benefit from. Needs to be competitive and nimble.

I am like the others... just happy to see a move towards marketing freedom!

[stonepicker]

Burburt, do you think that the 10 elected farmer
directors actually controlled and ran the mandatory
cwb? What kind of corp. would put in inexperienced
people to run a multi-billion dollar corp.? now thats
scary. I prefer experienced professionals.

[wmoebis]

I am not TRYING to be funny.

I am TRYING to give credit where credit is due. I think Mr. Johnson is a perfect fit for Mr. Ritz's plan for the NEW CWB, that which you have refered to in the past and many others seem to be in favor of.

From what I understand, his plan is to have the NEW CWB prepare and transition into a privately owned entity within the next five years, which could be, acording to Mr Ritz, the sale of the CWB.

Mr. Johnsons' portfolio would suggest that my observations are correct and is he is very capable of seeing this plan through.

- B.O.D. farmer controled CWB - defunct - now Gov't appointed CWB

- Exec. vise pres. SWP - defunct-sold

-CEO Agpro Grain - defunct-sold

-CEO Farm Gro Organics LTD - defunct-sold

-Ops. Mgr. Northern Sales - defunct-sold.

Kudos to the appointment and the ones that appointed him, history shows he will get the job done. However, this is not the direction I would have liked to seen this new opportunity take.

[wilagro]

I would say that Burbert's analysis is more the correct one than Tom's. Its going to be a race for the bottom. These appointments by Ritz are entirely what I expected. He never disappoints.

[TOM4CWB]

Wilagro,

Minister Ritz didn't appoint Bruce Johnson as Chair... the Board of Directors of the CWB did. As required in any functioning Corporation.

"Its going to be a race for the bottom."

May I ask what is 'the bottom'?

Competitive prices?
Marketing choices?
Secure payments for our grain?

[wilagro]

Buzz words Tom...buzz words...political speak. Ritz has already stated that the CWB will not be supported by government in competition with the open market. As soon as HE decides...it WILL be offered for sale first and if that isn't satisfactory then it will be shut down...no doubt about it.

IMHO this present board appointment is just a mollifying gesture to stop the squawking but is just a political move, nothing more, nothing less.

[TOM4CWB]

Wilagro,

Your statements are conjecture and go against the spirit and facts that just were passed in C18 that just got Royal Assent.

Minister Ritz was even hinting that the new CWB could market wheat out side the old 'designated area' in Ontario or where ever else in Canada they thought to be prudent.

Read C18 and show me anywhere that the gov. support is anything less than genuine and real on pool and borrowing of finances. The assurances are the same as in the C24 Act and give the same borrowing privillages below prime and backing the pool accounts.

READ the C18 CWB legislation for yourself... take the time to know what you are talking about before you slander folks that are working in good faith to serve grain growers in Canada.

[wilagro]

Well Tom I'm just saying that there is a FIVE year window MAXIMUM for all this to happen. After five years (if not before), Ritz can/will decide, and it his decision as to what happens to the CWB. They have made no commitment as far as I know of further government backstopping.

You must believe every word that Ritz utters. I am more dubious of this minister and of the present government.

[Hopperbin]

Will, the Gov't should not backstop the new CWB after 5 years. The backstop is a gift to the CWB supporters and me looking to possibly use them (CWB) so includes all of Western Canadian Farmers. (The gift)
Will no one has yet mentioned the fact that if this whole ****ing thing goes all to hell about the CWB being put back to its origional place before now which is all possible. This fact alone is why I think the grain trade will be working hard to satisfy our grain contracting needs like for the next 5 years. Then if the Conservatives are not in power or you can join with the NDP Liberal coalition if you so like you can make your own ****ing laws without the majority of the people.