The Beginning of Grain Marketing Freedom in Western Canada.

[shtferbrains]

If I remember the CWB customer list in the final years it was mostly countries like Iraq and the FSU where any trade was assumed to involve kickbacks.

Of course those were the high priced markets...

[wheatking16]

What a dark ugly stain on the history of Western Canadian Ag.
Will always be grateful for Prime Minister Stephen Harper for killing the ugly beast.

Any farmer that could support that madness would have to have a really warped mentality!

The crazy thing was most farmers did support the CWB.


Until at least 2007, the anti-CWB monopoly farmer was the minority and the ones who were vocal were even fewer yet.


People think they know what they want,

But,

Don't know what they need.

[TOM4CWB]

The crazy thing was most farmers did support the CWB.


Until at least 2007, the anti-CWB monopoly farmer was the minority and the ones who were vocal were even fewer yet.


People think they know what they want,

But,

Don't know what they need.

It was some how comforting to them know that their neighbor was getting the same price as they were…. No need to watch markets…

Then complain the government wasn’t giving enough subsidies…CWB kept land prices down…

The great equalizer… buy a lottery ticket if you wanted to win big on the farm… no cheating by managing grain sales…

[AlbertaFarmer5]

that's an impressive list of likes for this post and thread.

I can't help but notice the conspicuous absence of some very prolific posters. Apparently some are still bitter and resentful.

[Landdownunder]

Like to every comment.

Even the die hard supporters here in oz don't want it back.

Just the hard core 1% still in support.

All the towns will vanish, even people will suoicide with AWB god the rhetoric was unreal.

[Grahamp]

Here is a link to Andy Mcmechan story. This is the mid 90’s I believe and he could get $6 for barley in the US or $3 in Canada. Think of the absolute theft of equity for 75 years. All the farms and farmers gone forever whose kids would probably love to farm now but never will because of the horrible times in the 80’s-early 2000’s. A crime against Saskatchewan.

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/article/time-pull-plug-canadian-wheat-board

[sumdumguy]

The East is bent on controlling the West. We were a frontier worth controlling and thieving. The CWB was one of their instruments, the war on the oil patch is another. One by one we will wrestle away the power. Wouldn’t it be epic if Europe forced Trudeau’s hand. Hope we get to see him eat crow. Yum.

[seldomseen]

I remember reading on Newagtalk a farmer from Montana was telling a story of traveling in western Canada in the 1970’s and his impression of what he saw.
He was really surprised at the level of poverty that he saw in farm county. Old wooden grain bins and rough looking buildings and machinery!
That was the legacy of the CWB and it makes me sick!

[furrowtickler]

CWB was a gravy train (boat) for the Great Lakes shipping and the St Lawrence sea way and lock system….. Kept the likes of Paul Martin rich while he flagged his ships out of the Bahamas to avoid Canadian tax’s … all off western Canadian farmers just so one neighbour would not get a dime more than the other.
They played the pettiness of some farmers like a fiddle and laughed all the way to over seas trust funds

[blackpowder]

The elevators had a hay-day. They just raked off storage and elevation charges and farmers got the crumbs. Worse for us as special crops processors, the Wheat Board controlled the cars and you can imagine what it was like for small on-farm processors. Kiss rear end or else👎

Correct. And an understatement.
But the graincos were caught in the same time warp and couldn't invest until it was over

[TOM4CWB]

CWB was a gravy train (boat) for the Great Lakes shipping and the St Lawrence sea way and lock system….. Kept the likes of Paul Martin rich while he flagged his ships out of the Bahamas to avoid Canadian tax’s … all off western Canadian farmers just so one neighbour would not get a dime more than the other.
They played the pettiness of some farmers like a fiddle and laughed all the way to over seas trust funds

And who can forget Paul Martins Canada Steamships Lines…

Went to Senate hearing in Edmonton (to witness against the CWB monopoly and distortion in the western Canadian feed grain market) in late 90’s … leaving the hearing Senator Eugene Whelan… who shamelessly stopped me leaving the hearing… telling me I should be in jail… can’t forget that green cowboy hat towering over me…


And then there was the Western Seducer and Manitoba Cooperator…

I will have nightmares tonight… at least when I wake up now… this demon is gone…

Blessings and Salutations

[wheatking16]

And who can forget Paul Martins Canada Steamships Lines…

Went to Senate hearing in Edmonton (to witness against the CWB monopoly and distortion in the western Canadian feed grain market) in late 90’s … leaving the hearing Senator Eugene Whelan… who shamelessly stopped me leaving the hearing… telling me I should be in jail… can’t forget that green cowboy hat towering over me…


And then there was the Western Seducer and Manitoba Cooperator…

I will have nightmares tonight… at least when I wake up now… this demon is gone…

Blessings and Salutations

Tom, I was at the Eatonia town hall meeting when you ran for CWB farmer director against Ritter.

I can still picture your presentation. Maybe even the shirt you were wearing.

We would have benefited from your directorship.

I suspect that you would not have flipped so quickly.

[blackpowder]

And who can forget Paul Martins Canada Steamships Lines…

Went to Senate hearing in Edmonton (to witness against the CWB monopoly and distortion in the western Canadian feed grain market) in late 90’s … leaving the hearing Senator Eugene Whelan… who shamelessly stopped me leaving the hearing… telling me I should be in jail… can’t forget that green cowboy hat towering over me…


And then there was the Western Seducer and Manitoba Cooperator…

I will have nightmares tonight… at least when I wake up now… this demon is gone…

Blessings and Salutations

Well, you are rather short.
I am a head taller than his stupid hat. You are who you are Tom and thankfully we all aren't the same.
But I wish to thank you for all that you did.

[blackpowder]

As I am always in query about the human condition; I wonder what a study of our industry from 1880 to today would show if compared to other jurisdictions.
Psychology and human behavior are fascinating as they drive my own decision making processes as well as a crowds, or a society.
I have already posted extensively over the years on this topic and have matured in thought and presentation but not position. A thesis would be needed.
I don't want to continue as it deserves a large paper. So many theories and personal observations.
Definitely needs to be a textbook example somewhere.
Even Chuck has given up on this page.
And all that I hear are the words of MLK. Or Frederick Douglas if I may.
"Don't tread on me" is a forgotten concept. There wouldn't be an Eastern politician bother attempt speaking out here if we had our own balls.
So what customs hold us to acceptance of further treatment of the same??
Unfrickenbelievable.

[makar]

I am old enough to remember farmers driving past 30 elevators to load boxcars at the bc border, made no sense then or now.