HAPPY HOLIDAYS From our shop to yours HARLENE BENNIE HARLENE S DecemBEr 22, 2011 SErVInG mAnItoBA FArmErS SInCE 1925 | VoL. 69, No. 51 | $1.75 mAnItoBACooPErAtor.CA CWB: BILL PASSES FESTIVE TRADITIONS Marketing freedom bill now law Single-desk supporters Community aren’t quitting By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF espite ongoing court skir- Dinners: mishes, Bill C-18 is now D law, the Canadian Wheat Board is controlled by govern- ment-appointed directors and Spreading the farmers are free to sell new-crop wheat, durum and barley to any buyer they choose. The new five-member board Holiday Cheer announced Dec. 19 it has elected Regina business executive Bruce Johnston as its chair. Johnston, There is a new holiday tradition spreading who was first appointed as a director in 2006, currently through rural Manitoba: a community feast works in the propane industry, but he has a long history in the Canadian grain business. Johnston has served as execu- tive vice-president of operations By Lorraine Stevenson past decade it’s become an eagerly Lonely for the former Saskatchewan CO-OPERATOR STAFF anticipated local tradition. It’s no surprise more are look- Wheat Pool, CEO of Winnipeg- The event drew out of concerns ing for alternative Christmas Day based Ag Pro Grain, CEO of thel Lungal has been busy raised by a local priest about people celebrations. FarmGro Organic Foods in making Christmas pud- who were spending Christmas Day The irony for those living alone, is Regina, and operations manager dings since November, alone. About a half-dozen residents that they’ve got lots of company. of Northern Sales in Winnipeg, all sealing the rich des- asked each other, “why be alone?” Living solo, either by choice or by of which have ceased operation. serts into quart sealers Russell-resident Irene Deschamps circumstance, is on the rise right The bill ending the CWB’s Eto dish out on the big day. said. across the country. 68-year-old monopoly was given She’s making a lot. Their first dinner was small, draw- One-person households made up royal assent Dec. 15, a day before “I think we might feed 100 peo- ing 10 or so people out. But with let’s- 27 per cent of the entire Canadian a Winnipeg judge heard pleas to ple this year,” says the nurse and do-it-again-next-year resolve, local population in the 2006 census. And strike it down. Parkland-area farmer. But she and her churches took turns hosting it. And the image of the Mom, Dad and a Manitoba Court of Queen's husband aren’t squeezing that many the numbers rose. Now the dinner is bunch of kids in a postcard-perfect Bench Judge Shane Perlmutter around their dinner table at their farm compliments of the entire commu- Christmas setting no longer applies south of Silverton. nity, with donations and volunteer- to a growing number of families. Lone See CWB BILL on page 7 » The Lungals are packing up their ing by residents, and all the churches parents are the reality for one in four puddings and heading out to nearby jointly chipping in to help. Canadian families with children. Russell for a feast — a community- Volunteers — and there are many People experience loneliness for wide Christmas Day dinner that’s held — join in the dinner too, said Lungal many reasons. Some have ended mar- annually at the town hall. Over the who has helped with the dinner since riages. Some have never married or 2006. Folks offering to help often their spouse has died. Families are remark they’re alone too, she said. smaller, the children grown, and “People have come out, Tickets are sold in advance, at $5 a extended families are living farther offered to help, donated plate, or free for those on limited apart. things like food and incomes. The elderly swell the ranks of the “It’s just wonderful,” adds single-person households. About one- money and their time. Deschamps, adding she even got a lit- third of all Canadians living alone in It’s just turned into a tle teary eyed last year, surveying the 2006 were age 65 and over. With more wonderful event.” crowd and knowing what a good day job-related mobility, more singles, everyone was having. couples or small families may have “We’re just an awesome bunch.” moved in any given year. Newcomers SHARON HAMILTON Now people ask well ahead of to Canada are on the rise. Christmas Glenboro farmer Christmas when tickets will be avail- able, she adds. See DINNERS on page 6 » A LUNATIC FARMER SHARES HIS WISDOM WITH MCDA PAGE 8 » Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011 inside on the lighter side liVESTOCK From the reindeer files… Rural vets caught There are some questions in life that are best unanswered in a squeeze Thus, Santa’s reindeer — consider whether reindeer The AMM wants Staff even Rudolph — had to be can actually fly, let alone more funds to female. It only makes sense, haul around a jolly fellow in support rural clinics 12 hristmas party-poopers they pontificated. Only a sleigh. started down a slippery women would be able to drag And if there is no Santa C slope recently with the a fat man in a red suit around Claus, well, exactly who then controversial assertion that the world in a single night is Mommy kissing by the Santa’s reindeers must all be and not get lost. tree? CroPs female. Needless to say, this con- As it turns out, there is a Citing data from the troversial claim raises some loophole on the antler ques- Alaska Department of Fish disturbing questions. tion. Apparently, while most Fusarium and Game, the Internet was In an attempt to ferret bull antlers drop theirs in the discounts likely reporting that while both out the truth, the Manitoba fall, not all of them do, leav- male and female reindeer Co-operator went straight to ing open the possibility that to increase grow antlers every summer, a reliable source: the Urban Rudolph was indeed a boy, male reindeer drop their ant- Legends website. the site reports. Wheat acres could be lers at the beginning of win- According to those experts, As for the rest of it, some of pushed out fusarium ter. Females retain theirs until turning to science for an life’s little mysteries are best area in an open market 17 they give birth in the spring. answer means we must then left alone. FeAtUre Forage markets are growing Everyone it seems wants forage and that bodes well for Canada 20 CROSSROADS An Interlake OCK farmer’s New st INK TH Year resolve © Some New Year’s resolutions are just plain cheesy 22 READER’S PHOTO Editorials 4 Grain Markets 11 Comments 5 Weather Vane 16 What’s Up 9 Classifieds 26 Livestock Markets 10 Sudoku 29 online Visit www.manitobacooperator.ca for daily news and features. Read the digital edition and search our archives for stories you’ve missed or want to read again. It’s easy. Go to the our web- site, select Digital Edition and then select Search Archives. You will need to use your MSER subscriber number (located on your paper edition’s label) the first time you log in. 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Canadian Postmaster: [email protected] Return undeliverable Canadian addresses (covers only) to: PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Shawna Gibson TM 204-981-3730 [email protected] Circulation Dept., 1666 Dublin Ave., CANOLA INK 204-944-5763 Winnipeg, MB. R3H 0H1 The Manitoba Co-operator | December 22, 2011 3 Conference focuses on new post-wheat board world There will be lots of challenges but also opportunities, according to conference speakers By Allan Dawson CO-OPERATOR STAFF / SASKATOON “Grain handlers are n a post-monopoly world, the business people and will Canadian Wheat Board will disap- look to increase their I pear altogether, or it will become handle any way they can.” the “eBay” for grain exports by bypass- ing the grain-handling system with container shipments.