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The dairy industry is going green with the announcement of a new facility that will reduce the impact on the environment and bring new jobs to the province.
EDMONTON (November 20, 2019) – Today at the Alberta Milk Dairy Conference, the western provinces announced that a new dairy concentration facility, Dairy Innovation West (DIW), will be built in Alberta. DIW will be owned by the Western Milk Pool members and will be operated by Vitalus Nutrition Inc. DIW is a state-of-the-art facility which is the first of its kind in Canada. The technology will remove water from raw milk that will create concentrated components required by dairy processors to be used in a variety of dairy products. The facility will have the capacity to accommodate up to 300 million litres of milk per year. Going Green A priority of this facility is to reduce the environmental impacts of transporting milk across the four western provinces. DIW will reduce trucking emissions by 50 per cent by reducing the volume. Currently, milk moves within the western provinces to ensure the industry is meeting the needs of Canadians and that dairy processing is being utilized to its full capacity. “Instead of two trucks on the road, there would only be one,” says Alberta Milk Chairman Tom Kootstra. “Dairy farmers are always seeking more opportunities to work smarter and continue to be stewards of the land.” Additionally, DIW promises to increase jobs and boost economic contributions in Alberta. This 20-acre site is large enough for future expansion and long-term growth in the anticipation of attracting additional processors to the site. “We are very excited about this new partnership and are looking forward to getting shovels in the ground this spring,” said Henry Holtmann, chairman of the WMP. “This is good news for dairy farmers, dairy processors, and the economy in Western Canada,” he continues. Construction on the facility is set to begin in April 2020 and be completed by March 2021. The facility will be located in central Alberta near Red Deer. ### About Alberta Milk Alberta Milk is a non-profit organization that represents Alberta’s dairy producers. About the Western Milk Pool The Western Milk Pool (WMP) is an association of producers of the four western Canadian provinces through the BC Marketing Board, Alberta Milk, SaskMilk, and Dairy Farmers of Manitoba. They represent about 25 per cent of the milk produced in Canada. About Vitalus Nutrition Inc. Vitalus is a leading supplier of sophisticated, customized dairy ingredients for the world’s food, beverage and nutraceutical industries. Contact: Karlee Conway Communications Specialist Alberta Milk 780-577-3305 kconway@albertamilk.com Inaction of the Federal Government dismays the Canadian dairy processing community
September 4, 2019 (Ottawa, ON): The Dairy Processors Association of Canada (DPAC), the Conseil des Industriels Laitiers du Québec (CILQ), the Ontario Dairy Council (ODC), and the Western Dairy Council (WDC) are all disappointed with the Government of Canada’s decision to renege on its promise to compensate the dairy processing sector for the economic harm caused by the recent conclusions of negotiations for CETA, CPTPP, and CUSMA. “The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, has repeatedly and publicly stated the Government’s commitment to fully and fairly compensate Canadian dairy processors for the economic harm they continue to experience,” said Mathieu Frigon, President and Chief Executive Officer of DPAC. “It is clear now that the Government does not intend to honour that commitment.” The lack of a compensation package has left Canadian dairy processors with no clear direction when it comes to this government's plan to mitigate the negative impacts of trade agreements. “This is extremely disappointing. Dairy farmers and dairy processors were equal partners in the Mitigation Working Group established by the Minister, but only the farming sector was heard” explained Charles Langlois, Président-directeur général of CILQ. Everyone understands that a healthy dairy sector requires both thriving farmers and thriving processors. “It is unclear at this stage if this Government shares this belief” added Christina Lewis, President of the ODC. Dairy processors are committed to investing in the Canadian dairy sector to generate growth, and they have steadfastly advocated for two key tools to achieve that objective: the allocation of dairy import licenses to dairy processors and financial compensation in the form of investment incentives. “Investment is what the dairy sector clearly needs, and investment-generating government measures are what dairy processors were looking for. We are going to have to work very hard with the next government to get this right when Parliament reconvenes,” continued Dan Wong, President of the WDC. The processing community calls on the next government to correct this inaction and to deliver on the promise of full and fair compensation to Canada’s dairy processors. Dairy processing is the second largest food processing industry in Canada, contributing more than $18 billion annually to the national economy. Dairy processors directly employ 24,000 Canadians in over 470 facilities across the country, with an aggregate payroll of $1.2 billion. Dairy processors are major employers in communities across Canada, and especially in rural communities, providing good jobs to middle-class Canadians. -30- Media Contact: Dan Wong President, Western Dairy Council (604) 675-7163 info@westerndairycouncil.com The BC Dairy Historical Society seeks nominations of producers, processors, BC Dairy Pioneers, supporters of the BC Dairy industry, writers or other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the BC Dairy Industry.  To nominate a worthy individual, submit a short summary of your nominee’s contributions to the industry. Nominations close October 4th 2019.The award will be presented at the 2019 BC Dairy Conference Gala Banquet.
 Speech from Global Affairs Canada August 14, 2017 – Ottawa, Canada "Good morning, and thank you all for being here. I’d like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional territory of the Algonquin.
In his book about the war of 1812, the historian Alan Taylor describes how, at the height of the conflict between the United States and British Canada, the U.S. forces unaccountably held off trying to invade the St. Lawrence River valley. Such an invasion might have dramatically changed the outcome of the war. But it never happened... Winnipeg, Manitoba – (October 17, 2016) Vitalus Nutrition Inc (“Vitalus”) and Gay Lea Foods Co- operative Limited (“Gay Lea Foods”) today announced plans to invest in new dairy processing in Manitoba.
Vitalus and Gay Lea Foods have entered into a joint venture to process dairy ingredients and butter in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The joint venture includes plans for significant upgrades to modernize an existing food manufacturing facility, creating a need for new skilled labour, increased drying capacity in Western Canada, and new butter production to respond to market demands. The Vitalus-Gay Lea Foods joint venture also provides a new market opportunity for milk from Manitoba dairy farms, as Dairy Farmers of Manitoba will be supplying the raw milk for the new processing facility. In addition, dairy farmers in the province will have the opportunity to join Gay Lea Foods as member owners. July. 17/2017 (Vancouver, BC): The Boards of Directors of the Alberta Dairy Council (ADC) and the British Columbia Dairy Council (BCDC) are pleased to announce the formation of a new organization to represent the interests of dairy processors in western Canada.
On June 5, 2017 the Western Dairy Council was incorporated under the Canada Not For Profit Corporations Act. The Western Council is a new organization and will have a mandate to represent the dairy processing industry across all four western provinces. “The idea of merging the Alberta and BC Dairy Councils has been on our minds for a number of years,” explains Ian Tott, Chair of the Alberta Dairy Council. “In light of the many changes that are taking place in the dairy industry today, we believe the time is right. Most of these changes are driven by forces at the regional, national and even international levels so increasing our presence in these forums is timely and important.” |
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