Holstein CanadaNearly 450 Holstein enthusiasts descended on New Brunswick as Holstein Canada's National Holstein Convention and 132nd Annual General Meeting was held April 8-11, 2015 in Moncton and Fredericton. The volunteer organizing committee under the co-chairmanship of Karen Versloot and Brent Dunphy went well above the call of duty to make sure everything was "ship shape".

Farm Tours, Sale, Show & Festivities
It was a week full of incredible Maritime hospitality. Attendees were welcomed by more than 25 different Holstein families who opened their barn doors for farm tour day to showcase their fantastic herds and operations. The Genetic Wave Sale drew large crowds and averaged $7,172 on 90 lots. Topping the sale was Lot #4, Progenesis Monterey Ruby, who sold for an impressive $80,000. The National Spring Showcase was another great success with 145 head being placed by Judge Nathan Thomas of North Lewisburg, Ohio. At the end of the show, it was the winning Mature Cow, Ms Goldwyn Alana, who captured the attention of Judge Thomas and was crowned Grand Champion of the show for owners Pierre Boulet, Ferme Fortale Holstein Inc. and Isabelle Verville, all of Québec. Throughout the week, convention participants were treated to lots of events, socializing, food and entertainment all infused with true Maritime spirit.

Annual General Meeting
The 132nd Holstein Canada Annual General Meeting (AGM) was well-attended with close to 400 people in attendance both in person in Fredericton, NB and via live stream. The live stream was available for all members across Canada for the third year in a row and provided the opportunity to tune in and follow along with the full AGM agenda. In addition, the Convention's official Twitter hashtag #catchthetide was used to share information and updates on social media channels from the 2015 AGM.

The following are highlights from reports given at the 2015 AGM:


  • Outgoing President Mario Perreault of Saint-Esprit, Québec thanked the membership for a very rewarding year. He commented on the importance of teamwork and highlighted several instances of great teamwork over the past year. Perreault was also very impressed by the passion and optimism of the young people participating at events such as the TD Classic and National Judging Conference, and feels the future of the industry will be in good hands. In his parting words, he asked the membership to continue to take their responsibility of sending great leaders to the HC and other Boards very seriously.
  • CEO Ann Louise Carson presented the administrative report outlining top business highlights from 2014 where she stated "Profitability and Technology" were the two key words guiding the Holstein Canada Team. Following a record year in 2013, 2014 saw registrations, memberships and number of cows classified drop slightly, while herd visits were up 1% and GenoTests were up nearly 50%. Carson reported that Holstein Canada continues to be "full steam ahead" as the 2013-2014 Strategic Plan wrapped-up and the new 2015-2017 Strategic Plan launches.
  • Holstein Canada continues to work closely with the nine Provincial Branches, and plans to hire two new employees to provide more field service and extension work in Western and Atlantic Canada, with all staff also working closely with Ontario and Québec Branch staff.
  • The rewrite of the Herdbook software will be implemented in late 2015.
  • Finance Committee Chair Ron Sleeth reported Holstein Canada reported a net excess of revenues over expenses of $85,550 on an operating revenue of $12.1 million.
  • 11 resolutions were presented to the membership for consideration. Of those 11 resolutions, 8 were passed.
  • Breed Advisory Chair Elyse Gendron gave an update on year one of the Canadian Breed Strategy Vision 2020, launched at the Sherbrooke AGM last year. The main project was Holstein Canada's involvement and support of a new profit-based genetic index with CDN Partners – Pro$, to be launched in August 2015, and the new 40-40-20 formula for our LPI.


Those in attendance celebrated the Century of Holstein award presentations made to four families recognized for 100 years of continuous membership with Holstein Canada: the MacDonell family, Williamstown, Ont.; Floraholme Farms Ltd., Floradale, Ont.; the MacLeod family, Dalkeith, Ont.; and the Blanchette family, La Présentation, Que. Association Education awards were also presented and three of the four winners had made the trip to N.B. to participate in the event and be recognized by the participants.

Guest Speaker Martin Latulippe was very well-received by those in attendance. Latulippe's presentation on "living the zerolimit attitude" captivated the audience as he encouraged everyone to "choose a keyword to keep you focused in the moment". The former hockey player became a professional motivational speaker following a brush with death during the 2001 World university Games, and has since received his Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, the highest standard of excellence with the professional speaking industry.

2014 Cow of the Year Announced
Earning the 2014 title of the 20th Cow of the Year was Belfast M Goldwyn Shelly. Bred by Belfast Holstein and Ferme Maryclerc of Québec, Shelly is owned by Donnanview Farms and Arcadia Farms in Ontario. Don Donnan was on-hand to accept the award and share the great story of Shelly's arrival in his herd as a calf purchased at the Sale of Stars. Donnan told the crowd it was a dream come true, and expressed his heartfelt thanks to those who voted for Shelly.

John Buckley Elected New President for 2015-2016
Following the AGM, the Holstein Canada Board of Directors elected John Buckley of Lindsay, Ont. as the 2015-2016 Holstein Canada President. John will be supported by 1st Vice-President, Robert Chabot of Saint-Patrice-de-Beaurivage, Que. with Orville Schmidt of Rollyview, Alta. selected to fill the 2nd Vice-President position.

Master Breeders Celebrated
To conclude a fantastic week in New Brunswick, a wonderful, energy-filled and Maritime-inspired evening was held to celebrate and honour the achievements of the 21 Master Breeders. Congratulations again to the families and individuals who received their Master Breeder shield and achieved this amazing feat!

2016 Convention plans already underway- make your way west for Alberta 2016!
A keen 2016 Convention committee gave an entertaining sneak peak to the great things planned in Alberta where the 2016 Convention will be held from April 19-24, 2016 in Calgary and Banff, Alta. Look forward to seeing more details as the final 2016 Convention schedule is set and website is launched in late spring 2015!

2014 Annual Report Available to all Members
For those Holstein Canada members interested in receiving a FREE copy of the 2014 Annual Report, please contact Jennifer Kyle at jkyle@holstein.ca or by calling 1-855-756-8300 ext. 234. Alternatively, the Annual Report can be found online on Holstein Canada's website by clicking the following link or visiting www.holstein.ca ?News & Events ?Annual Report.

To read more about the fantastic time experienced by all at the 2015 National Holstein Convention, look forward to reading more in the July-August issue of InfoHolstein!
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4.20.2015