BC ranchers and the agriculture sector at large is losing a champion as Kevin Boon leaves the province to become CEO of the Saskatchewan Cattle Association on November 1.
Boon has been general manager of the BC Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA) since 2009, but will move to Regina in the coming weeks.
The position appealed to Boon because agriculture is at the heart of Saskatchewan’s identity.
“When you think of Saskatchewan, it’s growing food, either grain or livestock. I want to get back to a place where the government actually recognizes its value,” he says.
The cattle industry has been Boon’s life work. He has been a rancher, served the industry at the provincial and national levels as a producer, and more recently lading the BC industry. Several years ago, he resumed ranching with a small herd in the country outside of Kamloops.
“Cows are sort of an addiction,” he quips. “They really get into your blood.”
A bridge-builder who shies from taking the credit for the industry’s accomplishments, Boon says much of what BCCA has achieved during his tenure has been a team effort.
“It takes a team to build a success,” he says. “Others are always involved.”
He is particularly happy with the rancher liaison and range rider programs launched following the devastating 2021 wildfire season. Spearheaded by BCCA in partnership with the province, they have been integral to coordinated responses to the wildfires that have had such an impact on the cattle industry over the past decade.
The annual Beef Day in Victoria is another point of pride.
“Vaughn Palmer and Keith Baldry rank it No. 1 for lobby days in Victoria,” he notes, referring to the two seasoned journalists. “I say we cheat a bit. Who can turn away from a good beef barbee?”
His successor will continue to face ongoing challenges, particularly with respect to water management and property rights.
“There has to be a more realistic understanding that regulations will not create more water or solve the problem,” he says. “We also need a realistic on-the-ground grassroots solution to reconciliation and DRIPA that works for all of us.”
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