The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) will soon have a full complement of commissioners.
Doug Chorney, a farmer from East Selkirk, Man., is the new assistant chief commissioner and Lonny McKague, who farms at Ogema, Sask., is the new commissioner.
Their cabinet appointments take effect Feb. 13. That’s also when Canola Council of Canada president Patti Miller becomes the CGC’s new chief commissioner.
Miller was appointed for six years, Chorney and McKague for five and four years, respectively.
All serve based on “good behaviour,” which means they can only be fired for wrongdoing.
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Although appointed, they had to apply for the jobs.
The CGC, Canada’s grain industry watchdog ensuring grain quality control, has been without commissioners since Dec. 5, 2016 when Murdoch MacKay’s appointment expired.
Assistant chief commissioner Jim Smolik’s term expired Nov. 24, and chief commissioner Elwin Hermanson declined to be reappointed. His term expired Jan. 20, 2016.
All three were appointed by the former Conservative government.
In separate interviews Chorney and McKague said they will continue to farm, although McKague, says his farm, which includes about 20 purebred Limousin cows, has been scaled back.
Chorney, a professional engineer with a degree from the University of Manitoba, served as Keystone Agricultural Producers president from 2011 to 2015.
He has also been on the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation’s board since June 2015, but resigned to take the position.
Chorney also served on many other boards and committees.
McKague was a director and a founding member of Ogema Elevator Ltd. and of Red Coat Road & Rail, a short line railway.
He is past president of the Canadian Limousin Association, the Ogema Agricultural Society and of the local Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association.
He also served as a past director of Ogema Credit Union, was a 4-H leader and ran unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the 2006 federal election.
McKague studied vocational agriculture and agriculture business management at the University of Saskatchewan.
