Geoff Heal of Best Cooking Pulses, Inc. (BCP) was posthumously presented with the CSCA Industry Appreciation Award at the Canadian Special Crops Association Silver Jubilee Convention Gala Dinner held in Vancouver July 13.

The CSCA’s Industry Appreciation Award is presented annually to an individual who has shown a significant commitment to promoting and expanding Canada’s pulse and special crops industry. The CSCA Silver Jubilee coincides with BCP’s 75th anniversary.

Best Cooking Pulses built the first pea-splitting plant in Western Canada at Rowatt, Sask. in the early 1940s.

With his father Stephen and brothers Jack and Ronald, Heal developed the first Canadian export market to the U.K.

He went on to originate a proprietary method for milling pea fibre and flours at the company’s Portage la Prairie-based facility for sale into the food ingredient and pet food markets.

Geoff’s daughter Margaret Hughes, who is vice-president of sales and marketing at BCP, accepted the award on her father’s behalf. In thanking the CSCA, she spoke of the pleasure he would have derived from seeing recent developments in pulse processing. She recalled Geoff’s favourite phrase: “Give peas a chance…”