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Chronicle: 1979

A fruitful century
1979 B.C.F.G.A. Executive. Front row: Don Cheyne (Secretary-manager), George Fraser (President), Emie Malen (Vicepresident), Rob Towgood. Back row: Jake Spoor, Dave Hobson, Josh Terada, Ken Hoag, Art Theurer, John Dorosz.

Every Association grower is a horticulturist, an accountant, a mechanic, a politican, and a shareholder in a multi-million dollar business. And a good citizen.

(Don Cheyne, secretary-manager B.C.F.G.A.)
  • The B.C.F.G.A. commenced publishing the British Columbia Grower to serve as a means of communication with its members and among various branches of the industry.
  • George Fraser of Osoyoos was elected President of the B.C.F.G.A.
  • A restructured twenty-four person Board of Directors of B.C. Tree Fruits/Sun-Rype Products took office. Twenty-two of its members were elected by the packing houses at their general meetings.
  • The position of chairman of the B.C. Tree Fruit Marketing Board was made separate from the presidency of B.C. Tree Fruits and Sun-Rype Ltd. The Board became fully autonomous, no longer taking directions from the B.C.F.G.A.
  • F.I.A. was negotiated to cover cull soft fruit. The B.C.F.G.A. expressed concern about 900 acres of orchard in the Glenmore Valley which the City of Kelowna wished to remove from the A.L.R. Growers were called upon to fight back.
  • Partly as a response to concerns raised by the agricultural community the government of British Columbia established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate uranium mining in the Okanagan, Kootenay and Kamloops regions. In 1980 a seven year moratorium was placed on uranium mining in British Columbia.
  • Two B.C.F.G.A. members from Oliver formed Black Sage Ltd. and sold orchard run fruit to a Vancouver wholesaler. Estimates placed B.C. Tree Fruits’ loss at $1 million.
  • Sun-Rype Products Ltd. introduced its tetrabrick container to replace the larger size cans of juice.