Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay respects to Mr. Ellard Powers, a leader in the farming community. Ellard was born the eldest of five children in Ross Township, Renfrew country during the depths of the Great Depression in 1934. That experience tempered his resolve to help the plight of fellow farmers.
I got to know Ellard when he served on my beef task force that was set up to deal with the border crisis over BSE. Ellard was always available to provide advice. In addition to farming dairy and beef, while working for Dominion Magnesium, Ellard during the 1960s was vice-president of the Ontario farmers union three times. Through the OFU, he became a member of the Ontario Milk Marketing Board, moving on to become a commissioner on the Canadian Dairy Commission and to its chairman and CEO three years later.
Ellard would continue to serve the farming community in a variety of other capacities over the year, most recently as vice-president of the Renfrew County chapter of the NFU.
Ellard was committed to rural living and the family farm. His contribution to the public life of our country in agricultural matters will always be appreciated.