Canadian Beef Check-Off Agency Wraps Up 2025/26 Fiscal Year at Annual General Meeting
Winnipeg, MB (August 18, 2026) – The Canadian Beef Check-Off Agency (the Agency) reported strong results at its Annual General Meeting (AGM), highlighting financial performance, program impacts, and service provider updates.
The 2026/27 Agency Members have been announced as:
| Primary Producers: | Canadian Meat Council: | |
| Andrea van Iterson, British Columbia | Andre Forget, Montpak | |
| Michelle Ball, Alberta | Jeff Cline, Cargill | |
| Sheila Hillmer, Alberta | Bruce Andrews, Atlantic Beef Products | |
| Darren Ippolito, Saskatchewan | Leslie Gold, St. Helen’s Meat Packers | |
| Tyler Fewings, Manitoba | ||
| Jim Whitley, Ontario | Retail and Foodservice: | |
| Sylvain Bourque, Quebec | Denis Burelle, Sysco Canada | |
| Trevor Welch, New Brunswick | ||
| Bert Meyer, Nova Scotia | I.E. Canada: | |
| Nick Green, Prince Edward Island | Karen Heaton, Aritzia LP / United States of Aritzia | |
| Adeleen Bolduc, Canadian Cattle Youth Council |
The Agency board confirmed its 2026/27 Executive Committee:
- Trevor Welch, Chair
- Sheila Hillmer, Vice Chair
- Sylvain Bourque, Finance Chair
- Andrea van Iterson, Governance Chair
- Jeff Cline, Marketing Committee Chair
For the 2025/26 fiscal year, the Agency collected $18.7 million in national check-off revenue and $1.9 million in import levy. Those funds were allocated as:
- 52% to marketing through Canada Beef
- 27% to research through the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)
- 5% to the Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) program
- 15% supported provincial cattle associations for research, market development, and promotion
Agency Chair Trevor Welch of Glassville, NB reflected on the year’s progress.
“We may not agree on every issue, but producers across the country all want the same thing, a strong future for Canadian Beef,” Welch said. “This year’s work was about building the coordination to get us there.”
General Manager Melinda German reported on Agency programs, including a continued focus on providing a clear picture of how check-off dollars are managed and invested on behalf of Canadian producers.
“Behind every dollar collected is a lot of work. Compliance, communications, and coordination are what keep this system functioning for producers and importers alike,” said German.
The 2026 $2,000 scholarship was awarded to Ryan Trefiak of Edgerton, AB. With 13 applicants this year, the scholarship has become one of the Agency’s most wide-reaching communications initiatives.
The Marketing Committee has been announced as:
| Elected: | Appointed: | |
| Cam Daniels, Harmony Beef | Jeff Cline, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Clay Holmes, Intercity Packers | Leslie Gold, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Michelle Ball, Alberta Beef Producers | Bruce Andrews, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Nick Green, PEI Cattle Producers | Andre Forget, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Mark Hoimyr, Box H Farms (Member-at-Large) | Karen Heaton, I.E. Canada | |
| Jim Clark, Ontario Corn Fed Beef & Ontario Cattle Feeders Association (Member at Large) | Denis Burelle, Retail and Foodservice | |
| Jennifer Haley, Veal Farmers of Ontario |
The Marketing Committee oversees Canada Beef’s strategic and operational goals, providing broad industry input from across the value chain.
The Agency expressed gratitude to outgoing board and committee members for their service and contributions, thanking them for their dedication to strengthening Canada’s beef industry.
Since joining the board in 2024, Craig McLaughlin has chaired the Governance Committee, strengthened board accountability and helping bring Ontario into alignment with the national levy amount.
Coral Manastersky served for ten years representing importers on the board, including service on the Marketing and Governance Committees that helped strengthen industry oversight and collaboration.
Chad Ross served as an Agency Chair for three years beginning in 2019. During his ten years on the board, Chad worked to advance the change in collection mechanism, and mentored the Agency’s first Youth Member, and contributed through the Governance Committee.
Representing the Canadian Meat Council, Russ Mallard joined the Agency in 2018, and later spent two years as Marketing Committee Chair before moving into the role of Finance Chair, where he oversaw Canada Beef’s finances and helped to guide the organization on behalf of the industry.
The Agency’s 2025/26 Annual Report is available online.
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