There will be a changing of the guard at the top of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as it rushes to develop new food safety regulations due two years from now.
CFIA president George Da Pont will be promoted to become deputy health minister, effective Aug. 12.
He will be replaced by former provincial deputy agriculture minister Bruce Archibald.
Da Pont spent three years at CFIA, including two as president. He has been heading the process of developing regulations that will allow the recently approved Safe Food for Canadians Act to take effect by 2015.
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Da Pont leaves with good reviews, particularly about his willingness to meet with industry.
“We were sad to hear that George Da Pont is leaving CFIA,” said Canadian Meat Council president Jim Laws. “We really appreciated that he was very open to discussion, including meeting our full board twice a year. He helped to move things forward at the agency.”
Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnett said Da Pont brought a culture of transparency and co-operation to the CFIA.
“I think he did a good job.”
Bonnett worked with Archibald as president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and said the new CFIA president knows the industry and is open to consultation.
“Bruce is a straight shooter and I think he will be a good fit at CFIA.”
Archibald is a University of Guelph graduate with a PhD in environmental toxicology and a bachelor of science in agriculture.
He has led the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario for the past four years.
