The Canadian Wheat Board’s elected directors were paid an average of
$63,815 in 2000-01.
The payments ranged from a low of $47,833 for Manitoba director Wilf
Harder to a high of $105,467 for board chair Ken Ritter.
But directors say that given their workload and responsibilities, being
on the board is not exactly a get-rich-quick scheme.
“It can seem like a substantial amount to farmers that are facing some
tough economic times, but compared to the corporate world it’s at the
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low end,” said director Bill Nicholson of Shoal Lake, Man.
“I think it’s an appropriate level.”
Directors spend a part of every day dealing with wheat board business,
he said, whether it’s reading reports, answering e-mails, talking to
farmers, participating in industry meetings or attending CWB committee
meetings.
He said that cuts into the time they are able to devote to their farms.
“The compensation does help to offset the extra costs or the losses
that we may be incurring on our farms because of the time commitment.”
He said farmers have never complained to him about the amount of money
paid to directors.
The level of payments varies according to the number of committee
meetings directors attend.
All directors receive an annual retainer of $20,000, with an additional
$4,000 paid to committee chairs. The board chair receives an annual
retainer of $60,000. Directors are also paid $500 a day for attending
committee meetings and reimbursed for travel and out-of-pocket expenses.
Directors’ workloads varied substantially in 2000-01. Four directors –
Art Macklin, Ken Ritter, Ian McCreary and Mike Halyk – attended more
than 100 board, committee and industry meetings. At the other end were
Jim Chatenay and Wilf Harder, who attended 40 and 45 respectively.
Nicholson said those numbers in part reflect the heavy workload borne
by directors involved in the transportation committee, which worked
long hours as new transportation rules were negotiated with grain
shippers.
“That shouldn’t be repeated in the current year and that should level
out some of the compensation,” he said.
Here’s how much each elected director was paid last year (with the
number of meetings attended in brackets), starting with the highest
compensation and going to the lowest: Ken Ritter $105,4647 (123); Larry
Hill $67,708 (78); Mike Halyk $66,359 (109); Ian McCreary $65,900
(118); Art Macklin $63,633 (105); John Clair $57,450 (59); Jim Chatenay
$52,750 (40); Bill Nicholson $50,000 (66); Wilf Harder $47,833 (45);
Rod Flaman $35,917 (35) and Terry Hanson $25,133 (52).
Flaman joined the board in January 2001, replacing Hanson.
The appointed directors were paid as follows: David Hilton $56,000
(59); Keith Ross $44,750 (63); Betty-Anne Heggie $29,833 (27) and James
Sanford $27,750 (22). Sanford resigned from the board in March 2001.
