Saskatchewan’s general farm organization has reacted to the recent resignation of its president with a news release that highlights its internal turmoil.
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan directed allegations at Glenn Blakley’s personal life and leadership skills in an Oct. 16 release. Blakley had earlier issued a memo to APAS representatives that criticized certain board and staff members.
Don Connick, who assumed the presidency after a board meeting last week, said the release was issued to counteract the damaging allegations Blakley made in his release.
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However, Blakley’s memo was not widely circulated to media outlets.
Connick said the APAS lawyer had approved the release.
He said most of the information contained in Blakley’s resignation memo is untrue or taken out of context.
He said Blakley had “played havoc with this organization for a long time. The last year has been very damaging.”
The news release alleges conflict of interest on Blakley’s part and stated Blakley was trying to use APAS to further personal interests.
Blakley said he resigned because the board focuses on personal agendas, power struggles and petty internal politics.
Connick said some of Blakley’s criticisms of him were taken out of context.
It is true, he said, that he refused to provide certain expenditures to the finance committee but he was advised to do so by lawyers..
Connick said when he joined the board two years ago he never imagined the current situation.
“It has become a soap opera,” he said, with one episode after another. “We have not been able to turn (it) off.”
Membership has plummeted to less than two-thirds of the 135 rural municipalities that belonged at the organization’s peak. The news release said many of the RMs cite the ongoing conflict between the board and Blakley as a reason to discontinue membership.
Connick, who farms near Gull Lake, said the organization is once again trying to get on track.
He said changes made earlier this year to reduce the number of people at the board table have not worked well. The move to a six-person board has diluted the number of ideas around the table and it is difficult for the board to reach quorum.
The APAS annual meeting is set for early December.
