Canada’s two national pulse and special crops organizations are merging portions of their operations.
The union was prompted by the resignation of Francois Catellier, executive director of the Canadian Special Crops Association, who after 10 years working part-time for the association, took a new job in business development for francophone municipalities in Manitoba.
Steve Foster, president of the CSCA, said the association’s board of directors considered his resignation an opportune time to take advantage of synergies it has with Pulse Canada.
Aside from the cost savings associated with eliminating the executive director position and sharing office space, the board felt the merger would be the best way to address the transportation issue, which is the top concern expressed by CSCA members.
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Pulse Canada has been lobbying federal politicians and bureaucrats on the transportation file, so it was a nice fit, he said.
“We had the opportunity to make a stronger voice as one bigger group,” said Foster.
The push for the merger came from some of the association’s larger members, the 20 percent that are paying 80 percent of the levy dollars. They wanted to trim costs and increase influence on transportation issues.
Gordon Bacon, chief executive officer of Pulse Canada, said the two groups are only amalgamating the administrative side of their operations.
“There is still two separate organizations and that is the key point. There is still a Canadian Special Crops Association. They still have their own board.”
Bacon said the two groups have agreed to an 18-month trial for the arrangement, which will be reviewed at the CSCA’s 2007 convention.
