Readers may have noticed the arresting illustration on the front page of last week’s Western Producer, leading off our three-part series on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, CETA, between Canada and the European Union.
It was a striking image. Reporters from across Glacier FarmMedia, which owns The Western Producer, worked on the project. Art director Michelle Houlden came up with the idea to illustrate what our writers found: that the deal offers opportunities, but some believe dangers to Canadian markets lurk beneath — deeper in the text.
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In illustrating those concepts, Michelle went with an old galleon flying the red and white Maple Leaf flag, which signified Canada’s trade markets, sailing toward a small tropical Island, which depicted the tempting appeal of CETA. (I’m assuming there are barrels of Austrian Stroh rum on the island.)
Underneath the island lurked a giant octopus the same colour as the surrounding water, signifying possible hidden dangers should the anchor dropped from the galleon hook one of the big cephalopod’s tentacles.
I was hesitant at first, because the natural agricultural reference wasn’t there, but the metaphor was so well done that I was convinced of its merits. We do strive to offer some surprises now and then for our readers, and here’s hoping you enjoyed that one.
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We bid adieu to our longtime reporter Mary MacArthur, who ran our bureau out of Camrose, Alta., for the last 17 years. Mary has moved on to greener pastures, as it were, with the Alberta government.
In her 24 years at The Western Producer, Mary brought her boundless energy and knowledge of farming and the Peace country to the readers of these pages. If you read about Alberta’s Bill 6 recently, or followed it on social media, you no doubt encountered Mary’s efforts.
We wish Mary well in her new endeavour.
