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On October 3rd, members of British Columbia’s agriculture community joined AgSafe in celebrating twenty-five years as the industry’s provincial health and safety association.
Hosted at Redwoods Golf Course in Langley, the event was attended by leaders in agriculture, health and safety, and workers advocacy from around the province, as well as former board and staff members. Reg Steward, Superintendent of Field Operations for AgSafe, and a familiar face to B.C. ranchers, served as emcee for the evening.
Guest speakers included Mark Thompson, FARSHA Board Chair 1993 to 2007, and former member of the WorkSafeBC Board of Governors; Larry Campbell, FARSHA Board member 1993 – 2003; and Don Dahr, current AgSafe Board Chair and retired WorkSafeBC ILS Director.
Dr. Charan Gill, AgSafe board member and founding member of the Canadian Farmworkers’ Union was in attendance, as was Carol Reid, retired AgSafe provincial safety consultant from the Okanagan. Representatives from the BC Agriculture Council also joined the celebration.
The event was full of nostalgia and talk of progress. “There was so much history in the room,” stated Wendy Bennett, AgSafe Executive Director. “There were many people celebrating with us who have been involved since the beginning. I’m pleased that the team we have in place today is diligently carrying on the work that began twenty-five years ago.”
Established in May of 1993 as FARSHA, AgSafe was conceived as a joint initiative of WorkSafeBC (Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia), the BC Agriculture Council and the Canadian Farmworkers’ Union to address worker safety in the province’s agriculture industries.
AgSafe currently offers site-specific health and safety programs, education, evaluation and consultation services. AgSafe is also a COR certifying partner and offers a Certificate of Recognition (COR) program for large and small employers.
To learn more about AgSafe and the services they provide, call 1-877-533-1789 or visit www.AgSafeBC.ca.