August 1st was a monumental day at the Art Walde Family Farm 8 years ago. It was the day Bill C-18 was officially passed, a bill members of the Walde family had been long proponents and very public advocates for. The Walde patriarch, Arthur Abraham Walde, had long sought the ability to market his crop freely. Walde's involvement was so important, it's one of the reasons why Kindersley and area was selected for the abolishment celebration. Then Prime Minister Stephen Harper also made the trip out west, to inaugurate the abolition of the federally controlled wheat board.

Robin Walde of Rosana Farms talked about his father's role in taking down the wheat board.

"(My dad) was a big advocate for freedom. He was part of the group that passed into the United States with a sack of grain, and were forced to either pay a fine or go to jail for up to 6 months."

The Canadian Wheat Board was re-created in 1935 and existed as a power until its abolishment, presiding over all the grain sales listed in their jurisdiction. Anyone caught selling grain outside of the CWB were subject to a fine or imprisonment. Despite this, the some 16 men attempted to bring a sack of grain across the U.S. border, and were met with said fines or up to six months of prison. It was these marketing restrictions that Mr. Walde sought to end.

The wheat board was originally created to provide fair prices and a consistent revenue to farmers. The idea was to make it easier for producers to make long term decisions as Canada and the world attempted to survive the first world war. The first wheat board, after serving it's purpose, was disbanded after a successful one year stint in 1919. 

Co-operative grain marketing through a federal marketing agency returned to Canada during the great depression. The return of the wheat board was applauded as the world faced a terrible economic landscape. Cooperative marketing saw that farmers benefited from the controlled price of grain. The guaranteed crop revenue received via multiple payments throughout the year brought important peace of mind to Canadian producers.

After the depression and second world war agriculture entered a new industrial revolution. As the cold war raged the super market became an important battleground between two global political ideologies. The wheat board found its self marketing in a shift 'just-in-time' supply system. The globe got smaller, as international trade became more common place. This changing global trade system saw subsidies provided in other nation states greatly effect the value of Canadian Producer's crops.

Art Walde began to see the Wheat Board as an impediment to his family and operation. He believed that marketing freedom would ultimately support a farmers ability to make use of their established markets and customer relations, without the threat of monopolization. He believed the abolishment of the board would have a huge impact not only for him by for the local community. He seeked abolishment so west central farmers, Canadian farmers, would see greater benefit from a re-valued durum wheat and malt barley crop. 

Sadly Mr. Walde would not get the opportunity to see the end of his long battle against the Canadian Wheat Board. Nor the official abolishment ceremony that was held on his family farm. He passed away before bill C-18 received royal assent. His son Robin however participated in what would of been an monumental day for Art Walde.

"My dad was a big component of it (abolishing the wheat board), so I was asked to go to Ottawa to watch the bill go through." explained Robin Walde, "I met Stephen Harper at that time and told him we were having a celebration back in Kindersley, and he attended."

The celebration of abolishment was a big day for Kindersley and area. A Prime Minister doesn't always make a visit to ones community or farm yard. Prime Minister Harper was also joined by then Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, along with various farmers and Western Canadian Wheat Growers board members. It was at this event that Prime Minister Harper announced pardons for the men that were involved with the infamous illegal boarder grain trade demonstration.

Like it or not, market freedom became the new normal after the bill was passed that August 1st. On the day, Ag Minister and then MP Gerry Ritz noted that with the new marketing freedom, crops like wheat and barley would (and have) seen a resurgence.

"Never, never, never again will Western farmers and ONLY Western farmers who grow their own wheat on their own land be told how to market their product," Harper noted to much applause during his address to the crowd in 2012.

Then Kindersley Mayor Wayne Foster was proud to have Kindersley host the event as it showed good government support provincially, nationally, and throughout the constituency as well.  It was a big day for the Waldes and the agriculture community in general.