AGRIS Co-operative Gets Their Sea Legs

This article was submitted by Janice Johnson, Ontario communication specialist and Terry Stevenson, AGRIS Co-operative communications manager.

On Friday, September 11, a group of 21 AGRIS Co-operative sales representatives and guests boarded the HMCS Ville de Quebec Canadian Navy frigate that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1993.

The experience was made possible by AGRIS Co-operative agronomy specialist Chuck Belanger who served as a Petty Officer (2nd Class) with the Canadian Forces.

It was through Belanger’s reconnection with an old navy buddy, Mario Couture, the ship’s underwater warfare director, that the AGRIS Co-operative sales team was able to have this unique experience.

“This is not your ordinary venue for a team-building exercise,” Belanger said. “But what better place to observe and learn first hand about exceptional leadership, teamwork and communication skills than on board the pride of the Canadian Navy?”

The day consisted of many informative tours throughout the ship, networking with the crew and a barbecue lunch on deck as the ship traveled from Sarnia to Windsor, Ontario.

Just after 11 a.m., a tribute to 9-11 was performed with a commemorative 11 round gun-fire salute to honor those who suffered or lost their lives.

The ceremonial blasts were heard for miles as the HMCS Ville de Quebec traveled down the St. Clair River and approached the Bluewater Bridge that links Michigan and Ontario. Hundreds of supporters gathered along the shores of the riverbank to cheer and share a moment of silence.

“The captain and crew on board the Ville de Quebec were outstanding,” Belanger said. “They spoke about the day-to-day operations with an open and honest approach. Their sense of pride and fulfillment was apparent throughout the day making me feel like I was right back at sea and it gave the group an intimate perspective of what navy life is like.”

The Ville de Quebec departed from Halifax on August 26 on the 2009 Great Lakes Deployment for a month-long, 11-city tour along Quebec and Ontario shorelines to raise the Canadian Force’s profile and highlight the ship’s national and international contributions, with a focus on bolstering Navy recruitment. A Halifax-class frigate, the Ville de Quebec, measuring 134.2 metres in length, a range of 9,500 nautical miles and a regular crew of 228, she is heavily-armed with sophisticated radar controlled weapon systems, equipment and technology. Her most recent mission involved protecting food supply ships from pirates off the coast of Somalia.

From left to right: Larry Pajot, AGRIS Co-operative vice president; David Malott, AGRIS Co-operative president; Chief Petty Office 1st Class Keith Davidson; Ville de Quebec Captain Luc Cassava; and Chuck Belanger, AGRIS Co-operative agronomy specialist.

Rollin' on the River

Last Friday I attended the 9th annual Showcase of the Kaskaskia Watershed Association (KWA), hosted by the Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders (LKSI). Nearly 300 guests boarded a barge on the Kaskaskia River near Modoc, Ill. and set off on a three hour tour (cue Gilligan's Island theme song here).

One of the highlights for me was locking through the dam where the Kaskaskia meets the Mississippi. What an experience to witness the change in depth in just a matter of minutes! The Kaskaskia was about 19 feet higher than the Mississippi, so we were lowered on the way through and raised on the way back. The pumps that move the water are amazing!

This was the water level when we started.



You'll see by the water line on the wall that within a matter of minutes, we'd dropped considerably!

The rest of the tour was full of beautiful scenery, informative presentations, and even a few jumping fish. As we returned to the dock, a huge flag was unfurled over the dam as America the Beautiful played in memory of September 11, 2001.

Gateway FS, Inc. is very involved with the LKSI group because they use the Kaskaskia River to send and receive many barge shipments each year. Gateway employees were involved with publicity, registration, food, and technical support during the cruise.