The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Derrick Bragg, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture:

Mr. Speaker, today at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, two farmers from this province are being inducted into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame to recognize their contributions to this industry. Gerard Cormier of the Codroy Valley is the inductee for 2021, and the late Raymond Eveleigh of Comfort Cove is the honoree for 2020.

Gerard Cormier is a fifth-generation farmer working the farm his great-grandfather established in 1852. The family business expanded in 1963 to include a dairy operation, and in 2004, Cormier’s Dairy merged with Chaffey Farm to become one of the largest dairy operations in Eastern Canada.

Mr. Speaker, along with his work on the farm, Mr. Cormier has been a dedicated advocate for Newfoundland and Labrador’s farmers and producers. Among his many achievements, he helped form the NL Milk Marketing Board, and served on the Crop and Livestock Insurance Board, Dairy Farmers of Canada, and the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee. His guidance and support continue to be valuable resources to the farming community.

The late Raymond Eveleigh of Comfort Cove cleared his first piece of land in Burn Cove at the age of 18. Under his leadership, the farm expanded from vegetable production to include fruit, sheep, and cows. Triple E Farms carries the logo “Pride of the Burn,” a nod to the place where Raymond cleared his first patch of land. Nearly a century later, Triple E Farms is one of the largest vegetable farms in the province, and Mr. Eveleigh and his family hold a well-earned reputation for excellence in agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, please join me thanking these trailblazers, and all farmers, for their dedication to building Newfoundland and Labrador’s agriculture sector.

Thank you.