Cattlemen upgrading sales barn

FORT FRANCES—The Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association has embarked on a $250,000 project to upgrade the infrastructure at the Stratton sales barn.
Several of the improvements are scheduled to be completed by the first sale of the season next Saturday (Sept. 8).
“We’ll have as good a facility as anywhere in the country,” noted RRCA president Ken McKinnon.
The project has been made possible with the financial assistance of FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., as well as the donated hours of volunteer labour by local livestock producers.
The improvements include gravel fill for the corral area, replacement of the old wooden pens with new steel panels, upgrading of livestock watering facilities, and adding a new crowding tub and squeeze for handling livestock.
In addition, the electrical wiring throughout the building is being upgraded to meet current standards and improve lighting in the livestock handling area.
“A lot of it’s in place now—it’s just like night and day out there. There’s no comparison. I didn’t realize how dull it was in there before,” McKinnon said, adding the outdoor penning area also has been affixed with flood lighting.
“It’s superb,” he stressed.
The RRCA also will see the addition of new computer system and software to assist in the auction sale and radio frequency identification equipment, so all livestock ear tags can be read when entering and leaving the sales area.
“It is great to have so many people contribute their time to assist in moving this project forward,” McKinnon noted. “We have had several work bees where over 20 people came out to assist in the removal of the old wooden corral and the old electrical wiring.”
The volunteers also unloaded truckloads of steal panel material and helped erect the new steel panels, with self-locking gates, that will be used for livestock penning.
Hamburgers also were donated for a noon lunch during the work bees.
The three main improvements—the electrical wiring, the livestock steel pens, and the watering facilities—are set to be completed for next Saturday’s sale.
Meanwhile, Clayton Teeple, the new sales barn manager, has contacted all the previous buyers and also has a few new ones interested in the upcoming sale.
“With approximately 1,000 animals committed at this point, things look favourable for the auction on Sept. 8,” McKinnon said, adding any livestock producers who have animals they’d like to commit are asked to contact Teeple.
After the sales this fall, the RRCA will continue with the upgrades to the infrastructure. It hopes to have all the work completed for the fall auctions in 2008.
“It’s a great community project,” McKinnon indicated. “We have a lot of good community support from the livestock producers and the people in the area.
“It’s great to see everyone pulling together like this.”
(Fort Frances Times)