Peggy Revell
One year out of the gate, the district’s new abattoir is seeing a good response—and hopefully growth heading into its sophomore year.
“We’re very pleased with the response that we’ve received from the public, the local producers, and area businesses,” said Steve Loshaw, president of the Rainy River District Abattoir Inc., reflecting on the first year of operations for the not-for-profit business which allows local livestock to be slaughtered within the district.
In the planning stages for years, the $2-million, 3,600 sq. ft. facility, located at 26 Byng St. in Emo, opened a year ago. More than 200 people turned out for the opening ceremony last January, with animals first processed there later in February.
“Our business is consistent with what we had predicted in our business plan for the first year, so we’re happy with that,” noted Loshaw.
Over this past year, a total of 291 beef, 160 pigs, 35 elk, 14 bison, and nine sheep were killed, cited Marg Irvine, the abattoir’s general manager, noting these numbers don’t include livestock that have been processed since the beginning of 2011.
“It’s gone as well as expected—it’s just nice to be in business,” she remarked, also pointing to the hard work of directors in previous years to establish the abattoir.
“I’ve had nothing but positive reactions from the producers,” Irvine enthused.
“The abattoir’s been a long time coming, and it’s great.”
Since opening, the abattoir also has established a “fairly steady” employment pool, with five to six part-time employees as well as the general manager position, said Loshaw.
“It’s been a learning experience for the operation in the plant because, of course, it’s new to all the employees,” he admitted.
“And we’ve made some improvements to the infrastructure as we move along to try to make it a little more efficient.”
Membership also has grown over the past year. There were 115 members when the abattoir first opened, which has since increased to 127.
“I’m very positive about the abattoir,” lauded local cattle farmer Kim Jo Bliss.
“I really enjoy the fact that you can get up in the morning, load your cattle, and take them to Emo. It’s pretty simple,” she explained, noting the shorter distance is better for cattle—compared to being taken to Dryden—and that gasoline “isn’t any cheaper.”
“[Farmers] all have been wanting [an abattoir], but we had to wait until we saw it,” Bliss reflected.
“It took a while for that to happen,” she remarked. “We wanted to make sure we had it before we were planning on killing our animals there.
“I’m hoping that people are kind of re-planning again for this season, and we can get more local meat out there,” Bliss added, noting she and a few other local farmers have had success at selling their meat through local retailers across the district.
“We’ve got a long way to go but I think we’re definitely making the right steps,” she stressed. “We’re just have to remember to make small steps.”
The abattoir itself is clean and state-of-the-art, Bliss praised.
“I’ve had quite a few guests in the district from Guelph and other places, and every chance I can, I get them to tour the facility,” she said.
“And they have been nothing but impressed and pleased.”
Bliss conceded there are “still some hurdles,” noting the facility is expensive to run, more animals need to be killed, and disposing of specified risk material (SRM) is a huge cost to the facility.
“There’s some things that we need to work on—it’s just knowing what the right route [is] to take,” she reasoned.
“We’d like to see the use increase,” echoed Loshaw. “Part of that will be getting into more local retail markets.”
In the works right now is the establishment of Rainy River Meats in Emo, a licensed processing facility set to open soon, which Loshaw said will create additional processing capability for the district.
“What I’m personally hoping for is that we do see a little feedlot spring up, and more finished beef, so that we can get more local beef in the stores,” said Irvine, adding she hopes more farmers start using the abattoir and start selling their products locally.
“Let’s start feeding our district, our community,” agreed Bliss.
“[Let’s see] more animals butchered and kept right here at home, instead of trucking all over the place and then trucking back to the stores,” she added.
But Bliss said it will require education for farmers, retailers, and consumers, and everyone working together, to make it happen.
“We need to figure out a way to get our meat to [retailers], not just Emo and Fort Frances, but Thunder Bay and everywhere,” she stressed.
“I think it’s all good. It’s just we’ve gotta be patient and keep working, pushing it through.”
