Today, BMO Bank of Montreal and the Calgary Stampede recognized 17 southern Alberta families, including the McDougald family of Starland County, the Ferguson family of Kneehill County and the Praeker family of Wheatland County.
These families best represent the values of the family farmer to our society. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the BMO Farm Family Awards were created to promote a renewed urban-rural relationship and focus on recognizing the contribution to the enhancement of quality of life as a family unit.
“The BMO Farm Family Awards are fundamental in recognizing the many innovations and world-class business and environmental practices Alberta farmers and ranchers implement every day,” said Susan Brown, Senior Vice-president, Alberta and Northwest Territories Division, BMO Bank of Montreal. “We’re thrilled to honour these families for their commitment to promoting western heritage to future generations and support of the Alberta economy.”
The Alberta minister of agriculture, Oneil Carlier, attended alongside Bill Gray, president and chairman of the board, Calgary Stampede, and Brown, to congratulate the winners of the 2015 BMO Farm Family Awards.
“Alberta farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our thriving agriculture sector and rural communities,” says Carlier. “These awards recognize their unwavering commitment to community and agriculture in our province.”
Each year, the municipal districts in southern Alberta nominate one family. Selected families, who best display the qualities of a Farm Family, are brought to the Stampede for the BMO Farm Family Awards, which includes a reception, greetings from Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture, brunch, awards presentation, and family photograph session. The winning families are then treated to the afternoon Stampede Rodeo.
“For two decades, the BMO Farm Family Awards have recognized the important work done by families in the agriculture world,” says Gray. “They’re an important part of the Stampede and showcase the importance of sustainable agriculture and help bridge the gap between urban and rural communities.”
