Canadian Agricultural Safety Association Welcomes New CEO

Jan 19, 2021

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) has announced the appointment of Andrea Lear as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Andrea joins CASA after working as the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association’s Executive Director.

“I am eager and excited to join CASA”, said Lear. “I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experience in supporting CASA’s mandate to promote safety and health in agriculture.”

Lear’s formative years were spent on a Manitoba hobby farm, where she developed an appreciation for the agriculture’s community and culture.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Andrea as CASA’s Chief Executive Officer," said CASA Chair Carolyn Van Den Heuvel. "Andrea's enthusiasm and passion for agriculture will lead CASA through its next phase of growth."

This appointment comes as a result of the retirement of Marcel Hacault who assumed the position of Executive Director in 2004.

"We thank Marcel for his dedication to farmers, farmworkers, farm families, and farming communities," added Van Den Heuvel. "Marcel took every opportunity to ensure safety was top of mind for our industry and was an amazing ambassador for CASA. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish him well in his retirement."

CASA is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers. CASA is funded in part through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial and territorial initiative and receives additional support from the agricultural and corporate sectors.

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Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.