Canadian Cattle Young Leaders
Brianna Elliot grew up on her family’s ranch in southern British Columbia. Her early involvement in 4-H fostered a passion for the beef industry. She earned a diploma in agricultural management at Olds College and went on to a career in agronomy. Currently, Elliot works as a project lead at Olds College’s Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production, where she focuses on integrating technology to improve livestock production and sustainability, particularly in forage production, grazing practices and soil health. Her projects include tools to monitor livestock behaviour, manage herd data and implement environmental sensors, all aimed at balancing productivity with ecological responsibility. In addition to her work at Olds College, Elliot runs a small cow-calf operation near Sundre, Alta., and serves as a director with the Western Stock Growers’ Association. Through her work, she seeks to contribute to a more resilient, environmentally sound future for the livestock industry. Her mentor is Melissa Downing, the director of regulatory and sustainability for the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. Downing has been a professional agrologist since 2010 and is currently pursuing her master of business administration degree through the University of Guelph. She ranches near Metiskow, Alta. with her husband and their children.
Dr. Brittany Sigfusson grew up on an acreage in northern Alberta before her family moved to Strathmore, Alta., when she was in high school. She did three years of an agricultural biotechnology degree at the University of Lethbridge before earning her doctor of veterinary medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Her career in veterinary medicine started with five years in mixed animal practice, but her passion has always been beef cattle medicine. So, in August of 2023 Sigfusson joined the team at Veterinary Agri-Health Services near Crossfield, Alta. She now practices ambulatory cow-calf and feedlot medicine full-time. Sigfusson also does some animal chiropractic work on the side of her full-time job through her business, Bark & Bridle Veterinary Services. Brittany lives in Strathmore, with her husband, Kyle, and two sons. When not busy cow-vetting, she enjoys spending time with her family, collecting more animals for her small farm, camping, playing hockey and riding her horses. Her mentor is Andrea Brocklebank, the executive director of the Beef Cattle Research Council. Brocklebank and her husband, Brad, own and operate a farming operation near High River, Alta., that includes rotational grazing cattle on both tame and native grasslands and grain farming.
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The board of directors of Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) elected their 2025 president and vice-president in February of 2025 in Guelph, Ont. Craig McLaughlin will continue to lead the association in the year ahead as president with Jason Leblond continuing his role as vice-president.
Joining the BFO board of directors in 2025 are Nicholas Martin and Denise Byers for three-year terms. Martin, who will represent the feedlot sector on the board and replace Joe Dickenson, who completed two terms, resides on Manitoulin Island where he operates a cow-calf-to-finish operation with his family. Byers will serve as southern director and will replace Ron Stevenson who also completed two terms. Byers and her family operate a cow-calf-to-finish operation in the Durham Region.
Returning to the BFO board of directors are cow-calf director Don Badour and at-large director Kim Jo Bliss.
Jordan Sinclair has been appointed ALUS’s new CEO effective April 1, 2025. Sinclair succeeds outgoing CEO Bryan Gilvesy, who will transition to the role of chief strategy officer to continue to support ALUS’s mission and growth.
The Canadian Cattle Association completed its 2025 annual general meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Ottawa with the election of a new board of directors.
Tyler Fulton of Birtle, Man., moves into the president position, taking over from Nathan Phinney of Sackville, N. B., who remains on the board in the past-president position. Sheila Hillmer and Doug Roxborough of Alberta and Jack Chaffe of Ontario retired from the board. Past-president Bob Lowe also retired from the board. Ryan Beierbach is now the vice-president. The Livestock Markets Association of Canada has been welcomed as an associated organization member of the Canadian Cattle Association.
Congratulations to Reg Steward, who was named the 2024 Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture during the BC Agriculture Council’s annual Agri-Food Industry Gala in Abbotsford, B.C., on January 22. The Champion of Agriculture Award recognizes exceptional leadership and dedication in the industry.
Steward has worked with AgSafeBC for nearly 30 years, providing safety and emergency management support to the province’s agriculture sector and has worked tirelessly to ensure the agriculture industry is safer and more resilient. Steward also worked for years as both a rancher and an RCMP officer, so he is well-versed in the challenges that producers in the industry face and he is passionate about his work.
Trevor Jones has been named as minister of agriculture, food and agribusiness in Ontario by Premier Doug Ford in March. Jones comes to the role with a strong understanding of farm and rural issues with his previous experience as parliamentary assistant to the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs from 2022 to 2024. He was appointed as deputy house leader in the Ontario Legislature in October 2023 and as associate minister of emergency preparedness and response as part of the Treasury Board Secretariat in June 2024.
