Ontario Grain Farmer - September 2021

30 THOSE WHO FOLLOW successive appointments of Chief Grain Inspector for Canada should be well pleased with the recent appointment of Derek Bunkowsky. He was appointed to the position in late June, after Gino Castonguay, who held the post since 2017. The position of Chief Grain Inspector for Canada is an important one at the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) and is one of the only positions specified in the Canada Grain Act. In this role, Bunkowsky leads the CGC inspection program efforts to ensure Canada’s grain quality assurance system functions effectively for the grain industry in Canada, and for customers of Canadian grain around the world. Bunkowsky brings with him a broad knowledge of the grain sector, going all the way back to his childhood. “I was raised on a grain farm about 45 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg and was very active from a very young Quality check A NEW CHIEF GRAIN INSPECTOR FOR CANADA Treena Hein CANADIAN GRAIN COMMISSION INSPECTOR EXAMINING GRAIN. PHOTO COURTESY OF CANADIAN GRAIN COMMISSION. age on the farm for over 35 years,” he says. “I attended the University of Manitoba studying agriculture, majored in agronomy, and worked in the private grain trade for seven years after graduation.” It was 2001 that Bunkowsky first started at CGC, at that time as an assistant grain inspector. He then moved up through the various levels of inspector to finally reach the top this year. “Through all those years, I gained a lot of experience in grain grading and the various industry related issues,” he says. “I’ve developed many collaborative relationships with industry stakeholders which will assist me in managing the various grain quality and market access issues that affect this sector.” CURRENT AND FUTURE GOALS As Chief Grain Inspector, Bunkowsky is tasked with ensuring all aspects of the national inspection program are running smoothly. For Ontario, one of his highest priorities is to clarify and streamline the dispute resolution process for farmers and grain handlers. “Ontario is unique in that, depending on the grain, different mechanisms are in place to resolve disputes and I want to clarify what processes are to be used depending on the commodity,” he explains. “We receive numerous calls from Ontario producers every year who are unsure what to do in the event of a grade dispute at delivery. I also want to encourage Ontario producers and grain handlers that the CGC should be the entity that grades any disputed grain deliveries in Ontario. I would like to move the industry in that direction.” Bunkowsky notes that CGC grading results are binding in disputed delivery samples in western Canada, they are not in eastern Canada under the current Canada Grain Act. “However, CGC is identified as the grader in Industry News