Northern Ont. bison farm celebrates 50 years on the range
It started with one female bison and now, a family-run farm in Earlton, Ont., is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Nestled along a quiet road a short drive north of Temiskaming Shores, the shaggy creatures graze at Bison du Nord, a farm that was started by Pierre Belanger and his father Laurent.
"My father had been dreaming about this," Belanger said.
"We had one bison cow. They were hard to find back then. It was the beginning of the industry and it took us years to find one bull for the cow."
The farm is one of the pioneer commercial bison herds in Canada.
Belanger’s herd of 400 bison roam in large, open pastures year-round.
The meat is available at select butcher shops and is used to make bison burgers, sausage, meat pies and tacos.
In 1967, Laurent received a letter the Canadian government that was advertising the sale of live bison for ranching purposes. It opened the door to private ranching in Canada and kick-started the dream.
The Belangers welcomed their first bison on the land, that was also home to the Coopérative des artistes du Nouvel-Ontario (CANO), in 1972. Six bulls would follow in 1973 and the herd was born.
Over the years, Belanger helped establish the Canadian Bison Association and the Ontario Bison Association, serving as president for both organizations.
Along with many others from across the country, Bison du Nord took part in the development of infrastructure for the bison industry from animal handling protocols to developing markets for bison products.
"My children have joined me in the ranch operations. So now we’re really growing it," he said.
"We ship meat all over the province with refrigerated trucks and now we have a good-sized commercial operation."
In 2019, the farm began to expand activities to offer our farm tours for students and families, so they could get up close to the animals and learn more about them and the production.
A bison cow and its calf at Bison du Nord in Earlton, Ont. Sept. 21/22 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
To celebrate its 50 years, Bison du Nord was selected to host the Ontario Bison Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) with bison farmers from Ontario and Quebec visiting for tours of the farm along with seminars with keynote speaker Wes Olson, a former farmer and bison expert.
Olson recently published his book 'The Ecological Buffalo.'
"They’re a wonderful animal. Everyone should experience bison sometime," he said.
Olson finds that most bison farmers are actually conservationists at the same time, bringing the animal back from near extinction to a healthy population.
He estimates there are between 350,000-400,000 bison in Canada and the U.S.
"Bison occupied North America for 130,000 years from the Gulf Coast to the east and the west coast," Olson said. "Also all the way up into Alaska. They interact with every species that exists in that landscape."
Bison du Nord supports the local food scene on both sides of the border, participating in the North on Tap Craft Beer Festival and recently wrapped up in serving more than 2,500 bison tacos at the 20th edition of the Foire gourmande de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue et du Nord-Est ontarien.
The farm is now prepping for a fall release of a new item:bison summer sausages.
"The future does look bright for the bison industry. We still have new producers getting in," said Les Kroeger, the Canadian Bison Association president.
"After COVID, the markets are opening up again."
With 50 years under his belt, Belanger has no intentions of slowing down just yet.
Pierre Belanger started Bison du Nord with his father, Laurent. Sept. 21/22 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
"I’m good for another 25 (years). After that, I think it’ll go to my children," he said. "They’ve got the momentum."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.