The Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award was announced this week during the Canadian Beef Industry Conference.

Reg Schellenberg, a rancher from Beechy, Saskatchewan was President of the Canadian Cattle Association when he passed away suddenly in December of 2022.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations to be made through the Canadian Cattle Foundation to support the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) Program.

In addition, the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference has generously donated $10,000 to the Reg Schellenberg Legacy Fund to support this award. 

The Canadian Cattle Foundation Chair Bob Lowe says Schellenberg was a strong leader for the Canadian beef industry and passionate about its next generation.

"The Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award aims to honour individuals who embody the spirit of humble leadership, mentorship, collaboration, and dedication to the Canadian cattle industry, and serves as a symbol of the type of leader Reg was to us all.”

He says CYL participants identify individuals for the Award selection committee.

"Then the family along with myself and another couple of people selected the one that we thought best exemplified what Reg stood for in the industry. Which is strong leadership, very humble, and a good strong spokesman for the industry. Somebody who'd always put the industry first."

Interviews were conducted with the top nominees to select this year’s recipient which is Carling Matejka from Ponoka (Alberta). 

Carling was presented the award by members of the Schellenberg family, the Foundation, and the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference at this year’s CYL graduation.

Shannon Schellenberg, Reg's wife, says raising cattle is their way of life, and the people of the beef industry have become like family.

"On behalf of our family, thank you to the Canadian Cattle Foundation and Canadian Cattle Young Leaders Program for working with us to honour Reg’s legacy and his contributions to build a strong industry for the next generation."

If you would like to contribute to the Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award, or if you are interested in partnering with the Canadian Cattle Foundation to invest in the next generation of the Canadian beef industry, please contact foundation@cattle.ca.