News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

(The following is a letter from Chilcotin Harvest Ltd President and CEO Felix Schellenberg to a representative of the BC Centre of Disease Control.)

Dear Mr. Wilcott,

It is now two months after the names of Chilcotin Harvest Ltd and Pasture to Plate Ltd have been extremely unfavourably publicized by you, on recommendation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), from coast to coast, from border to border and radiating far beyond and causing grief, substantial financial loss, rightful doubt and mistrust towards regulating authorities and their very questionable inspection methods, some of which I have addressed with you already.

Chilcotin Harvest Ltd staff are still forced to endure the abuse of authority, the arrogance and utter incompetence of CFIA meat inspector Wittgruber. Chilcotin Harvest Ltd is responsible and accountable for its services and it is unbelievable that we are being forced to accept a person we cannot trust into our facility where we produce food for the public.

Records on this individual's misconduct have been and are being kept and will again be forwarded to you. Our numerous requests to have Wittgruber replaced are continuously ignored.The Chilcotin Harvest Ltd facility was built to the highest western world standards, it is furnished with some of the best equipment and machinery the world has to offer, it is staffed with quality personnel managed by a meat specialist with proper and extensive and documented education and thirty years of professional experience.

The facility was built respecting the animal soul and its physics. This also is well documented. We have provided you, on November the second 2011, one month ago, with the comprehensive corrective action plan you requested which was produced with the professional support of VM Technical Services' Mr. Victor Martens, a colleague of yours. 

Chilcotin Harvest Ltd does not buy or sell meat; we strictly sell services, therefore most labeling issues need to be addressed with customers of Chilcotin Harvest Ltd, and thus such issues cannot be a reason to hold up formulated meat production.

To prevent having to listen to more interpretations of regulations, existing or not, and having to listen to regulatory demands that cannot be substantiated with documentation, I will not accept phone calls from industry regulating officials. Email is a wonderful tool and is being used successfully around the globe to inform on abuse of power by authorities.I can be contacted via email which is almost 100% legal, in writing or via personal visits.

Chilcotin Harvest Ltd staff will be instructed to accept demands from regulatory officials in written form only. Chilcotin Harvest Ltd has complied with all your demands and there are no reasonable grounds to withhold a permit for full value added meat production.

It is early winter when the ranching community traditionally gets their beeves killed and processed; our freezers are filling up with productwanting to be processed!

Herewith, Mr. Wilcott, I again formally, finally and the last time personallyon this matter request that you, this work week ending on December the second 2011, reissue the permit to produce again, formulated meats at Chilcotin Harvest Ltd.

Sincerely,

F. Schellenberg, President and CEO of Chilcotin Harvest Ltd.

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