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Fred, the youngest of four children
born to Clarence and Jennie Lewis, grew up in
the Denfield area, attending London Township’s
S.S. #2 Southgate school. His entrepreneurial
spirit emerged as a young boy when he purchased
old bicycles, fixed them and sold them to unsuspecting
clients. Fred began in the poultry industry at
an early age. He was at a sale and knew the hens
were worth more than what was being bid, so he
decided to raise his hand. This presented two
problems: 1- he was the proud owner of these hens,
and 2- he didn’t have any money to buy them.
Fred’s father Clarence refused to bail him
out as this was a good lesson not to spend money
that you don’t have. Luckily, Grandma Reycraft
took an interest and helped him pay for the hens.
He attended Medway High School where
he played hockey for the Cowboys and despite the
lack of emphasis on studying, he always seemed
to do well in school. During the summer holidays,
Fred worked with Mr. Loyens as a bricklayer.
After graduating from Medway, he accompanied a
friend into London and they applied for a position
with the Toronto Dominion Bank. Fred believed
the primary reason for getting the position was
that he finished his application before his friend.
Transportation was his next concern. How would
he get to work every day without a car? He was
fortunate enough to hitch a ride with a gentleman
who was working in London. Perhaps luck was involved
with getting the position but Fred had to scurry
around for transportation to turn the offer of
a position into an actual job.
Fred continued his education and
learned many valuable life experiences at Ridgetown
Agricultural College. He became the sales manager
for a one-dorm room barbershop. This was a straight
commission job. He split the proceeds 50/50 with
the student barber. Perhaps Fred is partly to
blame for the hairstyles of the 1960’s.
After graduating from Ridgetown in 1959, Fred
became a salesman with United Co-operatives of
Ontario in the Elmira, St. Jacobs, and Caledon
Hill’s area. A sales position in the feed
business had its ups and downs. Conn Smythe was
one of his customers. Fred was able to sell him
feed but didn’t end up in hockey. Another
customer told him he knew nothing about feeding
chickens and to never come back.
In 1968, Fred purchased his first
farm from his sister-in-law following the untimely
death of his brother Bob. His father had told
him “not to let that farm get away”.
Those words must be still ringing in his ears
as his holdings have grown from that first 100
acres to now owning 2300 acres in the Denfield
area. In the beginning, Fred was involved in both
beef and poultry production but over time he has
concentrated on poultry and cash crop production.
Today his poultry operation handles 3 million
broiler chicks annually.
Fred entered municipal politics in
1973 as a councilor in London Township. He was
Deputy Reeve from 1975-1978, Reeve from 1978-1982
and County Warden in 1980. As a result of his
council input he was appointed a member of the
Ontario Farm Drainage Tribunal from 1975-1982.
At the inaugural meeting of the Ontario
Corn Producers Association in March of 1983, Fred
Lewis was elected a provincial director representing
the Middlesex region. He served on this board
until March 1992. While on the board, Fred served
as a representative on the Canada Grains Council,
Chair of the OCPA Grain, Trade and Marketing Committee,
chair of the Convention committee and was instrumental
in the preparatory launch of the Corn Industry
Advisory Committee.
From 1985-92 Fred was panel chairperson
of the Ontario Debt Review Board.
Fred was the first Chair of the Ontario
Farm Implements Board, from 1988 to 1994, the
initial years of the board. During that first
year the board developed regulations for the implementation
of the Act and the registration of farm machinery
dealers and distributors. Fred proved quite expert
in achieving compromise solutions in difficult
negotiations between different sectors and interests
in the farm machinery industry. Fred also chaired
the first Board hearings to resolve machinery
disputes between farmers, dealers and distributors.
These disputes were about warranty, performance,
parts supply and repairs. Of particular significance
to dealers were the disputes between dealers and
distributors regarding repurchase of inventory
by distributors when a dealer was terminated.
The decisions of the Board in these issues established
precedence and standards which are still in use
today in the implementation of the Act.
For 28 years from 1974-2002, Fred
was a member of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation
Authority. He served as vice chair from 1988-1989
and chair from 1990-1991. Fred also served on
Conservation Ontario from 1990-2002 being its
chairperson from 1998-99. The mid to late 1990’s
were tough times with the relationship between
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Conservation
Authorities as a result of massive cuts to the
transfer payments from the province to the conservation
authorities. The strategies developed with the
help of Fred’s leadership have played a
key role in positioning Conservation Ontario for
the future. Today, Conservation Ontario enjoys
a positive working relationship with several provincial
government agencies and the agricultural community.
While serving on many outside boards
, Fred’s farming interests in cash cropping
and broilers was also increasing and as a result
he was elected as a director of the Chicken Farmers
of Ontario from 1990-1999. This board oversees
the rapidly expanding but relatively stable production
of broiler chickens within the province. Fred
was involved with customer /processor relations,
price negotiations and represented the board at
the national level. He was instrumental in bringing
together the Canadian Broiler Council, a farm
organization designed to help stabilize the broiler
industry by farmers working together to ensure
their awareness of changes within the industry.
The Ontario Farm Products Marketing
Commission is an agency of the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food which supervises 23 marketing
boards and associations in the province. Collectively,
these boards and associations represent commodities
worth $4.5 billion at the farm gate. The commodities
range from dairy to asparagus and turkeys to processed
tomatoes. Fred was appointed to this body in 2001,
and is currently, one of six members who meet
monthly to deal with regulatory and marketing
issues involving the 23 boards and associations.
In 1994, as a result of his dedication
to agriculture Fred was awarded an Honourary Life
Membership in the Ontario Institute of Agrologists.
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