Grand Opening Celebrations

It was such an honour to have so many familiar faces join us at the Grand Opening of Phase 1 of the new WestGen facility on August 16 — representatives from our Provincial, Regional, and Municipal government; Semex partners, past and present Board members and staff, industry partners, suppliers, friends, and farmers that we’ve known for decades.

More than 10 years went into the planning of this office to make sure it would be everything it needed to be, leaving room for growth, while also respecting our history and remaining relevant to our roots.

Our company has seen many changes since it was established in 1944. What began as the Lower Fraser Valley AI Association with its lab inside of an old milk house, became the BCAI Centre with a full facility in Milner. In 1998, expanding our BC territory to include beef and dairy producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, we re-branded to become WestGen; Western Canada’s Genetics Centre. Despite all these changes over the last 72 years, some things have never changed.
To this day, WestGen remains a company that is owned and directed entirely by Western Canadian farmers. Everything we do is done in an attempt to better the lives and futures of the beef and dairy producers that have, and continue, to stand with us and support us as we serve them and their herds across Western Canada. No matter where our physical office may stand, we as a company will always stand behind all our producers, in each of the four provinces that we represent. WestGen is a company that was made by farmers, for farmers, and that’s something that will never change.

The office was designed not only for our staff, but for our members and owners to enjoy and make use of for generations to come. Our members are the owners of our company, so this building is here as much for them as it is for our staff. To all the WestGen members – I want to personally invite you to contact us any time you want to use the two meeting rooms. Never forget that as a WestGen member, we are your company, and this is your facility. With over 65 years of fond Milner memories behind us, we now look forward to a bright future here in Abbotsford. While Abbotsford is the heart of the BC Dairy industry, WestGen is the hub of the Beef and Dairy industry for all of Western Canada, and we’re proud to have brought that hub here.

This building really signifies your company today and specifically the stunning architectural feature of the cantilever at the East end. We spread our wings in Milner and achieved heights no one thought were possible. And now the WestGen Group of Companies is truly defying gravity.

Chris Parry,

CEO, WEstGen Group of Companies

View photos from the event on Facebook.

L-R: Chris Parry, CEO, WestGen; The Honourable Norm Letnick, Provincial Agriculture Minister; The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of BC, Mayor Henry Braun, Abbotsford; Tony DeGroot, President, WestGen; Mayor Jack Froese, Township of Langley. Photo Credit: Callaghan Photography