Canadian Lawyer

REGIONAL WRAP-UP laWyers DiversifyiNg iNto fooD processiNg veNture Continued from page 9 Pollock. The product can be used to feed babies and the containers can be shipped anywhere in the world where famine threatens. Harvey Pollock notes that Canadian Prairie Garden Puree Prod- ucts connects him to his roots. His own family farmed in western Manitoba for a number of years after immigrating here from Russia. The elder Pollock' Beaulieu and her family go back almost to the beginnings of his legal career. He was called to the bar in 1958, and in 1961 he was assigned to serve as legal counsel to a group of Manitoba aboriginal leaders who were in the process of founding the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood. One of those leaders was Beaulieu' s relationship with Beaulieu and I became good friends over the years," he says. "He farmed near Por- tage La Prairie. He always advised his children that if they ever needed help, they should come to see me. s father. "Chris come to see Pollock concerning an intel- lectual property issue. "Kelly has worked for the University of Manitoba' ment of Agriculture and the Province of Manitoba' s Depart- says Harvey. "She is a brilliant innovator and has a lot of contacts in the agricul- tural world. She has a lot of ideas. We began exploring different possibilities, which would help local vegetable growers increase their sales potential. We found that there was a lot of synergy between us." The partners approached the Food s Department of Agriculture," Development Centre — a provincial incubator for new food products — to help them get started. "We have a pilot plant at the Food Development Centre, with state-of-the-art equipment, includ- ing steam-infused cookers and aseptic packaging machines," says Martin Pol- lock. "Our production facility is capable of small-scale commercial production." He says they are in the process of ordering larger-scale will take nine months to manufacture and deliver. They have all the necessary approvals for exporting their products. equipment that Seven years ago, Kelly Beaulieu did " WEST Alberta struggles to handle rural court delays serves. Last year it dealt with more than 12,000 cases, according to a Calgary Herald estimate. Some of those cases are taking nearly a year and a half to get to trial. Under s. T here is a crush in the Okotoks courthouse about 20 minutes south of Calgary. The building's single courtroom is struggling to handle a huge caseload generated by the rapidly growing commuter communities it 11(b) of the Charter, Canadians are guaranteed the right "to be tried within a reason- able time" but what constitutes "a reasonable time" is not explicitly defined in Askov, the Supreme Court case on delay. However, experienced criminal lawyers such as Calgary's David Chow, says most Alberta judges will not seriously look at a stay if the delay is less than 18 months. In Chow's view that is where things are headed in Okotoks. "I fear as the delay mounts, some cases that should go to trial, may get dismissed, has been juggling his 26-year-old legal practice and their business venture. "I have devoted time most days over the past three years working on this project," he says. "I go out to Portage (about an hour' I am needed. Kelly and I have an excellent working chemistry. an advocate and litigator have been a valuable asset in his new role selling the products to national and international players in the food industry. He says he, his father, and Beaulieu are also involved in bringing to market a transformative new technology for measuring dry mat- ter content. The specific gravity monitor provides instantaneous measurement of specific gravity used for processors across a number of industries. For example, the technology would reduce the amount of oil used in french-fry processing by more than 20 per cent, cut calories, and save processors millions of dollars. He observes that his experience as s drive west of Winnipeg) whenever " Martin and Harvey Pollock are branching out. their company being in full production, operating out of their own manufacturing facility in Portage La Prairie with a staff of 40 to 60. "We have always enjoyed new challenges," says Harvey. "With these ventures, we can make an impact on the agricultural world and benefit the farming community in our region." — MYRON LOVE By next spring, the partners anticipate Even more than his father, Martin " he says. And the delays are expected to increase with strict new drinking- and-driving laws and the federal government's tough-on-crime initiatives. Alberta Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General officials acknowledge there are problems, but spokeswoman Julie Siddons carefully avoids using the word 'delay.' "Obviously we know there are pressures and we are taking steps to try to ease them." Siddons points to plans to re-open an old courthouse in nearby Turner Valley. It 10 A U GUST 2012 www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com MyroN love

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