Percy Schmeiser, whose name became synonymous with the legal fight against patent rights centred around Monsanto’s genetically modified canola, has died.
John Schmeiser told CBC News his father died peacefully in his sleep Tuesday afternoon at the age of 89. Schmeiser had Parkinson’s disease.
The Saskatchewan farmer became famous in the late 1990s after agrochemical giant Monsanto took him to court. The company had found its genetically modified canola in Schmeiser’s field, but he had never paid for the right to grow it.
Schmeiser insisted the seeds had blown onto his field in the wind and that he owned them.
Monsanto sued him, and in the end, the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the farmer had knowingly violated Monsanto’s patent.
Recently, a movie based on Schmeiser’s life was released.
As the world media descends on Percy Schmeiser and his battle with Monsanto, neighbours and scientists question the validity of his defence. 7:46
Schmeiser’s son John said the court case was only one part of his life, as it happened when Schmeiser was getting ready to retire. John said he’ll remember Percy as a dedicated father, grandfather and businessman.
“I am privileged to this day to be his son,” John said. “Growing up, it was very, very evident right from the beginning about how concerned he was about his community and his family.”
Schmeiser served on town council in Bruno, Sask., for several years, both as mayor and as a councillor. He also ran a couple of businesses and ran a farm, John said.
“We were always busy,” John said. “And he always made time to be with family. And when grandchildren started to rise, it just took it to another level for him because he had more children to be around.”
Schmeiser, who had Parkinson’s disease, is survived by his wife, Louise Schmeiser. (The Associated Press)
Schmeiser would spoil his children and grandchildren but also pushed them to be their best.
“He also challenged us … in a good way, to make sure that whatever we did or whatever we chose as a vocation, there’s something that had a little difficulty with it,” John said. “That challenge was all always done in a very friendly ‘I have your best interests at heart’ way.”
It is an inspiration about Percy, not just standing up for oneself, but to meet our burdens and challenges with enthusiasm.– Terry Zakreski
John said the family was pleasantly surprised when Christopher Walken was announced to play his dad in the film, which is called simply Percy. He said he’s been a fan of Walken’s for a long time, but it was awkward to see his family’s story on screen. His father was more joyful than Walken portrayed, he said.
“My mom was a little disappointed that Christopher Walken had a goatee, as my father never did,” John said with a laugh. “But in the end, we’re very happy with his portrayal.”
Schmeiser’s longtime lawyer, who was with him throughout the landmark Monsanto case, said there were some things the movie got right and some it got wrong.
Schmeiser was portrayed by Walken as somewhat grumpy or curmudgeonly, which Terry Zakreski said was very different from real life.
“Notwithstanding all that pressure that he was under every morning … when we went to court, he had a smile on his face as big as all of Saskatchewan,” Zakreski said.
Terry Zakreski, Schmeiser’s longtime lawyer, said the farmer was unlike anyone else he had met. Together, the two took the Monsanto case all the way to Canada’s Supreme Court. (Terry Zakreski/Facebook)
“I never met a man like him that could face the challenges that he did and withstand it and still … be the jovial person that he was,” Zakreski said. “It is an inspiration about Percy, not just standing up for oneself, but to meet our burdens and challenges with enthusiasm.”
Zakreski saw the movie at the Calgary Film Festival with Schmeiser’s son, John, and said it was a strange and surreal experience.
Though he said the film got more things right than wrong, there were some aspects where the director took artistic licence.
“The trial was a lot more intense and a lot more dramatic than it was portrayed,” he said. “It took place in Saskatoon on a larger scale and it drew an incredible amount of interest. There were media scrums going into and out of court. It was a very high pressure situation.”
Zakreski said Schmeiser’s death wasn’t a complete surprise because of his age and health concerns but still hurt to hear.
Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser’s battle with Monsanto, which went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, has been turned into a Hollywood movie called Percy. Although the movie is endorsed by Schmeiser’s family, there are concerns about its accuracy. 2:04
“He was just an extraordinary person. I haven’t met someone like him … an example for us all.”
John said memories about his father that stand out are his passion for fishing and sharing his skills.
“He would go to great lengths to take his grandchildren, when they were four, five, six years old, he would take them fishing. And he just loved doing that,” John said. “For all of us, that was a very, very special thing and it was so important to him.”
Schmeiser would be filled with pride when he saw his grandchildren catch their first fish, John said.
“I don’t know who had a bigger smile, [Schmeiser] or one of his grandchildren,” John said. “For him, that was just an incredible sense of accomplishment, to see them catch fish.”
John said he hopes his father is remembered as that dedicated grandfather, passionate fisher and someone who would do anything to see his community succeed. Schmeiser would be there for his customers at the farm equipment dealership at any time, and even in retirement watched the weather to make sure they had a good harvest, John said.
Schmeiser is survived by his wife Louise. The two had just had their 68th wedding anniversary on Oct. 2. John said they met at a dance in Bruno, Sask., and lived there their entire lives. Now, Bruno is home for him and his siblings forever, he said.
In a video recorded in September 2020, the Schmeisers thanked people for their support through the legal battle and for the opportunity to have their story told in a recently released movie called Percy. (Mongrel Media/Vimeo)
Human Resources Officers must be very busy these days what with the general turnover of employees in our retail and business sectors. It is hard enough to find skilled people let alone potential employees willing to be trained. Then after the training, a few weeks go by then they come to you and ask for a raise. You refuse as there simply is no excess money in the budget and away they fly to wherever they come from, trained but not willing to put in the time to achieve that wanted raise.
I have had potentials come in and we give them a test to see if they do indeed know how to weld, polish or work with wood. 2-10 we hire, and one of those is gone in a week or two. Ask that they want overtime, and their laughter leaving the building is loud and unsettling. Housing starts are doing well but way behind because those trades needed to finish a project simply don’t come to the site, with delay after delay. Some people’s attitudes are just too funny. A recent graduate from a Ivy League university came in for an interview. The position was mid-management potential, but when we told them a three month period was needed and then they would make the big bucks they disappeared as fast as they arrived.
Government agencies are really no help, sending us people unsuited or unwilling to carry out the jobs we offer. Handing money over to staffing firms whose referrals are weak and ineffectual. Perhaps with the Fall and Winter upon us, these folks will have to find work and stop playing on the golf course or cottaging away. Tried to hire new arrivals in Canada but it is truly difficult to find someone who has a real identity card and is approved to live and work here. Who do we hire? Several years ago my father’s firm was rocking and rolling with all sorts of work. It was a summer day when the immigration officers arrived and 30+ employees hit the bricks almost immediately. The investigation that followed had threats of fines thrown at us by the officials. Good thing we kept excellent records, photos and digital copies. We had to prove the illegal documents given to us were as good as the real McCoy.
Restauranteurs, builders, manufacturers, finishers, trades-based firms, and warehousing are all suspect in hiring illegals, yet that becomes secondary as Toronto increases its minimum wage again bringing our payroll up another $120,000. Survival in Canada’s financial and business sectors is questionable for many. Good luck Chuck!. at least your carbon tax refund check should be arriving soon.
NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Imperial Oil says it will temporarily reduce its fuel prices in a Northwest Territories community that has seen costs skyrocket due to low water on the Mackenzie River forcing the cancellation of the summer barge resupply season.
Imperial says in a Facebook post it will cut the air transportation portion that’s included in its wholesale price in Norman Wells for diesel fuel, or heating oil, from $3.38 per litre to $1.69 per litre, starting Tuesday.
The air transportation increase, it further states, will be implemented over a longer period.
It says Imperial is closely monitoring how much fuel needs to be airlifted to the Norman Wells area to prevent runouts until the winter road season begins and supplies can be replenished.
Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month.
Norman Wells’ town council declared a local emergency on humanitarian grounds last week as some of its 700 residents said they were facing monthly fuel bills coming to more than $5,000.
“The wholesale price increase that Imperial has applied is strictly to cover the air transportation costs. There is no Imperial profit margin included on the wholesale price. Imperial does not set prices at the retail level,” Imperial’s statement on Monday said.
The statement further said Imperial is working closely with the Northwest Territories government on ways to help residents in the near term.
“Imperial Oil’s decision to lower the price of home heating fuel offers immediate relief to residents facing financial pressures. This step reflects a swift response by Imperial Oil to discussions with the GNWT and will help ease short-term financial burdens on residents,” Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, said in a news release Monday.
Wawzonek also noted the Territories government has supported the community with implementation of a fund supporting businesses and communities impacted by barge cancellations. She said there have also been increases to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy in Norman Wells, and continued support for heating costs for eligible Income Assistance recipients.
Additionally, she said the government has donated $150,000 to the Norman Wells food bank.
In its declaration of a state of emergency, the town said the mayor and council recognized the recent hike in fuel prices has strained household budgets, raised transportation costs, and affected local businesses.
It added that for the next three months, water and sewer service fees will be waived for all residents and businesses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
TORONTO – A new report says many Canadian business leaders are worried about economic uncertainties related to the looming U.S. election.
The survey by KPMG in Canada of 735 small- and medium-sized businesses says 87 per cent fear the Canadian economy could become “collateral damage” from American protectionist policies that lead to less favourable trade deals and increased tariffs
It says that due to those concerns, 85 per cent of business leaders in Canada polled are reviewing their business strategies to prepare for a change in leadership.
The concerns are primarily being felt by larger Canadian companies and sectors that are highly integrated with the U.S. economy, such as manufacturing, automotive, transportation and warehousing, energy and natural resources, as well as technology, media and telecommunications.
Shaira Nanji, a KPMG Law partner in its tax practice, says the prospect of further changes to economic and trade policies in the U.S. means some Canadian firms will need to look for ways to mitigate added costs and take advantage of potential trade relief provisions to remain competitive.
Both presidential candidates have campaigned on protectionist policies that could cause uncertainty for Canadian trade, and whoever takes the White House will be in charge during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
