Thursday, August 22, 2013

Benny DeJonge dead at 76


Bernard “Benny” DeJonge, head of the family that developed Better Beef into the biggest beef-slaughtering business east of Alberta, has died after a year-long battle with lung cancer. He was 76.

DeJonge immigrated to Stoney Creek from the Netherlands in 1957 and, together with three brothers, pursued his father’s profession as a butcher.

They bought a plant in Toronto and named it Better Beef and in 1972, over the strong objections of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association, took over the lease that bankrupt Essex Packers held on a packing plant inside a prison in Guelph.

The DeJonge’s expanded the plant and added a beef-processing plant on another site in Guelph.

DeJonge has been eulogized as an innovator and man of integrity who dealt with handshakes rather than contracts.

His track record is, however, includes a number of stains.

The plant was often cited for failures to comply with Canadian Food Inspection Agency standards, the CFIA veterinarian in charge rented a home from the DeJonges and regularly filled his trunk with beef at the plant and the federal agriculture department’s chief grader, when he visited the plant, found that ungraded beef imported from the United States was being stamped as Canada Grade A and sold to supermarket chains.

Benny was also well known for his loud voice and colourful profanity.

The DeJonges were fined for fraud. 

They also carried a conviction for short-changing farmers on cattle weights.

To the relief of many Ontario farmers, Cargill bought the business in 2005, but maintained the Better Beef name, partly because it helped the company develop markets in the U.S.

DeJonge is survived by his wife of 50 years, Grietje, and four children, Richard, Margaret, Robert and Thomas.

The funeral is 1 p.m. Friday at the Paramount Drive Alliance Church in Stoney Creek.