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.
