Judge Shows Sympathy in Grain Grower's Protest Case

(June 27, 2002 - CP)    An Alberta farmer charged with illegally driving a truckload of grain across the U.S. border to protest against the Canadian Wheat Board was granted an absolute discharge Wednesday.

However, Rick Strankman was fined $1,000 on a separate charge for driving the truck away from Canada Customs after it was seized in 1996.

The grain producer from Consort was the last member of a group of about 30 men who call themselves Farmers for Justice to be tried for actions taken to highlight their push for freedom to sell their grain to the highest bidder.

Judge Ray Wyant of Manitoba Provincial Court appeared to be sympathetic to the plight of farmers when he handed down the sentence.

"The protest delivered attention to raise a political issue, which had legal ramifications," Wyant said.

"It's fair to say those of us who live in Western Canada know the issues for farmers, the plight of farmers, the difficulties they face are real issued.  The court obviously doesn't condone acts of civil disobedience, nonetheless anyone would be sympathetic, if not to the issue, then to the passion that gave rise to what happened at that point in time."

Strankman was thankful for the lenient sentence.

"The absolute discharge was beyond what I expected," he said.

Opponents of the 67-year old wheat board call it power-hungry and inflexible while supporters describe it as a national treasure that guarantees farmers reliable incomes in good times and bad.

The board manages exports through a pooling system.