Good-bye to a major supporter of Ontario agriculture

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

by SUSAN MANN

Ontario’s farming community has lost a major supporter as Wes D. Thompson, the former head of agri-business company Thompsons Limited, died Monday at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Chatham Campus. He was in his 88th year.

Louis Roesch, past president of the Kent Federation of Agriculture, says Thompson was a very kind person and a leader in the agricultural industry. “He had the foresight to develop the W.G. Thompson elevators, which was passed on to his sons.”

Thompson was also a huge contributor to the development of the Ontario white bean and coloured bean industries, Roesch says. “Thompsons made white beans what they are today really.”  The company also developed some of their own varieties of wheat, seed corn and soybeans.

Roesch says his own father sold white beans to Thompsons and in turn bought a lot of cull beans back from the company that they boiled up and fed to livestock. “We bought a lot of tonnage of beans over the years.”  

When he was 24 years old, Wes Thompson took over the responsibility of heading the successful agri-business company his father, Wesley G. Thompson, started in 1924. Wes Thompson headed the company, formerly called W.G. Thompson & Sons Ltd., from 1950 to 1993, when he retired.

The company was sold last year to two American farm businesses, The Andersons of Ohio and Lansing Trade Group of Kansas. At that time, the company owned and operated 12 elevators along with retail farm centres, seed processing plants, soybean and wheat processing plants.

In addition to running a successful agri-business, Thompson was very involved in both farming and community work. Roesch says “there’s not too many organizations that he hasn’t crossed their path and helped them out in one way or another.”

Thompson was a past member of the Royal Agricultural Fair Board and served on many committees. He was also past chairman of the Ridgetown Campus Agricultural Committee and a past member of the Task Force on the Farmers Grain Financial Protection program. He was also past trustee of the 4-H Clubs of Ontario Foundation and contributed to many health, education, environmental and community organizations.

In his citation to being named to the Kent Agricultural Hall of Fame in November 2009, it says Thompson gave freely to his community without “thought of personal gain or glory.” He also won a number of other awards, including being named the Chatham and District Chamber of Commerce Agriculturist of the Year in 1999. In 2002, he was named Blenheim Citizen of the Year and then in 2003 he was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal for his dedication to his community and country.

A small family service is being held on Friday with interment to follow at Evergreen Cemetery. Donations made in the memory of Wes to the Chatham-Kent Hospice would be appreciated. Online condolences may be left at: www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com. BF