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Spirit of Innovation Alive in Asessippi
Growing innovation - a region of entrepreneurs
Asessippi Ski Area and Winter Park
(Spencer Reavie)
 President, Asessippi Ski and Snowboard Area and Resort, is part of a group of visionary investors who transformed the idea of creating a local ski hill into one of the Prairie’s premiere attractions. The resort consistently receives recognition for its high standards and a first-class approach, and has won several provincial and national awards including Attractions Canada’s Best New Attraction for 2000.
While continuing to grow the resort’s winter market, the group is transforming and evolving the facility into a unique year-round action centre which includes specialized summer camps, hiking and biking trails, river tubing, kayak rentals, euro bungee trampoline, paint ball, Dinner in the Valley and other activities.
To capitalize on the centre ’s attractions the group is also developing Cottage Cove, a 138-lot cottage subdivision offering a choice of several attractive cottage designs that ensure architectural integrity and integration with the overall development.
Prairie Lake Lodge
(David and Tracy Keating)
 David and Tracy grew up in Russell and began developing Prairie Lake Lodge on Lake of the Prairies in 2000. The enterprise now includes a 250-lot cottage development, a boat launch and marina, an executive 18-hole, par-3 golf course where you can golf all day for one low green fee, and a licensed clubhouse and restaurant serving great food. The development is truly a family business involving children Jessica, Sarah, Luke
and Brett in its operations. Plans for phase two development of 800 adjoining acres are now underway.
SENSUS Partnership of Chartered Accountants
(Harold Reid and Audra Nychuk)
 DHarold Reid and Audra Nychuk founded SENSUS Partnership of Chartered Accountants in 2005. Harold has over three decades in the profession with the firms that preceeded Sensus. Audra has over ten years with those firms as well. The firm, headquartered in Russell, has a staff of 30. Audra specializes in municipal and not for profit auditing. Harold provides personal, corporate, and tax planning services. The staff, with their commitment to excellence and the clients’, with their commitment to the firm, has allowed for unparalleled expansion and grown in this sector. In addition to Russell, offices are also located in Brandon and Shoal Lake, Manitoba and Yorkton and Langenburg, Saskatchewan.
Russell Inn and Conference Centre
(Daymon Guillas)
 Daymon Guillas is a partner and manager of the locally-owned 97-room Russell Inn and Conference Centre, one of western Manitoba’s premier hotels and conference facilities and the hub of a burgeoning regional tourism industry. Daymon has been a visionary in ensuring the facility has expanded to meet growing occupancy demands and adapted to fulfill expectations for the latest in hospitality-industry services and amenities.
Russell Redi-Mix Concrete
(Ken, Tom and Minnie Magnowski)
 Ken, Tom and Minnie Magnowski manage Russell Redi-Mix Concrete founded in 1950 when Nick and Minnie Magnowski first saw the need for a concrete supplier focused on residential construction in the Asessippi Parkland region. The company now specializes in aggregate and concrete production, highway construction, site development and excavation. Russell Redi-Mix operates four crushing plants in Manitoba and Saskatchewan plus a concrete plant and a welding and mechanic's shop. This heavy-construction service provider with over 200 employees in the busy construction season maintains a first-class safety rating and receives positive industry and association recognition.
Silver Creek Bison Ranch
(Lorne and Louise Miller)
 Lorne and Louise Miller started Silver Creek Bison Ranch with seven head of bison in 1988 and now run a herd of over 1,300 and manage 5,500 acres of prime grain land. Their sons Nolan and Jason are involved in the business with Nolan responsible for the bison ranch and Jason the grain farm. This successful farm family’s main goal is to preserve the positive natural food qualities of bison by using no antibiotics or growth hormones and providing feed consisting only of pasture grass, hay and natural grain. The Millers maintain close contact with consumers by selling their award-winning, government-inspected bison meat direct from the farm gate.
Ensuring product quality and maintaining a commitment to the bison industry have always been hallmarks of the Miller’s business. They are active on the boards of provincial, national and international (U.S.) bison associations and have won many awards in local, national and international competitions.
Glanbia Nutritionals Canada)
 In 2008 Glanbia acquired Pizzey's Milling, a very successful Asessippi area business that had grown to become the industry-leading supplier of flax seed solutions and had expanded its nutritional portfolio to Omega-3 and Lignan products. Now, Glanbia, with a global workforce of 4500, employs 60 people in the Asessippi Parkland region, operating around the clock, 365 days a year. Their Nutritionals division serves the health and wellness, functional foods, sports nutrition, infant and clinical nutrition sectors.
The company is the number one global supplier of whey-protein isolates and the top North American producer of flax seed derivatives. It is positioned number two globally in the consumer sports nutrition business and number three globally for micro-nutrient solutions.
Bunge Canada
 Bunge Canada, the Canadian division of multinational Bunge Limited, the world’s leading oilseed processor, operates a canola crushing plant in the region that relies on canola production from the surrounding area to supply markets in Canada, the United States and some overseas customers. Bunge employs 57 people.
Berg’s Hatchery
(Kevin and Connie Berg)
 Berg’s Hatchery has operated in the Asessippi Parkland area for over 50 years, with Kevin and Connie Berg now its third-generation family owners. With the capacity to hatch over 3 million chicks per year, Berg’s specializes in supplying a wide range of chickens, cornish hens, turkey, geese, ducks and specialty birds to small producers across Canada. Berg’s employs up to 10 people seasonally.
Keating Seed Farms
(Mark Keating)
 Mark Keating operates Keating Seed Farms, proudly continuing a tradition of successful grain production that began at the current farm site in 1901. The Keating family farm also grows and processes pedigreed wheat, barley, peas and flax seed for sale to local grain producers and seed retail outlets across the Canadian prairies.
Since the first pedigreed seed crop was grown on the Keating farm
in 1951, the Keatings have managed over 100,000 acres of
successful seed production.
Silver Creek Saskatoons
(Stuart and Brenda McLeod)
 Capitalizing on the ideal growing conditions and abundance of wild saskatoon berries in the Asessippi Parkland area, Stuart and Brenda McLeod established Silver Creek Saskatoons in 1996. The operation’s 15-acre orchard produces an average of 10,000 lbs. of saskatoon berries per year, which are sold through its u-pick operation and pre-picked to local clients, and to Riverbend Plantation of Saskatoon for use in fruit spreads, syrups, mustards, toppings and other condiments.
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