The CDA Imports

(From Chp. 3 ~ titled "Building the Business," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

During that fall of 1967 as the Swiss and French cattle imports were being placed in the Brest quarantine, it came to the attention of SBL that there was another significant importation of French Simmental (Pie Rouge)—the buyers being the Canadian government—importing 8 heifers and 4 bulls. The stated purpose was for research only, but to SBL it felt like direct competition from a "deep-pocket" of taxed-funded dollars.

SBL had been enthusiastically open with the CDA, sharing all the information they had, knowing vigorous competition would come soon enough from other private ventures—which was expected and even welcomed from the point-of-view of building the breed. But SBL had not expected the Canadian government to get into the business at ground level. It shook the faith of some that a little back-county group of struggling ranchers had the resources or chutzpah to get themselves on the map, literally and financially.

Jack G. Stothard, Director of the Lacombe Research Station in Alberta, had done the buying in France in July 1967 for the CDA. Their Simmental (Pie Rouge) bull imports from France for 1967/68 were: Pacific, born 12 Dec. 1966; Petunia, born 21 Dec. 1966; Quadrille, born 3 Jan. 1967; Quartier, born 6 Jan. 1967.

But SBL knew they still had a few trumps to keep themselves alive. With their 1966/67 import, Parisien, nearing his final quarantine, and with the breeding progam they had already initiated, SBL would have the first Simmental-sired cross-bred calves in North America dropping before the second batch of Simmental and Pie Rouge imports had finished their quarantines.

But of course everything rested on Parisien and his calves. If the calving was hard; if the calves didn't show gainability; if they lacked eye-appeal; if …, if …, if …, there wouldn't be a whole lot to promote.

In Fenton Webster's words in later years:

We never really had any doubts, but it was a relief to get a good set of calves and that gave us real confidence.¹

----------------/
1. Beef Today Yearbook, 1977, p. 80

Import Permits ~ 1967

Below are copies of permit info sent to Travers which opened Switzerland to Canadian importers. The 8 SBL shareholder permits brought in 3 Simmental bulls, 4 Simmental heifers, and 1 Brown Swiss bull for the 1967/68 cycle:

Sampling of communications ~ January-August 1967

▪ Jan 30: Fenton Webster writes to MP David Thompson in Ottawa for assistance in Swiss importation
▪ Jan. 31: Travers receives telegram from CSwissCBF about cattle selections
▪ Feb. 1: FW telephones MP and records notes of conversation
▪ Feb. 6: Letter from CDA-Vets re Swiss. situation
▪ Feb. 9: Letter from CSwissCBF
▪ Feb. 14: Letter from CDA acknowledging request for permit for importing cattle from Switzerland
▪ Feb 27: Letter from CDA re final costs of 1966 importation of Parisien
▪ Mar. 1: Letter from CSwissCBF updating situation on tentative imports
▪ Mar. 2: Letter from Swiss Federal Vets to CDA
▪ Mar. 3: Letter from CDA concerning release date from Grosse-Ile for 1966/67 import, Parisien
▪ Mar. 6: Letter to Travers from J.J. Greene, Canada Minister of Agriculture advising of intended visit of Senior Veterinary official’s visit to Switzerland and France in early May.
▪ Mar. 7: CDA Letter to Swiss Federal Vets concerning importation matters
▪ Mar. 8: Letter from CDA acknowledging receipt of Travers’ permit request for “three head of Simmental cattle from Switzerland in 1967 ....”
▪ Mar. 10: Letter to CDA re concerns about delayed release of 1966/67 imports
▪ Mar. 14: Letter from CDA replying to Mar. 10 letter
▪ Mar. 18: Swiss Federal Vets letter to CDA
▪ Mar. 21; CDA letter to Travers re on-farm quarantine protocol
▪ Mar. 23: CDA letter to Travers re his March 16 query about possible Ag. Research interest in Simmental
▪ Mar. 29: 2nd page of CSwissCBF letter to Travers re progress update
▪ Apr. 28: CDA-Vets letter to CswissCBF advising of delayed visit and acknowledging complications that it creates for Switzerland and importers
▪ May 2: Letter to Travers from CDA advising that a final decision had not been made, but accompanied by a 7-page “1967 Conditions for the Importation of Cattle from France, Switzerland approved by the Veterinary Director General, Health of Animals Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture
▪ May 11: Letter to CDA from CSwissCBF about May 15 visit and attempts to delay vaccination of selected cattle
▪ May 16: CDA reply to above
▪ May 16: Letter from CDA to Alberta Vet re insemination protocol of quarantined animals
▪ Jun 22: Letter from CDA to Travers re the “group” import requests
▪ Jul. 19: Permit letters for importation to Travers, B.Y. Williams, Hans Ulrich, Frank R. Smith, Harold Watson, H.J. Blackmore, O.T. Bingham, S.B. Williams; and copy of actual permit issued to “Mr. Travers Smith”
▪ Jul. 20: Telegram to Travers advising of import permit
▪ Aug. 25: Letter from S.E.P.A. re Parisien registration papers

A Flurry of Letters

The pace of investigation, inspection, negotiating, and decision-making seemed agonizingly slow as the clock ticked toward vaccination and quarantine deadlines in Switzerland for the cattle selected for the Canadian importers. Letters, telephone calls, questions, and replies were flowing in all directions. Not all can be reproduced here, but a sample listing (January through August 1967) follows the reproduction of 3 representative letters:

Letters ~ CDA, March 1967

2.03: Prolonged Quarantine ~ Grosse-Ile

(From Chp. 2 ~ 1967, titled "The Dream Lives," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

By early January 1967, the Grosse-Ile quarantine and tests seemed to be progressing smoothly with an expected release from Grosse-Ile quarantine by early March. The subsequent 90-day on-farm quarantine would then be over about the end of May, still leaving sometime within the A.I. season to make semen and servicing available for the 1967 year. But again ice and other conditions prevailed so the transit date was set back to March 27 which proved a shocking announcement to the SBL shareholders who were counting on some return in the 1967 year to help keep their venture afloat.

However, the CDA's letter of March 14, 1967 outlined some options such as semen collection and storage during farm quarantine for use after quarantine, and the adding of females to the quarantine unit for natural breeding or insemination during the quarantine period. These options would alleviate some of the losses expected by delays in the final quarantine release date.

Letters ~ CDA Jan. 1967

2.02: Opening of Switzerland ?!!

(From Chp. 2 ~ 1967, titled "The Dream Lives," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

A portion of the dynamics leading to the opening of Switzerland for Canadian importation is documented in the letters reproduced herein.

It was a tense time for the SBL shareholders. On the one hand they were forging ahead with their cattle selection in Switzerland, while on the other, they could not get a commitment from the Canadian government as to whether permits would be issued for even France, because of reported foot-and-mouth problems cropping up throughout Europe. The problems were compounded by a Swiss decision to vaccinate all calves over 6 weeks of age as a control measure, commencing on February 15. If exemptions weren't granted for the proposed Canadian exports, it would leave the Swiss cattle selectors for SBL with a limited choice of calves born January or later as only they would escape the vaccination program.

In addition, the Swiss were approaching France for transit permission to allow selected unvaccinated Swiss cattle intended for Canada to be transported through France to the Brest Quarantine facility as Switzerland, being landlocked, did not have any port facility available. The French were not responding with the haste required to ease everyone's minds. The politics of it all had to be considered as well. If the foot-and-mouth outbreak in the south of France closed France to exports for the 1967 year, it was highly doubtful France would consent to the transit of Swiss animals to their Brest Quarantine facility. It was also highly doubtful that Canada would close France and yet use its Quarantine facility for Swiss cattle in the unlikely event that a closed France allowed the transit of Swiss cattle.

Under date of March 6, 1967 the CDA advised the anxious importers that senior Canadian veterinary officials would be visiting France and Switzerland in early May to assess the disease situation and to determine if any imports would be allowed at all.

Nonetheless, the CDA was receiving numerous applications for import permits, one being an application by Travers Smith to import three head of Simmental cattle from Switzerland which was acknowledged by the CDA under date of March 8, 1967. But with other applications from SBL shareholders also pending, SBL and the Swiss were anticipating that SBL would be importing 4 bulls and 6 heifers if SBL shareholders could get the desired number of permits.

At last, under date of 18 March 1967, the Swiss Veterinary authorities advised the Canadian Veterinary Department that France's transit permission had been obtained. But that did not take care of the foot-and-mouth problems nor the looming date of May 15 when all unvaccinated Swiss calves that had escaped the prior vaccination order would be subject to vaccination. Such vaccination would entirely compromise the SBL cattle selection. In addition, it would make it virtually impossible for any other interested importer to import from Switzerland in 1967 as they would have no access to unvaccinated calves of sufficient age to enter the testing and quarantine timeline.

Then another hair-pulling missive arrived—the senior Canadian Veterinary official would not be able to make his health-inspection trip to France and Switzerland until May 15. The Commission of Swiss Cattle Breeders' Federation had no recourse but to seek a delay of vaccination for the SBL selected animals. It was just one hurdle after another.

But the CDA letter to Travers under date of May 2, 1967, with its 7-page "1967 Conditions for the Importation of Cattle from France and Switzerland" proved a bright note. Switzerland was almost open!! Everything now rested on whether disease conditions would be favorable for both countries. If France failed, there would be no imports from either place. If France passed the Canadian health inspection, then hopefully Switzerland would too—and all would be in order.

Parisien ~ progress reports

(This importation number of 229 is reduced in later reports. It seems the final import count for 1966/67 was 215 or 216.)

1.14: Push to Open Switzerland

(From Chp. 1 ~ 1966, titled "Foundation Work," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

Travers had been so impressed with the cattle in Switzerland that upon his return to Canada in mid-August, he immediately set about keeping in touch with the Canadian government by telephone and correspondence, pressing for similar export allowances for Switzerland that had been granted to France. Travers sought support wherever he could. In the meantime, on faith and hope, he proceeded to direct cattle selection in Switzerland through his two Swiss contacts, trusting in their expertise and trusting that the Canadian government would come through to open Switzerland for the coming import year of 1967-68.

1:12: Home Work

(From Chp. 1 ~ 1966, titled "Foundation Work," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

Upon arriving home, on Monday, August 15, Travers agenda was more than full. Many arrangements needed to be made, but the way was incredibly smoothed through the Canadian Charolais Association (CCA). That well-organized Association, at the request of the Canadian Department of Agriculture (CDA), took up the role of agent for all the Canadians importing from France. This involved arranging insurance and handling all matters of the Brest quarantine; chartering the ship from France to Grosse-Île; from Grosse-Île to Quebec City; and the transport thereafter by train to the West. Thus Parisien came under the well-organized, experienced Charolais umbrella, moving like clock-work from one stage of testing and quarantine to the next.

The CCA labors left Travers free to concentrate on other urgent matters.

(Below are two of several letters that Travers received from the CCA in making the many arrangements. The second letter is undated, but was probabaly written in mid- to late September 1966.)

1.10: Finding Parisien (Friday, August 5, 1966)

(From Chp. 1 ~ 1966, titled "Foundation Work," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

The next 5 days were a whirlwind of activity. Back in Paris by Tuesday morning, August 2, Travers sought out more information on promising herd sites. Both the Swiss cattle people and Canadian Embassy officials directed him to the Pie Rouge (French Simmental) Herd Book at Dijon, France, so by 3 P.M. Tuesday, Travers was in Dijon where the Pie Rouge Cattle Registry people undertook to arrange a tour for the following morning.

There in Dijon at the Herd Registry, Wayne Malmberg, the first Charolais importer, and Ray Woodward, "one of the best Genetists in the U.S." caught up with Travers via telephone. Malmberg and Woodward were in France buying Charolais cattle, but as they had attempted some ground work on the Simmental cattle for Travers, they were interested in meeting him for the Dijon tour along with some of the S.E.P.A men (Societe d'Exportation de Produits Agricoles) of their acquaintance. They recommended tour sites as well. Thus, the next morning (Wednesday, August 3), 2 cars of "Good top men" began a Pie Rouge tour. They travelled 500 miles seeing "good cattle" all along the way. They landed back at Nevers, France that night where Malmberg and Woodward had been staying.

Next day, Thursday, August 4, before Malmberg and Woodward left for Canada, Travers was taken to see some "good Charolais cattle." But by the end of Thursday, Travers still had not seen the Simmental bull calf he was looking for. In the meantime, the Pie Rouge Association secretary had been searching the Association's records to find more unvaccinated cattle of the type Travers desired. The S.E.P.A. men too were making more contacts and on Friday morning, August 5, Travers finally saw the bull he wanted.

Travers’ letter home (Sunday, August 7) does not express his impressions of the 3 unvaccinated bull-calves he selected that Friday, August 5th, but the S.E.P.A. document dated 6 August 1966 shows his first choice as Parisien (No 15.891 c 982, born 16 February 1966), with a farm price of 17.000 Fr. Two alternate choices were required in the event that Parisien failed the health tests. The first alternative, Orkan, was from the Langenieux farm; the second, Oranais, from the Roger farm. First-choice Parisien was from the Henri Rossin farm (C 982) at Saint-Appolinaire, Cote d’Or, only five miles from the Herd Book Office of the Pie Rouge at Dijon.

With the S.E.P.A. documents signed, the animals with their dams were set to enter the requisite testing area on Monday, August 8, 1966, the deadline given by the Canada Department of Agriculture. Travers had beaten the deadline by one day, a Sunday.

First, would came the “on-farm” test and 30-day quarantine. Passing those tests Parisien would be moved on to the quarantine station at Brest, France for more tests and another 30-day quarantine under Canadian control. Passing those tests, Parisien (along with all the Canadian-bound Charolais imports) would be placed on a ship bound for Canada’s quarantine facility at Grosse-Île, Quebec, an island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

Things were now in process.

1.07: Permit ~ At Last!! (CDA - July 7, 1966)

(From Chp. 1 ~ 1966, titled "Foundation Work," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

Amidst the flurry of continued Simmental research, Travers was anxiously awaiting word on his April 30th request for a permit.¹ When the end of June approached, still without word from the CDA, Travers and B.Y. fired off another letter (29 June 1966).¹ B.Y. Williams remembered it thus:

Two days later Travers got a telephone call from Ottawa with apologies and the information that, due to an error, his permit application had been overlooked but had been granted. He had until August 8 to have his calf in farm quarantine in France. Not much time. Five thousand bucks quick, and something to back it up, and a bull required within less than six weeks. We had no problem with money at the time, not having any. We just decided to raise five hundred dollars each and get the same amount from a like number of friends, and we were in business. / Travers had contacted Charley Redd previously and he had said, “If you ever get a permit, I want to pick the bull for you.” So Travers got on the phone. No dice. Charley Redd’s calendar was full. So Travers booked the next suitable reservation he could get for Berne, Switzerland. Switzerland wasn’t open at the time for export, but he wanted a look at the native breed in the country of their origin.²

At last, under date of July 7, 1966, Travers received his written permit for the “importation of 1 cattle from France.” He was now in a time squeeze because the Brest, France quarantine was to begin September 1. With the CDA requirement of an approximate 30-day on-farm quarantine before the Brest quarantine, he was informed that the selection had to be made no later than Monday, August 8, 1966.

------------
1. For copies of these letters to the CDA, see post herein of May 19, 2010.
2. Simmental Shield, March 1974:30

3rd & 4th Letters to CDA ~ April & June 1966

Letter 3 contains Travers' "application for an import permit effective at the earliest possible date for the number of Red and White Simmental cattle allowed under one permit." Letter 4 is his concerned inquiry that nothing has been heard from the CDA.

2nd Letter & Reply to and from CDA ~ April 1966

1.06: The Quest Begins

(From Chp. 1 ~ 1966, titled "Foundation Work," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

Under date of April 4, 1966, Travers sent correspondence to the CDA expressing interest in the "Red and White Simmental" of Switzerland.

When it became apparent that Switzerland was not available for importation purposes, Travers' attention turned to the Simmental cattle that had been imported into France from Switzerland. He was so committed to his Simmental course that in just over three weeks from his first letter to the CDA, he sent his official written request for "the number of Red and White Simmental cattle allowed under one permit … ." The date was April 30, 1966.

Circumstances had forced him to look to France for his "Red and White Simmental," but he never wavered from his idea that Switzerland could be opened for direct importation of the Simmental breed. Such is clearly evident in his early letters to the Commission of Swiss Cattle Breeders' Federation. They, of course, encouraged him in that pursuit.

The more Travers learned, the more driven he became to get this superior breeding stock into North America. He continued his calls and correspondence wherever there was a scrap of hope or information. He was deeply impressed with everything he heard and read. He had a deep sense that Simmental was the breed of the future in North America—that they would take over the country!

1st Letter & Reply to and from CDA ~ April 1966

Hobart F. Peters ~ 1965 Letter & Report

Scanned images of Hobart F. Peters' March 25, 1965 letter and report sent to Travers Smith which sparked Travers' initial interest in Brown Swiss.

1.01: Laying the Foundation ~ The Charolais Advocates

(From Chp. 1 ~ 1966, titled "Foundation Work," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

"The history of all European breeds in North America is irrevocably linked to Charolais because the original decision to allow the import of this breed from France to Canada opened the possibility for every other breed in the years that followed."¹

Wayne Malmberg (1906-1978) was a southern Alberta cattle rancher who was driven to challenge the commercial status quo of "blocky, compact, fat-producing" cattle. In Malmberg's view, rate of gain and lean meat/fat ratio should be re-evaluated in order to produce better cattle and better profits—the same ideas that would later capture Travers Smith, another southern Alberta rancher, 10 years Malmberg's junior. In his quest for “growthier, vigorous” cattle, Malmberg imported the first Charolais bull (C 15) into Canada from the U.S. in April 1954.² His search soon led him also to the Charolais cattle of France and to becoming a prime mover and pioneer in pushing to open Canada to European importations. Malmberg and his Charolais associates lobbied for several years, but it was not until 1962 or 1963 that direct importation from France was seriously acted upon.

From the Charolais breeders' point-of-view the import decision by the Canadian Department of Agriculture (CDA) had been long in coming. They had been operating from a purebred base using Charolais cattle imported from Mexico and the U.S. for about 11 years, but now they had hope of new seed stock from France, the native home of Charolais.

In prior years the Canadian government's answer to repeated requests had been to stress the impossibility of direct European importation because of the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease that seemed part and parcel of the European cattle industry at that time.

For many years in Europe, eradication of foot-and-mouth disease was unsuccessful so the focus became control through vaccination. Such was unacceptable to Canadian authorities. The CDA's memory was still fresh with the enormous losses suffered in a 1952 foot-and-mouth outbreak in Saskatchewan. The International Export embargo against Canada at that time had been swift and costly. It was not something the CDA intended to suffer again. Canada would remain free of foot-and-mouth disease at all costs, thus the desire to find exciting new, genetic material was not considered worth the risk of importing a debilitating disease.

But the CDA was also cognizant of the frustrated "back-door" approach that some Charolais breeders were considering to get new breeding stock into Canada. By transporting French Charolais cattle to the French island of St. Pierre, just south of Newfoundland, breeders hoped to somehow get the offspring of these "transports" into Canada legally. At the time, this strategy seemed the most feasible way to approach the Canadian prohibition against direct importation.³

Dr. Ken Wells, Veterinary Director General of the Health of Animals Branch of the CDA, spoke of Canada's import decision to Ted Pritchett of the Simmental Country magazine, August 1987:

"It all began in 1962 when we attended a meeting of the Charolais Association at the Palliser Hotel in Calgary. They were pushing for direct imports from France and Alvin Hamilton, who was the Minister of Agriculture at the time, agreed in principle to look into the feasibility of establishing a Maximum Quarantine Facility for that purpose. I was directed to investigate what we needed in the way of tests and health programs and facilities." (p. 51)

Rodney James, "a mover-and-shaker" in the Canadian Charolais Association, recalled that it was during a 1963 visit to France, that The Honorable Harry Hays, Minister of the CDA gave directive to Dr. Ken Wells, Veterinary Director General of Canada, to find a way to open up European importation.

In any event, with the Minister's new directive to Dr. Wells, the Canadian government's focus suddenly shifted to the possibilities for direct importation. Fortunately for the cattle industry, Dr. Wells was the proverbial right man in the right place at the right time. His experiences had uniquely prepared him to research and establish—with the help of an able staff—an importation program that would protect the Canadian cattle industry, while at the same time allay the fears of the United States cattle industry.

In the words of Dr. Wells:

"What followed was an incredible amount of investigation, planning and co-ordination with all the people involved in Foot and Mouth disease. We had to work closely with our counterparts in France, gaining their permission for us to conduct the necessary test, according to our requirements and to negotiate the use of the Brest Quarantine facility in France."⁴

So it was that the efforts of Malmberg and his Charolais associates helped set the stage for the first cattle importations from France in 1965/66⁵ and sparked a revolution in the North American cattle industry. Malmberg became known as "Mr. Charolais of Canada."

-------------
1. "The Simmental Story," by Rodney James, Simmental Country, August, 1987, p. 20, hdnote. (See also, http://data.charolais.com/wordpress/index.php/about-2/history/ ; http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/charolais/ . Note however, this Charolais history states 1966/67 as being the first Charolais import year, but other records confirm 1965/66 as the first year. See News and Views: "Charolais Imports — More On the Way" from page 117 of Canadian Journal of Comparative Medicine and Veterinary Science, Vol. 30(4)— April 1966 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1494523/?page=1 See also  New and Views: "Maximum Security Quarantine Station," Vol. 29(7)—July 1965, pp. 191 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1494426/?page=2 ; News and Views: "Health Tests Begin on Charolais Cattle," Vol. 29(10)—October 1965, p. 266 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1494454/?page=1
2. For story on "C 15"  purchased from Clint Ferris at Tie Siding, Wyoming, see White Gold: The Story of Charolais in Canada by Sharon Henwood and Bonnie Carruthers, pub. by the Canadian Charolais Assoc., 1986, pp. 15-6.
3. For additional information, see "The Simmental Story," by Rodney James, Simmental Country, August, 1987, p. 20, 22, & 24.
4. "Maximum Quarantine" by Ted Pritchett, Simmental Country, August 1987, p. 51.
5. Import years are framed as 1965/66, because the cattle were chosen in France in 1965; subjected to various quarantines there; arrived at Grosse-Ile, Quebec Canada in the late fall of that year for a minimum 90-day quarantine; thereafter released to their importers in the early spring of 1966 for a further on-farm quarantine; and finally released into breeding service, usually early summer. It was virtually a year-long process. See references at footnote 1. above to establish 1965/66 at the first import year.

The Year It [Simmental] All Began in North America ~ 1966

[This 1966 timeline was researched, compiled, and written by S.M. Smith, daughter of B. Travers Smith, with reference to articles written by Travers Smith, as well as from original letters and carbons of letters—some of which are reproduced hereafter. Note: Quotations from Travers’ letters preserve his random capitals, haphazard punctuation, and carefree spellings.]

January
Travers Smith, age 49, of Mountain View, Alberta Canada, begins his 20th year of running the family ranch that his grandfather had homesteaded in 1899/1900. In the first week of what will prove an astonishing year, Travers’ long-held passion to improve his cattle herd leads him to read a 1964 report by Hobart F. Peters about Peter’s travels in Europe to study animal breeds, including the Simmental. (Peters is a geneticist with the Lethbridge Research Branch of the Canada Department of Agriculture—CDA.) This is Travers’ first encounter with the word Simmental. He quickly encounters it again in another article and in conversation with Charlie Redd of La Sal, Utah.

January–March
Everything Travers reads and hears about this “new” old breed sets him on fire and he becomes a man with a Simmental mission. He recruits his uncle’s business associate, B.Y. Williams, to help with correspondence to the Canada Department of Agriculture (CDA) and to the Commission of Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Federation.

February 16
A bull calf is born on the Henri Rossin farm (C 982) at Saint-Appolinaire, Cote d’Or, near Dijon, France. Someone names the new calf, Parisien. No one knows the revolution he will initiate, the 100,000 plus miles he will travel, the penthouse ballrooms he will parade through, or the genetic heritage he will bequeath to over 15,000 progeny. He is just an exceptionally fine calf with good prospects—technically French Pie Rouge, but the equivalent of the Swiss Simmental. In fact his sire was a Swiss Simmental, Lausannois (15721) and had been imported from Switzerland to France. His dam was French Pie Rouge named Uree-Etoile (82-876). 

April 04
Travers and B.Y. Williams write to the CDA expressing interest in importing the “Red and White Simmental” of Switzerland.

April 30
After becoming aware that Switzerland is firmly closed for direct importation because of animal health restrictions in Canada, Travers directs a written request to the CDA for “the number of Red and White Simmental cattle allowed under one permit” for importation from France.

May/June
Travers continues correspondence with the Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Federation, firmly convinced that Switzerland can be opened for direct importation if Swiss and Canadian officials will just jump through enough hoops to make it happen.

June 29
Anxiety mounts as no word comes from the CDA regarding the permit request, so the duo fire off another letter to the CDA. B.Y. Williams remembers it thus:

[A few] days later Travers got a telephone call from Ottawa with apologies and the information that, due to an error, his permit application had been overlooked but had been granted. He had until August 8 to have his calf in farm quarantine in France. Not much time. Five thousand bucks quick, and something to back it up, and a bull required within less than six weeks. We had no problem with money at the time, not having any. We just decided to raise five hundred dollars each and get the same amount from a like number of friends, and we were in business. / Travers had contacted Charley Redd previously and he had said, “If you ever get a permit, I want to pick the bull for you.” So Travers got on the phone. No dice. Charley Redd’s calendar was full. So Travers booked the next suitable reservation he could get for Berne, Switzerland. Switzerland wasn’t open at the time for export, but he wanted a look at the native breed in the country of their origin. (SSh:March1974:30)

July 07
The “overlooked” CDA permit for the “importation of 1 cattle from France” is mailed to Travers. The date of its receipt is not recorded, but time is of the essence because an unvaccinated bull calf under 9-months of age must be in the system no later than August 8. (An approximate 30-day on-farm quarantine is required before the Brest, France quarantine which is set to begin September 1.)

July 27

Travers boards his first-ever air flight in Lethbridge, Alberta bound for Zurich, Switzerland trusting that he can get his passport during a 5-hour stopover in Ottawa. Delays en route reduce his time in Ottawa to 3-hours, but he gets his passport and somehow finds time to also obtain “some good leads” for French contacts from the CDA Vets and from Trades and Commerce in Ottawa.

July 29
After a major airline delay in Paris, Travers arrives in Zurich and takes the evening train to Berne, arriving at 9 P.M.—7 hours behind schedule.

July 30
It is Saturday and the Swiss Cattle Federation office is closed, but Travers manages to roust a young man in the building who helps arrange a cattle guide—a Mrs. Hofer from Spiez—who takes Travers on a tour of the Simme River Valley. Travers writes home the following day, “The most Magnificant Cattle I have ever seen.” He will later recount

I spent some hours with a tape measure measuring these cattle and jotting down the figures and just standing and looking at them. It took some time to pull myself away from this scene. (SSh:Oct1970:8)

July 31
Travers attends Church services, visits with a new acquaintance, Dr. Winzenried on his farm near Berne, and writes to B.Y. Williams:

I can’t get over them. We can’t get this kind of animal in 100’s of years of breeding with what we’ve got to work with in Canada. If we can get a few over home it will be the biggest break through for Cattle in a long time. … I’m making every effort and contacted [sic] possible to see if we can’t move cattle from here to France for another year. // … I would sell ½ my herd to get a few of these over. (BYW-2:July31/1966)

August 01
Travers proceeds to Geneva; meets and travels with Mr. Roger Decre, a French cattleman from Gex, who is an importer/exporter between Switzerland and France; spends the entire day with Mr. Decre (and Decre’s cousin who serves as interpreter); and then takes the night train to Paris.

August 02–06
After spending the morning at the Canadian Embassy getting contact information, Travers arrives in Dijon at 3 pm on August 2:

Met Mr. Plenat at Pie Rougue Cattle registry. he had interperater told him what I was looking for. he said to get hotel and by morn would have a list of men to see. Just as I was ready to leave Wayne Malmberg called from Nevers. He & Ray Woodward had done a lot of ground work on these cattle for me and were ready to come up with the S.E.P.A. [Société d’Exportation de Produits Agricoles] Men next morning. Next day [Wed., Aug. 3] we had 2 cars Good top men Knew Country & Cattle, we saw some Good cattle. Had a good visit with Wayne and Ray Woodward who is one of best Genetists in U.S. He helped develope the Line 1 Miles City Cattle we bought. Travelled 500 Miles and landed back at Nevers. Next day [Thursday, August 4] saw some Good Charlaise Cattle Sepa Men contacted more men [p. 3] and next day [Friday, August 5] went back North of Jidon [Dijon] Saw more good Simmintal. Picked 3 Calves to test, One has to have at least 3 to start with for some fail on health tests. Made all arrangements with S.E.P.A Organization on cattle next day [Sat., August 6]. They will handle everything to Brest France the Quarantine Station. We only pay them at end of test for the bull that gets on boat for Canada. Wayne & Ray Left for Canada Thursday [Aug. 4] I missed train for Berne Swiss Last night so am travelling today Sunday to Berne. be at sacrament meet[ing] there tonight. Want to see more cattle in Switzerland. Then back to Paris Friday [August 12]. have a reservation for Plane Sat. be home Sunday I hope. … (BFS-6:Aug7/1966)

The S.E.P.A. document dated 6 August 1966 lists Travers’ first choice as Parisien, with a farm price of 17.000 Fr. (See October 21 entry below.) Two alternate choices are required in the event that Parisien fails the health tests. The first alternate, Orkan, is from the Langenieux farm; the second, Oranais, from the Roger farm. First-choice Parisien is found a mere five miles from the Herd Book Office of the Pie Rouge at Dijon. With the S.E.P.A. documents signed, the animals with their dams were set to enter the requisite testing area on Monday, August 8, 1966—the deadline given by the CDA. Travers had beaten the deadline by one day, a Sunday. Things were now in process, being superintended by the well-organized Canadian Charolais Association (CCA), acting as agent for all Canadians importing from France. Everything will proceed like clockwork from one stage of testing and quarantine to the next.

August 07-12
Travers returns to Switzerland and spends his time:

… making arrangements for the future, contacting all the government and export people possible, as well as their veterinarians. My inquiries for top quality cattlemen in Switzerland to do a selection job for us in the future led me to two persons—Ernst Aegerter, who had for most of his life headed up the export of cattle out of Switzerland, and a Mrs. Ida Hofer, who was a real cattlewoman in her own right, being of a famous cattle breeding family in Switzerland and also married into one. (SSh:Oct1970:9 from “Selecting the first Canadian Simmentals,” by Travers Smith, Simmental Shield, October 1970, pp. 8-10.)

August 15 onward
Upon returning home, Travers continues his telephone and letter campaign hoping to get Switzerland open for importation to Canada. At the same time, he begins directing cattle selection in Switzerland through his two Swiss contacts (Aegerter & Hofer), trusting in their expertise and trusting that the Canadian government will open Switzerland for the upcoming importation year. (This will prove a nail-biting experience for these first Canadian Simmental believers and investors. When at last it seems too late, they will receive eight permits for France/Switzerland, dated July 19, 1967.)

Travers’ long-suffering bankers have not been overly impressed with his latest idea, so in order to finance the Simmental “gamble,” several local investors finally respond to Travers’ enthusiasm. His vision of what the Simmental breed can do to improve productivity, performance, and profitability in livestock operations somehow slips into every conversation. By late August, seven men commit to help Travers finance this venture that has so captured his focus.

August 30
Six of the eight initial contributors of capital meet to determine the type of organization they want to transact the future business of the contributing group. According to the minutes, those present at the meeting are: “B. Travers Smith; Dr. Orson T. Bingham; Harold Watson; Guy Bowlby; H.J. Blackmore; B.Y. Williams.” Those not able to attend are: Dr. S. B. Williams and Franklyn Smith. Each contributor’s investment is $500.00 in cash with a further $500.00 guarantee to the bank to secure a $4,000.00 loan. Thus, their working capital for the project is $8,000.00. Their Parisien venture will take almost all of it.

September 20 (abt)
The Canadian Charolais Association advises that some testing delays have occurred and that “present plans are to move the cattle from the farms to Brest quarantine station within the next few days. It is expected that the plans will then be pretty much as scheduled, arriving at Grosse Ile, late October.” (Undated CCA letter to importers)

September 25
Parisien goes into quarantine at the Brest Quarantine Station in France. (S.E.P.A. letter dated September 28, 1966)

September 26
Simmental Breeders Limited (aka, SBL) is incorporated with B. Travers Smith, chairman; and B.Y. Williams, secretary with the remaining investors as directors.

October 21
The Royal Bank of Canada receipt of this date shows a currency exchange of .22, resulting in a total cost of $3,630.00 Canadian dollars that Travers and his fellow investors send to finalize matters with S.E.P.A. In subsequent correspondence by Travers, it appears that the original farm price for Parisien was 15.000 Fr., but is increased to 17.000 to cover extra costs relating to the transport, testing, etc. of the two alternate bulls at 1.000 Fr. each. Only one of the alternate bulls with dam is delivered to the testing area, so the adjusted price paid is 16.500 Fr. The extra 500 Fr. is for transport costs to get Parisien to Brest, France after he passes the first tests.

October, late [29th]
After a period of quarantine at Brest, France, Parisien and 228* other imports (mainly, if not totally, Charolais) are loaded onto a cattle boat for the 8-day ocean voyage to Grosse-Ile, Quebec—Canada’s quarantine facility in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Here, Parisien will spend his first Canadian winter. (*CDA letter of Sept. 15, 1966 states cattle imports authorized for 1966 total 229.)

December
This pivotal year ends with Parisien’s anxious owners looking forward to an early spring thaw so their “great expectation” can wend his way to the Canadian mainland and overland to Alberta for his last quarantine phase—a 90-day on-farm quarantine on Travers’ ranch. In Travers’ view, things are looking up for every farm and ranch family in North America—every family, that is, who will lend him their ears and their eyes for even just a minute.


Those of you who remember Travers knew him as a man of deep faith. In a letter to his children in 1971, he wrote of this first Simmental trip, saying “… the Lord softened the heart of a customs man that I got a passport after [brief] hours in Ottawa. He led me to the right people in Switzerland, in France; unbeknown to them He influenced men to organize trips for me to see cattle. He gave me ideas and understanding of Cattle and the attendant business far beyond my natural powers. In the past He prepared through men’s management of Genetics, a Bull that started the biggest revolution for good in the cattle industry on this continent.”

And it all began—a mere 40 years ago [now 44].

[The above Timeline, written by SM Smith, was first published in Simmental Country, June/July 2006, World Congress Special Edition, pp. 120-128.]
--------------
Note: this author is aware that Simmental was referenced in North America in the late 1880s and early 1900s, but did not survive as a distinct breed here, thus Simmental became one of the "exotics" in the heady days of the 1960s and '70s.