Delage Farms Ltd. - Indian Head

During his tenure as CEO of Hoechst Canada, AgrEvo and Aventis CropScience (which became Bayer CropScience), Maurice Delage was recognized as an innovator, leader and builder. His belief was that you must be located in your customer's backyard and thus Regina became the head office for agriculture.

Raised on the Delage family farm near Arborfield, Maurice enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan's College of Agriculture graduating with a major in Horticulture in 1969. This was followed by Graduate Studies culminating with a M.Sc. in 1978.

He started his agricultural career with Niagara Chemicals in 1972. He joined Hoechst in 1973 when the company introduced the first samples of Hoe Grass herbicide for field testing. Maurice became the General Manager of the agriculture business within the company. By the mid-80s, Hoechst was the largest agricultural chemical company in Canada.

With Maurice's leadership, Hoechst invested in a major formulation facility in Regina and also created the head office for the Agriculture Division within the city. As Hoechst changed to AgrEvo and then Aventis, Maurice became President and CEO for the company in North America.

In the late 80s, with the new non-selective herbicide called Liberty under development, Maurice persuaded the company to invest in a biotechnology research facility based in Saskatoon. This was done in partnership with the Province of Saskatchewan, the National Research Council and Agriculture Canada.

By the mid-90s, Libery tolerant canola was registered in Canada, the country's first genetically modified crop. In 1996, due to Maurice's vision and belief in science and new technology, AgrEvo purchased PGS genetics. With that acquisition, the company now owned genetic hybrid technology that soon reached the market as InVigor canola. InVigor hybrids went on to account for more than half of the country's canola acreage.

After retiring from Aventis in 2001, Maurice began farming full time and began expanding the farming operation near Indian Head.

Maurice received the Canadian Agri-Marketer of the Year Award in 1986 and the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists Distinguished Agrologist Award in 1993.  He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2012 and received the Canadian Canola Council's James McAnsh Award in 2017.  Maurice was also honored to receive the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2018.

Maurice can be found driving the grid roads checking fields all spring and summer long before he jumps in a combine for harvest.