About Us

2026 Executive: Left to Right: Kirk McLean, Mandy Ropp, Drew De Bruyn, Abel Lopez, Joe Dwyer, Henry Groenestege, Victoria Stewart, Doug Ahrens, David Ross, Matt Aarts

2026 OPC Executive and Committees

Ontario Pork Congress celebrates community, history, and the hog industry’s future. Featuring a tradeshow, cooking competition, and charity run. This event has been organized since 1973 as a place for the entire Ontario swine sector to meet and catch up on the latest and greatest.

Executive
President: Victoria Stewart
First Vice President: Drew De Bruyn
Second Vice President: Abel Lopez
Secretary: Joe Dwyer
Executive Member: Matt Aarts
Director: David Ross
Director: Doug Ahrens
Director: Mandy Ropp
Director: Henry Groenestege

Committee Chairs
Exhibits:
Food and Social:
Bacon Maker Classic:
Pork Quality Competition:
Promotions:
Registration:
Sponsorship:
Taste the Best:
International Workers:

OPC's Legacy

Watch Richard Smelski talk about some of the history and why the Ontario Pork Congress continues to evolve and provide value to the Canadian Pork industry.

Watch Now 〉

Our Past Presidents

1973-74 Don McLean
1974-75 Gerry Knechtel
1975-76 Lloyd Smit
1976-77 Doug McLeod
1977-78 Bill Baxter
1978-79 Richard Stein
1979-80 Don Henry
1980-81 Ken Thompson
1981-82 Bill Nahrgang
1982-83 Lorna Small
1983-84 Dave Ireland
1984-85 Dale Thompson
1985-86 Bruce Bergsma
1986-87 John Thomson
1987-88 Ross Shantz
1988-89 Jan VanVliet
1989-90 Doug Wheeler
1990-91 Sharon Heldmann

1991-92 John Bowman
1992-93 Ivan Roobroeck
1993-94 Richard Smelski
1994-95 John Perrin
1995-96 George Charbonneau
1996-97 Trudy Bardoel
1997-98 Craig Hebert
1998-99 Betty Crowley
1999-00 John Otten
2000-01 Frank Palen
2001-02 John Bancroft
2002-03 Ellen Olechowski
2003-04 Kim Louwagie
2004-05 John Crowley
2005-06 Fred deMartines
2006-07 Jim DeBlock
2007-08 Brad Mohr
2008-09 Johanne Groenestege

2009-10 Ray Black
2010-11 Linda Weitzel
2011-12 Adam Rae
2012-13 Steve Thomas
2013-14: Frank Hogervorst
2014-15 Christine Schoonderwoerd
2015-16 Blair Cressman
2016-17 Joe Dwyer
2017-18 Chris Crump
2018-19 Kirk McLean
2019-20 Meghan Kirkpatrick
2020-21 Francisco Trejo
2021-22 Henry Groenestege
2022-23 Kirk McLean
2023-24 Kirk McLean
2024-25 Kirk McLean