November 28, 2011
LaCloche Manitoulin Business Assistance Corporation, Gore Bay
Surrounded by Lake Huron, Georgian Bay and the North Channel, Manitoulin is the world’s largest fresh water island. It’s known for its natural beauty, but Mike Meeker didn’t move to the island for the scenery. The cold, clean water attracted Mike. “I moved here specifically to grow fish,” he explains.
Twenty-five years ago, aquaculture was not a common business. Now, Meeker’s Aquaculture ships about 900,000 pounds of rainbow trout a year, and has a strong spin-off business selling garden compost made from fish waste.
The amazing growth of two businesses made Mike and Sharon Meeker ideal candidates to be 25th Anniversary Entrepreneur. They were honoured at the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations’ 2011 Conference.
Meeker’s Aquaculture and Meeker’s Magic Mix were nominated by LaCloche Manitoulin Business Assistance Corporation (LAMBAC), a Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) located in Gore Bay. Manager Mary Nelder thought Mike’s innovative and thriving business was a prime example of a business that is going strong after receiving assistance from a CFDC 25 years ago.
“Mike Meeker would describe himself as a farmer. I would describe him as a pioneer, an innovator, a passionate environmentalist, a hard-working entrepreneur, and a tireless lobbyist for his industry,” Mary explains.
Mike started out in 1984 with one cage nailed together, made out of wood floated on 45 gallon drums, with nets he sewed himself. Dealing with winter’s ice movement was a challenge, but Mike learned to sink the fish cages below the ice, and then bring them up in the spring to hold the new fingerlings.
When Mike sought funding to start his business, banks and investors were skeptical about aquaculture. He went to the newly-opened CFDC seeking a loan from then-manager Marg Hague. “Of course, aquaculture was a totally new industry everywhere, but on Manitoulin it was very new. Mike was on the cutting edge in this field,” Marg says. She gave him a start-up loan: “It was actually the first cheque that LAMBAC issued,” she adds.
Photo: Mary Nelder, current Manager of LAMBAC, nominated entrepreneurs Sharon & Mike Meeker for the 25th anniversary award. They are joined by Marg Hague, who was LAMBAC Manager 25 years ago.