Oscar-winning filmmaker makes titanic investment in pulse industry
Cameron putting millions into pea protein operation in Vanscoy
Oscar-winning Canadian filmmaker James Cameron and his wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, have opened a multimillion-dollar pulse-processing plant in Saskatchewan as part of their efforts to promote sustainable living.
They wanted to pursue this venture in Saskatchewan because of its “business-forward mentality,” Cameron said Tuesday during an event at their new facility in Vanscoy, about 30 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon.
“If you’re a Canadian expat such as myself, it’s very business friendly to bring capital into here and have it matched and to grow a business very quickly.
“This place has come together with really lightning speed compared to if one had tried to do a similar enterprise in, let’s say, California,” he said.
The Camerons said they founded Verdient Foods Inc. because they recognize demand is increasing for organic, plant-based proteins.
The Vanscoy facility, which will process pea proteins, is expected to create up to 40 jobs and become the largest organic pea protein plant in North America.
It will begin operations in early October and be fully up and running within six months with the support of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, a non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Food Processors Association, which has partnered with Verdient to develop food products.
Another factor that drew the couple to Saskatchewan was the nature of farming in the province, James Cameron said.
Whereas the majority of farmland in the United States is owned by a handful of corporations, most farms in Saskatchewan are family owned or controlled by smaller operations.
“There’s a chance here in Saskatchewan to really continue to do it right and not make conglomerates gobble up the farmers.”
The plant will eventually deal exclusively with organic plants, but Cameron said it will begin by processing a mix of organic and non-organic produce “because frankly there aren’t enough (organic) growers right now.”
Cameron, who was born in Ontario, is one of the world’s most successful filmmakers, having crafted Titanic, the Terminator series, Aliens, True Lies and Avatar.
He said he’s very pleased to add the creation of Verdient Foods to his list of accomplishments.
“In my mind, movies come and go and they’re relatively quickly forgotten, but this is something that’s lasting. This will be a legacy for us, but we also see it as just the start of a bigger vision for the development of food products,” he said.
“Part of it is adding value here in the province, that’s the key thing. When pulses are shipped overseas just as a commodity, the margin’s not so high. But if you add value to it locally, the revenue stream’s much greater, the number of local jobs goes up proportionately; so we think we’re doing good in that regard.”
Opening Verdient’s first facility was “a pinch-me kind of moment,” Suzy Amis Cameron said. “Children are at the forefront of everything that I do and a day doesn’t go by when I don’t think about how can I make the world a better place for our children to grow up in and Verdient Foods will do that. We all know that eating more plants and eating more plant proteins is not only healthier for our bodies, but it’s healthier for the planet.”
James Cameron would not provide details about the size of his investment in the company, except to say it’s “big ... And we believe more than worth it.”