Action News Blog

by Marissa Lemay, 2025–2026 CYL participant After the excitement of the selection process, the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program moves into its most impactful phase: the 9-month tailored mentorship. This phase is unique because it is primarily self-directed, allowing each leader to steer their own professional development. The success of this portion of the program hinges on a critical component—the mentorship pairing. My goals for the CYL year are highly technical

L-R: CYL Cyle Stewart, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall, Past CYL Diane Van Essen, Past CYL Marianne Sytnyk, CCA Officer Brodie Haugan, Youth Council Delegate Judson Christopherson (SK), CYL Ryan Slingerland, CCA Staff Cailey Church A small delegation from the Canadian Cattle Association's (CCA) youth programs travelled to Denver, Colorado January 14–17, 2026, to see firsthand the importance of the Canada–USA trade relationship within North America’s highly integrated beef supply chain

by Marissa Lemay, 2025 –2026 CYL participant The journey to becoming a Canadian Cattle Young Leader (CYL) is often described as a transformative experience, but that transformation begins long before the 16 finalists are announced. For me, it started with a period of deep self-reflection—looking back at my roots on my family’s feedlot in central Alberta and forward toward my professional goals. Applying for the CYL program is not merely a box-ticking exercise or simply anothe