HISTORY

The Meunier Family has a long farming history in the Mosside area. Great-Grandfather Telesphore left the hustle and bustle of St. Albert, north of Edmonton, in 1899 in search of untouched wilderness that he could settle and call his own. He set off northwest and cut trail to cross the Pembina river at which is now Belvedere. From there, he continued another 10 miles until he reached high ground that overlooked an open grass meadow. This ground appealed to Telesphore as he knew he could put up winter feed for his livestock without having to clear and break any land for the first few years. The area where he settled was later surveyed and named Mosside.​

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Telesphore and his wife, Josephine, built a home on that high ground and soon raised a family. Over the next decade, the cattle herd grew, along with a large herd of horses. When other settlers began moving into the area, Telesphore sold teams of horses to help them break and settle their land. The first cattle drive occurred in 1912, with the help of neighbours to Edmonton. The cattle were herded to the area which became the industrial airport until buyers came and bid on the cattle. Once purchased, they drove the cattle off to the packing plant. A few years later, the railroad came to Cherhill, about 20 miles south of Mosside. After that, grain and cattle were taken over the Pembina River at Meadowview to Cherhill. Telesphore also owned one of the few steam tractors north of Edmonton at the time and broke much ground and threshed grain for many farms between St. Albert and Mosside.

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The next chapter of the farm started in 1927 when Grandpa Paul married Grandma Elsie and took a homestead just west of his father’s. When the Great Depression arrived a few years later, Grandpa Paul hauled logs with his team of horses for Chisholm Lumber to the banks of the Athabasca River. While he was away at lumber camps, it was the up to Grandma Elsie and her young family to milk cows, feed the hogs and chickens, as well as keep the homestead and family growing. She raised 13 children, and the farm continued to grow.

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In 1969, four of Paul’s sons - Raymond, Don, Daryl, and Lyle - started a farming venture on the family land. They incorporated and became known as Paul Meunier and Sons Farms. At that time, the farm was primarily a dairy farm, but it also had a farrow-to- finish hog operation and a grain enterprise. In 1993, the decision was made, with mixed feelings, to sell the dairy operation. From then on, the grain farm grew, and a small beef feedlot was built and expanded.

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In 2003, Chad and Stacey were married and began a cow-calf enterprise on the farm. Grazing land was purchased in the Cherhill area. Their passion lies in grass and land management, as well as the genetics and husbandry of calving and raising healthy calves. This enterprise has grown over the years as the market allowed.

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In 2016, Chad and Stacey purchased the original farm and began operating under the vision “Thriving Plants, Animals, and People." The farm is blessed with a large team of capable and enthusiastic people who contribute to the success of the farm.

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In 2024, the business was rebranded as Meunier Livestock Ltd. Though the name changed, our commitment to innovation and excellence in cattle feeding and livestock management remains the same.

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In 2025, we joined Wade Meunier, Chad’s brother, to launch Modern Pastures, a direct-to-consumer beef business. We are excited to pursue this new venture and see the fruition of our stewardship efforts reflected in excellent beef for our customers.