World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Don Matthews of Pirmez Creek: Alberta Angus Breeder and Industry Voice

An Alberta Angus breeder whose bloodlines and committee work shaped Canadian beef.

Who was Don Matthews?

Donald (Don) Matthews was an Alberta cattleman who farmed with his wife and son at Pirmez Creek, west of Calgary. The Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame entry says he had a significant influence on the development of breeding stock in the Canadian cattle industry.

He is listed as a 1992 inductee of the Alberta hall and a 1984 inductee of the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. Hall of fame records give his life as 1918 to 1996.

What was special about his Aberdeen-Angus herd?

The Alberta entry says Matthews owned one of the largest Aberdeen-Angus herds in Canada, and that it was known nationally and internationally for its breeding stock. A big registered herd gives a breeder more bulls and females to sell, and a reputation that draws buyers from other provinces and abroad.

The sources available do not give his herd size, sale averages or specific bloodlines, so those details are not stated here. What is documented is the reach of the herd, which went well beyond the Pirmez Creek ranch.

How did Matthews lead the cattle industry?

Matthews chaired the Alberta Cattle Commission and served as president of the Aberdeen-Angus Association. According to the provincial hall of fame page, he promoted grading, animal health and trade issues affecting the cattle industry at the national level.

These topics are the working rules of the beef business. Grading determines how carcasses are priced, animal health affects market access, and trade policy decides where cattle can be sold. A breeder who takes on these issues helps every producer, not only buyers of his own bulls.

The page does not give the dates of his terms as chair or president, so the order of his roles is not established here. What it does show is that his work went beyond his own ranch and beyond Alberta, from provincial commission business to national advocacy.

The Key to Matthews' Success

The record shows a producer who treated breeding and organization work as the same job. He built the herd at home and spent time on committees to improve the market it sold into.

He also worked within a family operation, farming with his wife and son.

  • He built one of Canada's largest Aberdeen-Angus herds at Pirmez Creek.
  • He sold breeding stock that earned a national and international reputation.
  • He chaired the Alberta Cattle Commission and led the Aberdeen-Angus Association.
  • He pushed national policy on grading, health and trade.
  • He worked with family members on the ranch rather than as a lone owner.

How Alberta honors Angus builders

The Alberta Angus Association keeps separate honor lists for contemporary breeders and for breed builders. The Alberta Angus Association awards page lists Hall of Fame Breed Builders from 2006 onward and Contemporary Breeders from 2005, though it does not mention Matthews directly, so his recognition in this record comes from the provincial and national agricultural halls.

His two inductions show recognition from both provincial and national peers, eight years apart.

Explore more ranching history

Matthews' career shows how a breeder's influence can reach across a country. For more cattle country stories, visit farm.FM's ranching section or read a farm.FM story about Alberta ranching.

Timeline

  1. 1918Born, according to hall of fame records
  2. LaterBuilds one of Canada's largest Aberdeen-Angus herds at Pirmez Creek
  3. LaterChairs the Alberta Cattle Commission and serves as president of the Aberdeen-Angus Association
  4. 1984Inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame
  5. 1992Inducted into the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame
  6. 1996Dies, according to hall of fame records

Frequently asked questions

Who was Don Matthews?

Don Matthews was an Alberta Aberdeen-Angus breeder at Pirmez Creek, west of Calgary. He chaired the Alberta Cattle Commission, led the Aberdeen-Angus Association and entered the Canadian and Alberta agricultural halls of fame.

What halls of fame is Don Matthews in?

He was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1992, according to the provincial hall's entry.

What did Don Matthews do for the cattle industry?

He built one of Canada's largest Aberdeen-Angus herds, chaired the Alberta Cattle Commission and promoted grading, health and trade issues for cattle producers at the national level.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall