Henry Canton says he won’t leave his post at CPBL

Henry Canton

Early in the newscast, we reported that the numbers at the CGA’s protest were over a thousand strong and you heard the chairman of that Association, Brian Bowman, say that while there is a clear divide between CGA and CPBL supporters, the CGA has a lot of support.  But Chief Executive Officer of the CPBL, Dr. Henry Canton says not so.  News Five caught with Canton after a meeting in Belize City.

Dr. Henry Canton, CEO, C.P.B.L.

“There was a big crowd, whether it was a thousand I’m not sure, but my understanding was that there were a lot of vehicles, trucks and employees of the banana farms were trucked in. Again, don’t quote me because I was not there but there were not as many growers as the CGA would have liked, if not I think the protest would have been a little longer.”

Jose Sanchez

“The people who were there, in your opinion, who would they be if not growers?”

Dr. Henry Canton

“My understanding was that there were a bunch of banana farm workers from Mayan King and from farms sixteen and fifteen that were brought in to make up numbers.”

Jose Sanchez

“Bryon Bowman, the chairman of the CGA says he doesn’t know what support you have? What support do you have?”

Dr. Henry Canton

“If I were to answer Mr. Bowman, I think I have more support than he has. That will be proof in the pudding very shortly. Mr. Bowman believes that the support he has is the support that he tried to display today, which I think may have been a great failure. I think where the proof is going to come is when the legislation is proven to be unconstitutional and growers are not forced to be members of the CGA and then he’ll see who really supports him.”

Jose Sanchez

“They want you gone. Whether the crowd was a rent a crowd or they came on their own. They are saying you guys need to go. Will you go?”

Dr. Henry Canton

“No, I’m not going to go. I will go when the time is right, when I have accomplished what my mandate is and when I truly believe that the people who want me to leave are the true representation of the people who are actually the citrus growers.”

Canton says that his term as a board member of CPBL ends on May fifteenth and that he is currently a member of newly formed Belize Citrus Mutual.