An induction ceremony into the Auction Era Hall of Honor was held in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Convention and AGM. Held on Wednesday January 31, 2024 at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford, SK Honored for 2024 were: Barrie Jung of Melfort, Jason LeBlanc of Estevan, and Ivan White of North Battleford. Jason and Ivan were able to attend the event, and Bruce and Deb Schapansky attended to represent Barrie. Power point presentations were viewed, and the inductees responded, with memories and acknowledgements of their families, friends and co-workers who assisted and encouraged their success in the auction industry.
Barrie Jung: Began his auction career with Hodgins Auctioneers in 1985, eventually becoming a 50% partner. After closing the auction in 2015, Barrie presently works for Bruce Schapansky Auctioneers Inc. in Tisdale. During this time, Barrie was a member of the SAA, the Auctioneers Association of Canada, the Auctioneers Association of Alberta, and the National Auctioneers Association. He held numerous executive positions on all associations, and was a very active member of them all. For his community service with many, many organizations, Barrie was awarded the Melfort Citizen of the Year award in 2008, and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for Volunteerism in 2022.
Jason LeBlanc: At the age of 18, Jason began his auction career, and became the youngest licensed auctioneer in Canada. LeBlanc Auction Service included farm, household and antique auctions, weekly consignment sales, and real estate. Jason also sold commercial and purebred cattle sales throughout the province, and at Fort Worth, Texas. After amalgamating with Campbell Auctions in 2000, and hiring Rick Elias as an auctioneer, LeBlanc Auction Service joined Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers in 2004, becoming the first Saskatchewan agricultural auction company acquisition for Ritchie Bros. After a period as Regional Sales Manager, Jason became an auctioneer for the firm, selling his last sale in 2019. He had served the industry for 30 years. During this time, Jason volunteered for many, many community fundraisers as an auctioneer.
Ivan White: After a successful farming career, Ivan was certified as an auctioneer in 1991, and opened a store-front auction property in North Battleford. In addition to regular auction sales, Ivan was a dealer for Featherlite, Norbert, Precision and Agassiz trailers. His 22 year auction career was built on a reputation of hard work, honesty, attention to detail and being a man of his word. Ivan played an active role in the communities of Ruddell, Speers, Mayfair and the Battlefords, auctioning for many, many charitable events. For many years, Ivan auctioned for Hodgins Auctioneers of Melfort, where he met Barrie Jung, and developed a life-long friendship. His greatest memories are the people: his staff, the people he met along the way: buyers, sellers, bidders, and fellow auctioneers. He was a member of the SAA from 1991 through 2016, serving as President in 2008.
