Outstanding Guelph Alumni to be Honoured at Gala

Guelph, Ontario - June 5, 2015 – U of G News Release - The University of Guelph Alumni Association will recognize four outstanding graduates at this year’s re-envisioned Alumni Awards of Excellence gala.

The sold-out June 12 event will honour Karl Stensson, Sheridan Nurseries president and CEO; Marilyn Murray, former U of G development officer; Ken Murray, former president of J.M. Schneider; and Sarah Rothwell, clinical engineer, Orbis International.

The annual awards recognize alumni who demonstrate outstanding achievements and commitment to excellence.

Karl Stensson

This year’s three-course dinner event will take place at Rozanski Hall beginning at 6 p.m., and will include a silent auction and remarks by U of G track and field coach Dave Scott-Thomas.

Stensson will receive the Alumnus of Honour award for corporate and philanthropic achievements.

He earned a degree in landscape architecture in 1973, and worked for the cities of Toronto and North York before joining his family’s business, Sheridan Nurseries. He became president in 2009.

A three-week exchange trip to Japan during his last semester at U of G “opened my eyes to the world,” he said.

“I have brought many new and innovative ideas to our business, which I do not think I would have done so soon in life without the exchange.”

He organized a fundraising campaign at Sheridan Nurseries to support the Children’s Wish Foundation and the Kids’ Health Links Foundation. He also helped raise more than $140,000 to provide medical care for a young teen in Jamaica.

Marilyn Murray has attended Alumni Weekend every year since completing a household science degree in 1955.

“This year, we will celebrate our 60th anniversary. We developed lifelong relationships with professors, we learned valuable organizational skills and Guelph helped shape us as community leaders,” she said.

Ken and Marilyn Murray

She has served as a volunteer fundraiser, belonged to the U of G Senate, co-chaired the 75th anniversary celebration of the Macdonald Institute and served on many capital campaign boards.

She and her husband, Ken Murray, who earned an agriculture degree in 1950, will receive the Alumni Volunteer Award.

Ken Murray has chaired the Board of Governors and served on the centenary fundraising committee for the Ontario Agricultural College, and belonged to advisory committees for OAC and University capital campaigns.

He credits Guelph with helping him succeed in business.

“I was hired by Schneider after graduation; after two years as a salesman and four years as a buyer, I considered moving on,” he said. “The animal science department head at Guelph, George Raithby, told me to stay, and it helped me achieve my long-range plan of becoming a general manager and then president.”

He has volunteered with the Kitchener Rotary Club, the United Way and the Homewood Foundation. He also created an Alzheimer research program at the University of Waterloo in memory of his first wife.

Rothwell will receive the Alumni Medal of Achievement. She manages complex medication technology, clinical information systems and quality improvement initiatives and has worked in Boston, Vancouver and now New York. She will receive the Alumni Medal of Achievement.

Sarah Rothwell

“U of G provided an excellent foundation in engineering theory but also taught me how to apply theory in real-life situations through hands-on engineering design courses,” she said.

Her co-operative education program gave her “a lot of great experience in biomedical engineering, which made me a competitive candidate in the job market.”

She now works for Orbis, which operates worldwide to eliminate preventable blindness; her recent work travels took her to Peru.

“I’m incredibly humbled and appreciative to be recognized by the University of Guelph for this award. I’ve always wanted to work in international health care and be a part of an organization that makes a difference in this world.”

Visit the Alumni Weekend website for more details.

Leading Canadian companies band together to celebrate National Health and Fitness Day

Canadians encouraged to get moving on June 6, 2015

TORONTO, Ontario June 5, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - Connected by a shared commitment to improve the health and fitness of all Canadians, a powerhouse group of Canadian companies today announced a collaborative project to align resources to get Canadians moving as part of National Health and Fitness Day (NHFD), taking place on June 6, 2015.

Adidas Group Canada, Canadian Tire Corporation, GoodLife Fitness, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, RBC and Sun Life Financial have stepped forward to help promote and participate in the first annual National Health and Fitness Day.

In Canada, one third of all children and youth are considered overweight or obese and less than five per cent of children are getting the recommended 60 minutes of moderate physical activity daily. NHFD is an initiative to get Canadians moving by marking one day, the first Saturday in June, as the day when Canadians get out and get active in any way they think appropriate.

Working together to leverage their networks, employees and corporate programs, the corporations will look to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and make it a personal priority for Canadians from coast to coast. As a first step to get everyone moving, the corporations will focus on raising awareness for NHFD through a social media campaign, using the hashtag #CANMOVE as well as encouraging their employees to show their support by getting up, getting out and getting active.

"Helping Canadians to be healthy and fit takes effort by everyone, across all sectors. The Government of Canada has many partnerships with the private and not-for-profit sectors to promote programs and activities that support healthy living, physical activity and chronic disease prevention for Canadians of all ages. By working together, we can make a difference," said Minister of Health Rona Ambrose.

From Alert Bay, British Columbia to Hamlet of Pond Inlet, Nunavut to St. John's, Newfoundland, more than 175 communities have proclaimed the day and are encouraging residents to get out and get active. To see what communities are supporting NHFD or learn how to get your community involved, check here.

National Health and Fitness Day was an idea that developed during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games as a project to mobilize the spirit of the Games and create a legacy of improved health for all Canadians. In December 2014, the National Health and Fitness Day Act, Bill S-211, became law in Canada, as a national day to promote health and fitness for all Canadians.

SOURCE RBC

New genomics research projects to create economic and social benefits for Canadians

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and LifeLabs work together to provide comprehensive genomic profiling to thousands of Canadian cancer patients

TORONTO, Ontario, June 5, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - Thousands of Canadian cancer patients may soon benefit from more targeted, personalized cancer treatment following an investment by the Government of Canada.

The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology) and Bernard Trottier, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Lakeshore, accompanied by Lorne Hepworth, Chair of Genome Canada, announced nearly $16 million in funding for four new research projects under the third round of Genome Canada's Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP). The announcement was made at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, where the Minister, Mr. Trottier and Mr. Hepworth toured the lab of Dr. Suzanne Kamel-Reid, Head, Clinical Laboratory Genetics and Director, Molecular Diagnostics, University Health Network.

Dr. Kamel-Reid will be working with LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services to develop a program to personalize cancer treatment by providing genomic profiling, which has the potential to save thousands of lives. By establishing a genomic profile of various cancers, healthcare providers can offer the right drug at the right time to a patient, improving cancer treatment outcomes for Canadians coast to coast. Further, the infrastructure to be developed in this project represents a major advance towards achieving substantial cost- savings in the healthcare system for multiple cancer types.

GAPP projects partner academic researchers with "users" of genomics (e.g. industry, provincial governments, non-profits, or other organizations) to develop innovations that are expected to have considerable economic and social impacts within the near term.

Other projects announced in this third round of program funding involve using genomics to: enhance soybean oil for commercial use; improve outcomes for lung transplant patients; and, grow more resilient and higher quality conifer trees that can help the Canadian forest industry compete more effectively on a global level.

Quick Facts

• Approximately 200,000 Canadians are diagnosed with cancer each year. More than one in four of these patients can benefit from rapid comprehensive cancer genomic profiling
• Under a newly funded GAPP project, researchers at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre will partner with LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services to increase the number of patients who have access to comprehensive cancer genomic profiling
• The four projects announced today involve a total investment of $15.7 million. The Government of Canada is contributing$5.2 million through Genome Canada with the balance (about $10.5 million) invested by co-funding partners including the genomics "users."  Twelve projects previously received funding under the first two rounds of the program.
• The projects announced today involve researchers at institutions based in Ontario (Princess Margaret Cancer Centre,University of Toronto), Quebec (Université Laval) and Alberta (University of Alberta). They involve partners from the agriculture, healthcare and forestry sectors. (See backgrounder for project descriptions.)
• Launched in 2013, GAPP is a $113-million program, with $37.8 million of federal funding through Genome Canada and the balance from partner investments (i.e. from industry, government, non-profit and others).

Quotes

"Our government is committed to ensuring ideas move from the lab to the marketplace more quickly, creating globally competitive Canadian businesses and jobs here at home. Our investment in the Genomic Applications Partnership Program supports these partnerships by seeking genomic solutions to real world challenges, creating both social and economic benefits for Canadians. "

– The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State for Science and Technology

"Our government has made record investments in science, technology and innovation to create jobs, prosperity and improve the lives of all Canadians. Today's investment in the GAPP project between the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and LifeLabs will help expand targeted, personalized cancer treatment for tens of thousands of Canadian cancer patients through genomic tumour profiling, cutting edge analysis that can save lives here in Toronto and across the country."

– Bernard Trottier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for La Francophonie and Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Lakeshore

 "Genomics offers great potential for new ideas and innovations to be applied to multiple sectors of vital importance toCanada. We are delighted to see so many genomics 'users' eager to work in partnership with the research community to translate genomics research into practical applications."

– Mr. Lorne Hepworth, Chair of Genome Canada

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with LifeLabs and synergize our strengths and expertise to move genomic technology into routine clinical care," said Dr. Kamel Reid. "Our goal is to enhance patient care by increasing access to genomic profiling and personalizing treatment for all Canadians. With this funding, Genome Canada has moved us one step closer to achieving this goal."

– Dr. Suzanne Kamel-Reid, Head, Clinical Laboratory Genetics and Director, Molecular Diagnostics, University Health Network.

"We are delighted to partner with Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the University Health Network on genomic profiling of cancer specimens. LifeLabs' strengths in specimen collection, our transportation network and extensive logistics capabilities and growing genetic testing capabilities, combined with the cancer centre's expertise as Canada'sleading developer of novel cancer genomic assays, make this a tremendous collaboration. Having a national strategy for genomic profiling of cancer specimens is a critical step to ensuring Canadian cancer patients have access to the most effective care. We are very appreciative of the leadership and support from Genome Canada."

– Mr. Jeff Sumner, Senior Vice-President, Business Development, Clinical Affairs and Genetics at LifeLabs

Associated links

Backgrounder – GAPP Round 3 projects 
Video – Pierre Meulien on GAPP 
GAPP Rounds 1 and 2 press release, October 15, 2014
GAPP launch press release, June 3, 2013

Follow us on Twitter: @GenomeCanada; @industrycanada

About Genome Canada: www.genomecanada.ca

Genome Canada is a not-for-profit organization that acts as a catalyst for developing and applying genomics and genomic-based technologies, to create economic and social benefits for Canadians. Genome Canada connects ideas and people across public and private sectors to find new uses for genomics, invests in large-scale science and technology to fuel innovation, and translates discoveries into applications and solutions across key sectors of national importance, including health, agriculture, forestry, fisheries & aquaculture, energy, mining, and the environment.

About University Health Network: www.uhn.ca
University Health Network includes Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

About LifeLabs: www.LifeLabs.com
LifeLabs is a Canadian-owned company with over 50 years of experience providing laboratory testing services to help healthcare providers diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease. In communities across British Columbia andOntario, LifeLabs provides cost-effective, convenient access to laboratory testing services which are essential for optimal outcomes in healthcare. LifeLabs employs approximately 5,400 professionally trained staff and delivers over 100 million laboratory tests, serving 19 million patient visits annually. In 2013, LifeLabs acquired BC Biomedical inBritish Columbia and CML HealthCare in Ontario making LifeLabs the largest community laboratory in Canada. LifeLabs is indirectly owned by OMERS Administration Corporation, whose interest is managed by Borealis Infrastructure. For more information about LifeLabs Genetics visit www.LifeLabsGenetics.com. LifeLabs is a Proud Supporter of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

SOURCE Genome Canada

Ontario Investing $5 Million in Local Food Projects

Province Celebrating Local Food Week

June 3, 2015   Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs - Ontario is investing $5.2 million through the Local Food Fund to bring more local food and beverages to tables across the province.
Today Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, celebrated Local Food Week at Longo's where he announced two new Local Food Fund projects:

• Longo's will receive up $446,138 to launch "Taste Ontario Too", an in store and online marketing campaign to help consumers learn about local farmers and processors, to expand Longo's GroceryGateway.com  search functions for mobile devices, and funding to make their own fresh pork sausage.
• VG Meats Limited will receive up to $948,025 to help bring Ontario beef to more than 25 Longo's grocery stores. The funding will be used to purchase equipment for beef processing and new customer friendly, leak-proof packaging with the Foodland Ontario logo.

In addition, twelve other innovative local food projects will be receiving support through the province's Local Food Fund. The fund is part of the Ontario government's broader local food strategy and is aimed at increasing consumer awareness of and access to local food and beverages produced, grown and harvested in the province.

Supporting local food is part of the government's plan to build Ontario up. The four part plan includes investing in people's talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a dynamic and innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

Quick Facts

• Ontario’s agri-food sector contributes $34.8 billion to the GDP and supports 780,000 jobs – about one in every nine jobs.
• To date, the Local Food Fund has committed more than $22 million to 163 projects, leveraging a total investment of more than $102 million.
• June 1-7 is Ontario’s second annual Local Food Week - one of the first elements to come into effect under Ontario’s Local Food Act, 2013.

Background Information

• Local Food Fund Recipients

Additional Resources

• Local Food Fund
• Local Food Act
• Foodland Ontario
• loveontfood.ca
• ontario.ca/agriculture-news

Quotes

“Local Food Week is a terrific opportunity to celebrate the diversity of innovative local food projects that help to boost demand for food that is grown, harvested and made right here within our province. Through Local Food Fund projects like these, Longo’s and VG Meats are helping to bring more local food to consumers’ plates, while supporting farmers, strengthening communities and growing Ontario’s economy.”

Jeff Leal

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

“Initiatives supported by the Local Food Fund help to boost local communities, as well as benefit businesses and consumers across the province. These projects also help ensure that Ontario's agri-food industry connects rural and urban consumers and brings the best of Ontario-grown food to tables across the province.”

Minister Steven Del Duca

MPP for Vaughan

“The Local Food Fund is helping us not only support Ontario farmers, but is giving us the opportunity to create innovative ways of connecting with partners and customers. This funding is allowing us to promote local food and celebrate the great things that this province has to offer.”

Rosanne Longo

Longo’s Spokesperson and Brand Ambassador

“This project has allowed us work with Longo’s to bring new and innovative local food products to the market. Through collaborations like this, even more Ontarians can enjoy local food.”

Cory Van Groningen

VG Meats

New App Helps Horse Owners Monitor Vital Health Data

Equine Guelph’s Horse Health Tracker app is available as a free download

GUELPH, Ontario  June 3, 2015 - atGuelph - As with most animals, it can be difficult to tell if a horse is feeling ill, and horse owners sometimes worry they might be missing the early signs of a health problem.

Equine Guelph’s new Horse Health Tracker app can help. Available as a free download, it allows owners to monitor the vital health data of up to two horses, as well as evaluate the body condition of their horse and calculate the animal’s weight. An upgraded version with additional features is available for a fee.

Since debuting in April, the app has been downloaded more than 1,000 times.

Sharon Quarrington, a horse owner who also boards horses on her farm near Campbellville, Ont., and offers several horse educational programs, likes the convenience of the app.

“Having all the health parameters at my fingertips with pictures and videos showing me how to do the check and what is normal or not is wonderful,” she says. Before downloading the Horse Health Tracker app, she had to record health information on a piece of paper, which could be lost or misplaced, and was difficult to share with her veterinarian.

Upgrade features include the ability to monitor information such as heart rate, temperature and respiration of up to 50 horses, and track this data over 13 months. Instructional videos show how to properly perform health assessments, and the upgraded app allows owners to share the data with healthcare professionals by email. Owners can also create custom profiles for each horse and sync healthcare appointment reminders with their smartphone calendars.

“This scheduler app is great,” says Quarrington. “It is so easy to lose track of when a horse is due for the farrier or the vet.”

Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph, says the app is a “must-have management tool for every educated horse person.” It is available from both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Another outstanding maple syrup harvest for the 2015 season

LONGUEUIL, Quebec, June 4, 2015 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Like the previous two years, 2015 was another outstanding harvest season for Quebec's maple syrup producers, who, with 42.3 million taps in operation, produced 107.2 million pounds of maple syrup, for an average yield of 2.53 pounds per tap.

A season marked by a very late start This spring, unusual weather conditions delayed the beginning of the sugaring season. The southernmost regions, Saint-Jean-Valleyfield and Saint-Hyacinthe, had small flows by mid-March. However, the persistent cold slowed the thaw, which resulted in all of Quebec's first major flows occurring only in mid-April. Three-quarters of production took place during the last three weeks of April. Some more easterly regions harvested until early May.

"Many feared that the long, cold winter would affect production. However, in the maple syrup industry, you should never count your chickens before they're hatched. Predicting production results is practically impossible. Mother Nature always has the final say," said Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers president Serge Beaulieu. "Again this year, the cold spring was good for maple syrup production in general. The Bas-Saint-Laurent/Gaspésie region benefitted the most from the ideal weather and had the best yields—2.96 pounds per tap."

The fourth best harvest and quality syrup The 2015 harvest did not surpass the 2013 record of 120.3 million pounds or last year's tally of 113.7 million pounds. However it does rank as the fourth best harvest on record, just below the 2009 harvest of 109.4 million pounds. Furthermore, nearly 73% of the maple syrup already inspected has been classified in the top three categories, Extra Light, Light and Medium. This excellent harvest represents nearly 217,000 barrels of maple syrup for quality inspectors to classify and inspect.

A record year for salesThe sales agency set a sales record for the second year in a row—a total of 97 million pounds of maple syrup—relegating 2014's high of 92.7 million pounds to second place. The new record is partly explained by the sugaring season's late start like last year. During the regular marketing year set out in the marketing agreement, from February 28 to February 27 of the following year, the Federation sold 88.7 million pounds. Because of the late season, it then agreed with buyers to allow sales of maple syrup produced in 2014 and preceding years until May 12, 2015.

With the extended marketing year, an additional 8.3 million pounds were sold to achieve 97 million pounds overall. These sales also dropped the strategic reserve level to 60.7 million pounds. Since 2010, the agency's sales have increased 10.5% annually from 58.9 to 97 million pounds this year.

About FPAQThe Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers was founded in 1966 with the mission of defending and promoting the economic, social and moral interests of 7,300 maple producers, as well as developing initiatives to collectively market maple products. The quality work of these maple producers has made Quebec the proud source of 71% of the world's maple syrup. 

Website: .   fpaq.ca

SOURCE Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers

Ontario takes action on four of Elections Ontario's recommendations to improve the electoral process

TORONTO, Ontario June 4, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today Premier Wynne announced Ontario will take action on four recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer, Greg Essensa, has been making for several years, most recently in the Elections Ontario 2014 Post-Event Report. 

"I am pleased that the government has heard my recommendations and I welcome progress on these initiatives," says Essensa. "The recommendations being addressed make it easier for Ontarians to vote and level the playing field protecting the integrity of our system."

STRENGTHENING THIRD-PARTY REGULATIONS

Since his appointment as Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario, Mr. Essensa has been recommending that an independent body be established to investigate options for strengthening third party advertising rules in Ontario, including third party spending and contribution limits, reporting requirements for third parties, and registration and anti-collusion provisions.

In recent elections, certain third parties have increased significantly what they spend on advertising. Meanwhile, of the jurisdictions in Canada that regulate third party advertising, Ontario is the only one where third parties do not face advertising spending or contribution limits. The Chief Electoral Officer believes that this reality could very well produce a situation in which parties and candidates campaign on an uneven playing field.  Spending by third parties increased by 358% between 2007 and 2014 with third parties spending $1.9 million in 2007 and $8.7 million in 2014.

SPRING ELECTIONS

Municipal elections in Ontario are held in the fall under a fixed-date system that in 2018 would put the current fixed-date provincial election two weeks ahead of them. Closely placed elections can lead to voter fatigue and a drop in participation at the polls.  The Chief Electoral Officer recommended that the legislation, which at present specifies a fixed date for general elections as the first Thursday in October every four years, be amended to a fixed date in the spring such as a date in early June.

YOUTH PROVISIONAL REGISTRATION

Youth are more likely to vote if they get a notice of registration card (NRC) telling them when, where and how to vote.  To get an NRC you must be a registered voter and many first time 18-year-old voters are not registered.  Allowing Elections Ontario to capture information related to 16 and 17 year olds removes a barrier to youth voting by giving youth more time to register. Removing barriers to youth voting is important since electors are more likely to become regular voters if they vote when they are first eligible which is why the Chief Electoral Officer recommends allowing the provisional registration of individuals when they are 16.

REDISTRIBUTION

A fair distribution of Ontario's electoral districts is essential to our democratic process. Ontario has not redistributed electoral districts since 2007. Because of our changing and growing population, the Chief Electoral Officer has been strongly recommending that it is critical for Ontario to engage in redistribution.  We welcome the announcement of theElectoral Boundaries Act which will mark the start of this process.

The Chief Electoral Officer looks forward to working collaboratively with legislators to bring each issue towards implementation.

The Elections Ontario 2014 Post-Event Report can be found here: http://bit.ly/1dewXTY

Elections Ontario is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections and referenda.

SOURCE Elections Ontario