BMO Donates $1.25-Million to Support Biomaterials Research at the University of Guelph

Research at the University of Guelph intended to turn crops into green products received major support today from BMO Financial Group.

GUELPH, Ontario October 23, 2013 - University of Guelph News Release - BMO will invest $1.25 million in U of G’s efforts to sustain and grow the agricultural bio-economy. The gift comes through the BetterPlanet Project, the University’s $200-million fundraising campaign for teaching and research in food, environment, health and communities.

“The support from BMO will allow our researchers to continue to revolutionize the use of plant materials,” said President Alastair Summerlee. “This is critical work in a world of global warming, growing environmental threats and depleting petroleum resources. It will also ensure that U of G retains its position as the global leader in this field.”

“Research at the University of Guelph plays an important role in the advancement of the region’s economy,” said Susan Brown, Senior Vice President, Ontario Regional Division, BMO Bank of Montreal.

“BMO has a deep relationship with the agricultural community, and this donation will help solidify the University of Guelph as a major center for agricultural research, in Ontario and across the country.”

U of G researchers are using wheat, soy, corn and other crops to make car parts, furniture, building materials and new kinds of rubber.

Leading this work is the University’s Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC). Opened in 2008, the centre is looking for renewable, eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based materials in manufacturing and consumer goods.

The centre aims to develop more complex manufacturing applications and higher-value green products. It’s directed by Prof. Amar Mohanty, an international leader in biomaterials who holds the $3-million Premier’s Research Chair in Biomaterials and Transportation, part of the Ontario Research Chairs program.

The BMO gift will help expand the centre’s research and commercialization facilities and acquire cutting-edge research equipment, among other projects.

The University will name Phase II of the BDDC, now nearing completion, as the BMO Bioproducts Innovation Extension.

A philanthropic supporter since its founding in 1817, BMO has supported the University since Guelph’s first capital campaign in 1969.

Rob Gordon, dean of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College, said funding for the BDDC and other agricultural projects recognizes an important and evolving research field.

“It’s a catalyst for innovative green products that will ultimately enhance the value of Ontario’s agriculture sector,” he said.

“It also provides a training environment that will help grow the bio-economy and support global commercialization and job creation in Canada.”

Tim Hortons and the University of Guelph host Sustainable Food Management Summit

New research by University of Guelph focuses on animal welfare and sustainability in foodservice and retail industry supply chains

OAKVILLE, Ontario, October 4, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - Tim Hortons, in partnership with the University of Guelph and the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (CCSAW), hosted an industry summit designed to identify opportunities and barriers in the development of sustainable supply chains, with animal welfare considerations in the foodservice and retail industries.

The Summit provided a forum for sharing information and research among various stakeholders on the state of animal welfare and sustainability standards in food supply chains. The Summit also focused on the importance of stakeholders working together to establish such enhanced, consistent animal welfare standards in today's food system.

"We are thrilled with the turnout of industry stakeholders such as farmers, producers, restaurant chains, retailers, academics and animal welfare experts at our Sustainable Food Management Summit," said John Hemeon, executive vice president of supply chain, Tim Hortons. "Tim Hortons is committed to improving the quality of animals' lives in our supply chain in a pragmatic, responsible manner. We hope that by continuing to engage the industry in meaningful discussions, we can help identify additional opportunities for collaboration, which is crucial to the process and continued progress."

New research conducted by the University of Guelph was funded in part by the Tim Hortons Sustainable Food Management Fund, created in 2012 and designed to advance the state of sustainable food management practices including animal welfare.

Dr. Michael von Massow, professor in the College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph, presented key findings from one of the phases of the Tim Hortons-supported research, which evaluated consumer and stakeholder perceptions of animal welfare and sustainability in the foodservice and retail industries. Ipsos Canada conducted the research and more than 1,000 Canadian consumers across the country were surveyed.

Findings included:

...There is increasing consumer awareness and concern about animal welfare, which along with nutrition, ranked in the second tier of importance when purchasing food. Price, freshness, taste and safety ranked in the top tier. There was a significant segment of the population for whom animal welfare was an important consideration

...Consumers want more information about how their food is produced and say it will influence their choices. They are unsure about how the food they buy now is produced. About 50 per cent of respondents didn't know the housing systems used for the pork they purchased, while 25 per cent didn't know the housing systems used for the eggs they purchased

Dr. von Massow also highlighted a number of key findings from broader stakeholder research, including:

...There is no agreement or consensus yet between consumers and industry stakeholders on what specifically should drive animal welfare standards but there is strong agreement that progress needs to be made and commitment to making progress

...In addition to developing new standards for animal care, the industry needs to develop a strategic implementation plan to ensure that the outcomes achieved are consistent with the objectives

"The summit discussions and the results of the University of Guelph's independent study reveal gaps in consumers' understanding of animal welfare and production in the foodservice industry," said Julia Christensen Hughes, Dean of the College of Management and Economics, University of Guelph. "What and how the industry communicates to consumers on animal welfare initiatives is important and we hope this event will encourage the industry to work together to build more sustainable supply chains and establish more humane and sustainable housing systems for farm animals."

Dr. Sandra Edwards was the keynote luncheon speaker at the event. Dr. Edwards is a leading animal welfare expert in the United Kingdom and the European Union and shared her experience and perspectives on setting and implementing animal welfare standards, as well as emerging issues and perspectives in Europe.

Other speakers included renowned animal welfare experts Dr. Tina Widowski of The University of Guelph and the CCSAW and Dr. Ed Pajor of the University of Calgary Veterinary School. Dr. Widowski and Dr. Pajor discussed the state of animal welfare science specific to eggs and pork respectively. Jackie Wepruk of the National Farm Animal Care Council and Barbara Cartwright of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies presented Canadian perspectives of animal welfare codes of practice and the national code development process.

More information about Tim Hortons Animal Welfare initiatives and commitments can be found at http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/difference/animal-welfare.html

About Tim Hortons Inc.

Tim Hortons is one of the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada. Operating in the quick service segment of the restaurant industry, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, espresso-based hot and cold specialty drinks (including lattes, cappuccinos and espresso shots), specialty teas and fruit smoothies, fresh baked goods including our trademark donuts, grilled Panini and classic sandwiches, wraps, soups, prepared foods and other food products. As of June 30th, 2013, Tim Hortons had 4,304 systemwide restaurants, including 3,468 in Canada, 807 in the United States and 29 in the Gulf Cooperation Council. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com. Follow Tim Hortons on Twitter: www.twitter.com/timhortons.

Fire Prevention Week is October 6-12, and this year’s theme is, “Prevent Kitchen Fires and Get Cooking with Fire Safety!”

A menacing visitor brings danger to a farm. The Co-operators teams up with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council to create fire safety awareness.

Watch as The Stovenator lurches its way onto a farm in order to wreak havoc.

In order to stop the Stovenator in its smoky tracks, The Co-operators has teamed up with the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council and the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs to raise awareness of the dangers surrounding cooking and preventable kitchen fires.

Seven out of ten fires in Canada start at home. More fires begin in the kitchen than in any other room and residential cooking is one of the leading causes of fire-related deaths. Most kitchen fires occur because people get distracted and leave their cooking unattended. It takes seconds for a pot or pan to splatter grease or overheat creating a fire that can quickly spread. Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. On farms, a potential kitchen fire can be especially devastating as homeowners might be outside doing chores during which time fire can quickly spread.

For more information on fire safety and preventing kitchen fires visit: www.safeathome.ca

Don’t let the Stovenator visit you!

Monarch Butterflies Migration Tracked Through Generations Across North America

GUELPH, Ontario - August 07, 2013 - University of Guelph News Release - Everyone knows all about the epic breeding journey taken each year by generations of monarch butterflies between Mexico and Canada, right? Not so fast, say researchers including University of Guelph biologists.

Until now, linking adult butterflies and their birthplaces during a complicated annual migration spanning all of eastern North America and involving up to five generations of the iconic insects had eluded scientists.

Now for the first time, researchers have mapped that migration pattern across the continent over an entire breeding season. That information might help conserve a creature increasingly threatened by loss of habitat and food sources, says Tyler Flockhart, a PhD student in U of G’s Department of Integrative Biology.

“This tells us where individuals go and where they’re coming from,” he said.

Flockhart is lead author of a paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B with Prof. Ryan Norris and co-authors based in Saskatchewan, Colorado and Australia.

Their new study traced successive generations of adult monarchs to their birthplaces between the southern United States and Ontario over a single breeding season.

Before this, scientists had only a rough idea of those annual colonization patterns, said Prof. Ryan Norris, Integrative Biology.

“You could have a monarch showing up in Ontario, but we didn’t know exactly where it came from.”

Tracking migration patterns is vital to understanding why monarch numbers are declining and predicting the effects on the insects of milkweed plant loss, habitat destruction and other factors, he said.

In 2012, the smallest-ever population of monarchs was recorded in their Mexican overwintering grounds. “They’ve been declining steadily,” said Flockhart.

Monarchs normally show up in southern Ontario by June or July. This summer, few had been sighted here by the end of July.

The researchers used chemical markers in butterfly wings to match “waves” of insect generations with their birthplaces. Monarch larvae eat only milkweed. The plant’s chemical signature varies from place to place, allowing scientists to pinpoint a butterfly’s birthplace by analyzing those chemical elements in its wings.

Flockhart spent summer 2011 following the northward migration and netting more than 800 monarchs for analysis. Beginning a road trip in southern Texas, he logged 35,000 kilometres across 17 states and two provinces.

“As far as I know, it’s the broadest sample of monarch butterflies through an entire breeding season across North America.”

Monarch colonies overwinter in Mexico. During the breeding season beginning in April, successive generations were born in Texas and Oklahoma, then in the U.S. Midwest, and then over a broad area spanning the northeast coast and the Midwest.

One key stop is the “corn belt” in the U.S Midwest. There a breeding “explosion” sends vast numbers of adults in several directions, including to Canada, said Norris.

He said loss of milkweed plants and planting of genetically modified corn and soy in the Midwest have affected monarch survival.

“If habitats in the Midwest continue to decline, then monarchs will lose the ability to expand the breeding range, including those butterflies that end up here in Ontario.”

It’s also important to protect breeding habitat in other locations, he said, including parts of southern Texas that supply future generations to breed in the Midwest.

“To lose monarchs would be a huge blow to the environment and to the public. People can easily identify monarchs. It might be the first butterfly they see or catch as a child, and it’s often the first story they hear about how animals migrate.”

Adds Flockhart:

“Every school kid knows about monarchs.”

OPP Golden Helmets celebrate 50 years of excellence!

CONCORD, Ontario, May 31, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Golden Helmets Precision Motorcycle Riding Team gave a special performance today to mark the team's 50th anniversary with the OPP and to kick-off their 2013 season.

The anniversary event was hosted by Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, which has been sponsoring the Golden Helmets since 1997.

OPP Deputy Commissioner Larry Beechey attended the event where he thanked Mr. Buzz Green, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Deeley-Harley Davidson Canada for Deeley's ongoing support of the Golden Helmets over the past 15 years.

Deeley provides the team with Harley-Davidson Police Specials, the signature black and white motorcycles the team uses to carry out their performances and operational duties as full-time police officers.

Since their very first performance at the Barrie Fall Fair in 1963, the 21-member team has been showcasing its talents, touring Ontario and giving exhibits of superb riding skills to the delight of many Ontario residents and visitors.

University of Guelph Professor creates App to help control soybean aphids

A smart phone application that helps farmers decide quickly and easily whether to spray to control soybean aphids

GUELPH, Ontario - May 09, 2013 - University of Guelph - In the News - Environmental Sciences professor Rebecca Hallett is featured today on CBC’s online news page. A smart phone application she helped developed is part of a story on new technology helping the farming industry.

Farmers can use the app - Aphid Advisor - to decide whether or not to use insecticide to control aphids on soybeans, based on numbers of aphids and their natural enemies.

Hallett developed the app with Tracey Baute, a field crop entomologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and a U of G graduate, and Christie Bahlai, a U of G grad student in environmental biology. It’s based on research conducted in the School of Environmental Sciences and the Department of Plant Agriculture.

Read more

The Co-operators recognized among Canada's Green 30

GUELPH, Ontario, May 9, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Co-operators has once again been recognized for its commitment to protecting the environment as several of its member companies were listed among Canada's Green 30 by Aon Hewitt for the fourth consecutive year. The list, which is based on Canadian employees' impressions of their employers' environmental performance, was published in the May 20 issue of Maclean's magazine, on newsstands today.

This year, Co-operators Life Insurance Company of Regina, The Sovereign General Insurance Company, based in Calgary, and The Co-operators, including The Co-operators Group Limited, Co-operators General Insurance Company, and Montreal-based Addenda Capital, took three of the 30 spots.

"People want to work for companies that act responsibly, and they really get behind initiatives and policies that align with their personal values," said Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators. "Across the country and throughout our group of companies, our employees' support for the organization's efforts to advance environmental and social sustainability has been incredible."

As a co-operative insurer, The Co-operators strives to be a good citizen and a catalyst for sustainability. This involves balancing economic, environmental, and social priorities in order to conduct business in a way that minimizes negative impact and strengthens communities. . For example, The Co-operators is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated through their operations by 50 per cent by 2014 and collaborating with organizations such as Ceres to support the development of more resilient cities. . Detailed information on the organization's performance is available in its sustainability report, which was released today on www.cooperators.ca.

Aon Hewitt is a global consulting company that compiles the Best Small and Medium Employers, and Best Employers in Canada lists. Companies on those lists are automatically considered for the Green 30, as green initiatives go hand in hand with attracting, and retaining employees. The Green 30 is compiled based on staff perceptions of environmental initiatives, and their employers' efforts to consider long-term social, environmental, and economic factors when making decisions.

About The Co-operators:

The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $35 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada and Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.