Features

Helping Canada to meet current and emerging threats to its crop plants and food security is the purpose of a new report by an expert panel including a University of Guelph plant scientist.

Released Jan. 27 on the Council of Canadian Academies website, the report identifies key risks posed to Canadian crop plants by climate change, extreme weather events and pests ranging from insects to diseases to weeds. “Cultivating Diversity” also pinpoints gaps and overlaps in governance, from registration of crop protection products to communication among federal and provincial agencies.

Growing up in Hamilton, Ont., with a nurse mom and a researcher dad, Dr. Lawrence Goodridge had homegrown role models for his studies and ultimate career as a microbiologist and food scientist at the University of Guelph. But he knows many Black people lack similar backgrounds and opportunities to contemplate, let alone pursue, science careers.

It was during her studies at the University of Guelph that Dr. Roberta Bondar had to shelve one career plan and pursue another – a choice that ultimately secured her a spot aboard the NASA space shuttle Discovery in 1992 as Canada’s first woman astronaut.

As she prepares for this Saturday’s 30th anniversary of the shuttle’s lift-off, she says her U of G roots also laid the groundwork for her subsequent career back on Earth as an award-winning nature photographer and champion of environmental activism.

As Canada’s new vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers goes into effect, a University of Guelph food economist wonders whether there might be better ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while keeping Canada’s food supply strong.

Dr. Mike von Massow is a professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics in the Ontario Agricultural College. He researches supply chain management and food value chain structure and performance.

With many provinces imposing restrictions on who can get testing for COVID-19 amid soaring case counts, a University of Guelph researcher says monitoring wastewater for the virus is proving a critically important tool.

Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, a professor in the Ontario Agricultural College, leads wastewater testing projects on the U of G campus as well as in communities across Ontario. He says his team’s work has become one of the few ways to get an accurate picture of the scope of this latest wave of the pandemic.

Acquiring knowledge is a lifelong process. Some may find that daunting, but others find it empowering. Brad Howie, an Anishinaabe master of environmental sciences student, falls into the latter category. He is a student at his core and his approach to learning is inspired by the Indigenous value of interconnectedness.

Brad believes the approach to sharing knowledge should be connected as well. Through research and interpretive signs, he has brought Anishinaabe teachings to the University of Guelph’s Arboretum.

Most, if not all, aspects of regional economies hinge on digital telecommunications infrastructure, yet rural and remote communities still face a pressing demand for better-quality internet connectivity.

Rural residents can pay up to three and a half times more to receive a slower download speed than urban residents – if internet is available at all.

The “digital divide” describes the phenomenon of a growing gap between members of society with and without sufficient access to technology, digital telecommunications and broadband services. 

Featuring Erik Lo, Food Science Certificate 1997, and Francis Lo, B.Comm. Agricultural Business 1997

What are the ingredients of true food innovation? As the founders of plant-based yogurt company Yoso, brothers Erik and Francis Lo know the recipe all too well.

Originally from Hong Kong, the Lo brothers belong to a long line of dairy-free food innovators. Their father majored in dairy science at Gatton Agricultural College in Australia before joining his own father in the family business of soy milk manufacturing in the 1940s.

Featuring Jackie Fisher, ADA 1982

“You’ve got to try the duck!” That’s the tagline for King Cole Ducks, printed on every product they make.

As one of Canada’s largest producers of ducks in North America, King Cole Ducks offers a wide range of products including smoked duck breast, wings, eggs and confit. The company started after Jim Murby, OAC ’32 and ’35, and his son, Bob, purchased a farm on the outskirts of Aurora, Ont., in 1951.

The OAC Class of 1951 celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2021. OAC ’51s have always had a close bond and reputation that other classes have aspired for. To honour this impressive milestone, we spoke with OAC alumnus Dr. Clay Switzer, to learn more about his student experience from 1947 to 1951. Clay is a well-known alumnus and former OAC dean and faculty member.