The 2019 Gryphon's LAAIR event hosted in a large lecture hall with tiered seating. Attendees, some taking notes, are focused on a presenter speaking at the podium. The speaker is also displayed on a large projection screen behind him.

Events | Research Innovation Office

October 2025

Cultivating Resilience Summit

October 27-28, 2025 | Vancouver, B.C.

As climate change intensifies, Canadian agriculture is at a crossroads. How we respond today, through research, innovation, and collaboration, will shape the resilience of our food systems for generations.

The Agricultural Genomics Action Centre (AG-ACt) is proud to co-host the upcoming Cultivating Resilience Summit: Advancing Climate-Smart Agri-Food on October 27–28, 2025 in Vancouver, alongside the BC Centre for Agritech Innovation (BCCAI), the BC Agricultural Climate Action Research Network (BCACARN), and SFU Public Square.

This two-day event will bring together researchers, policy leaders, producers, and innovators from across Canada’s agri-food system to explore how we can work collectively to build more climate-smart, equitable, and resilient food systems.

Designed to connect knowledge with action, creating space for dialogue across disciplines, regions, and sectors, the agenda includes keynotes, workshops, panels, and interactive dialogues that dig into the urgent challenges and opportunities at the heart of food system transformation.

Learn more and register here: Cultivating Resilience Summit Website

November 2025

Groundwater Science-Policy Workshop

November 12-14, 2025 | Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute | Guelph, Ontario

Groundwater is an essential resource for sustaining ecosystems, supporting agriculture, and providing drinking water to communities globally. This intensive 3-day workshop focuses on the critical role of groundwater in food security, agriculture, and community health, by bringing together researchers and professionals across disciplines to highlight the interdisciplinary connections of groundwater.

Participants will have the opportunity to engage with leading experts in the field through lectures from academic researchers and professionals across disciplines, and to explore cutting-edge technologies during field demonstrations that showcase key tools for groundwater research. They will also collaborate with peers in small group activities, fostering collaborative problem-solving and working through practical examples and case studies. Panel discussions featuring experts from various sectors will further enhance the experience, providing diverse perspectives on the application of integrated approaches for groundwater characterization and monitoring in different hydrogeological settings.

Discussions will explore key barriers to effective groundwater management, addressing critical topics such as:

Supporting evidence-based policy-making with cutting-edge science and research
Managing groundwater resources under increasing demand
Balancing aquifer protection, food security, and water supply for communities

This workshop is perfect for practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers interested in groundwater management and its connection to agriculture and community health - bringing together diverse experts to collaborate, learn, and drive real-world solutions.

Agenda

Subject to Change

8-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast & Registration
8:30-9 a.m. - Ice Breaker Activity
9-9:20 a.m. - Welcome
9:20-10:10 a.m. - Speakers: Setting the Stage with Concepts, Tools and Methods
- Sophie Bhalla (Morwick G360) - Science-Policy Interface & Peak Groundwater Concepts
- Ferdinando Manna (Morwick G360) - Introduction to Groundwater Science
- Ken Walton (Morwick G360) - Aquifer Model Demonstration
10:10-10:30 a.m. - Break
10:30-11:20 a.m. - Keynote
- Richard Taylor (University College London) - Development Perspectives & Climate Change
11:20 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Interactive Activity
- Development Perspectives and Understanding Shared Interests & Questions
12-1 p.m. - Lunch
1-2:15 p.m. - Speakers: Setting the Stage with Concepts, Tools and Methods
- Chris Neville (SSPA) - Introduction to Hydraulic Testing
- Jonathan Kennel (Morwick G360) - Overview of High-Resolution Dynamic Data Sets
- Dave Rudolph (University of Waterloo) - Introduction to Monitoring and Modelling
- Ramon Aravena (University of Waterloo) - Introduction to Isotope Hydrogeology
- Aaron Berg (University of Guelph) - Introduction to Remote Sensing/GIS
2:20-3 p.m. - Panel/Q&A
- Roadblocks for Policy, and Examples on How to Use These Tools Effectively
3-3:30 p.m. - Break
3:30-4:30 p.m. - Demonstrations
- Steve Chapman & Stephane Lauzon (Morwick G360) - Multilevel Monitoring
- Ryan Kroeker (Morwick G360) & Jonathan Munn (City of Guelph) - Temporary Deployed Sensors
- Marina Nunes & Andrii Gusiev (Morwick G360) - Rock Core
4:30-5 p.m. - Daily Debrief

8 - 9 a.m. - Breakfast
9 - 11 a.m. - Speakers: Groundwater and Agriculture
- Chunmiao Zheng (Sustech) - Groundwater and Agriculture Perspectives from China
- Partik Kumar (University of York) - Groundwater and Agriculture Perspectives from India
- Amy Kremen (Colorado State University) - Groundwater and Agriculture Perspectives from U.S.A
- Manfred Matz - Groundwater and Agriculture Perspectives from Tunisia: Challenges of Demand Management
- Sophie Bhalla (Morwick G360) and Ying Lin (Sustech) - Behavioral Models, Social Psychology, and Farmers Perspectives of Three Global Case Studies (China, India, USA)
- Panel - Global Perspectives Groundwater in Agriculture
11-11:15 a.m. - Break
11:15 -11:30 p.m. - Speaker: Agriculture in Ontario: Insights from Producers
- Mark Reusser (Ontario Federation of Agriculture) - Groundwater in Ontario Agriculture
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Panel
- Producers/Farmers from Southern Ontario on Practical Groundwater Management Issues
- Mark Reusser (OFA), John Rodgers (Bruce County Federation of Agriculture), and John Williamson (Cataraqui Source Protection Committee); Moderated by Hugh Simpson (Morwick G360)
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch
1:30 - 3:15 p.m. - Speakers: Groundwater and Agriculture Policy
- Dustin Garrick (University of Waterloo) - Groundwater Policy and Economics
- Brenda Dyack - Applied Groundwater-Agricultural Challenges
- Nandita Basu (University of Waterloo) - Groundwater Quality in Agriculture
- Jana Levison (Morwick G360) - Groundwater and Agriculture in Ontario: Current Research and Emerging Issues
- Discussion; Moderated by Sophie Bhalla (Morwick G360)
3:15 - 3:30 p.m. - Break
3-5 p.m. - Interactive Workshop: Solutions to Social-Ecological Dilemmas in Groundwater and Agriculture & Daily Debrief

9-10:30 a.m. - Speakers: Groundwater for Municipal Water Supplies
10:30-10:40 a.m. - Break
10:40-12:30 p.m. - Speakers/Panel: Groundwater for Municipal Water Supplies
12:30-1:30 p.m. - Lunch
1:30-2:10 p.m. - Speakers: Community Environmental Health
2:10-2:30 p.m. - Voices from the Day: Q&A with Day 3 speakers
2:30-2:50 p.m. - Break
2:50-4:40 p.m. - Group Activities
4:40-5 p.m. - Closing Remarks

March 2026

Project SOY Plus Finale & 30-Year Showcase

March 12, 2026 | Summerlee Science Complex, Waasamowin | University of Guelph, Ontario

Join us on March 12 for the annual Project SOY Plus Finale at the Science Complex Waasamowin.

The day will feature an open house with Project Teams pitching to judges, displaying their work, and answering public questions about their projects, alongside a showcase of the Fall 2025 Creative Stream submissions.

This special 30-year celebration will also highlight the program’s history, past competitors and coordinators, and more.

Full schedule and event details will be shared soon.