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Celebrating Ontario's Local Food Champions

Ontario’s food story is written by passionate entrepreneurs, dedicated farmers, and innovative businesses who believe in the power of local. With support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agri-business (OMAFA), the Local Food Champions initiative—launched in partnership with the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA), a non-profit organization, principal investigators Dr.

students standing together in a meeting room

RPD Students attend 2025 OPPI Symposium

The 2025 Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) Symposium: 'Integrated Planning' was held Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19, 2025.  Thursday was filled with informative panel discussions, with an optional guided excursion scheduled on Friday. The Symposium was attended by rural planning and development students from the University of Guelph, both virtually and in person at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener, Ontario.

SEDRD Welcomes Four New Faculty Members

We are thrilled to welcome four new faculty members as Assistant Professors in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development who started July 1, 2025!

RPD students at CIP & OPPI conference holding award certificates

Conversations and Connections: Exploring Planning Through a Student’s Lens

This summer, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (CIP-OPPI) National Planning conference, held at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto from July 8–10, as a recipient of a student CIP-PSTF bursary, alongside fellow planning students from undergraduate and graduate programs across the country. It was also a pleasure meeting them and forming new friendships throughout the conference.

New Research Funding Supports Rural Ontario’s Readiness for Major Manufacturing Investments

How can rural communities be ready to seize the opportunities—and avoid the pitfalls—of large-scale manufacturing investments? A new research initiative led by Dr. Ryan Gibson, titled Blueprints for Prosperity: Examining Rural Strategies for Mega-Manufacturing Investments, has been awarded funding through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance to help answer this vital question.

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