2008 Events
Funding Program-New Announcements
Sustainability Services (see below) for the Food and Beverage Industry
Adapting your processes and products for sustainability can save you
money, help build a stronger brand image and improve your resource utilization.
In partnership with OMAFRA, GFTC is offering sustainability services and
course registrations to the Ontario food and beverage industry at a 50%
discount. There is no application process or rebate program; if you are
a part of the Ontario Food and Beverage industry you are eligible for
the discount.
The following sustainability services are available from GFTC at a 50%
discount.
Assessment Services
GFTC environmental engineers and analysts will conduct a thorough assessment
of your facility with respect to energy, water, waste, packaging and emissions.
Based on the assessment, they will advise you on your opportunities and
risks. For a list of the areas covered go to GFTC's web site at www.gftc.ca.
Consulting Services
GFTC will assist you in building sustainability into your strategic plan.
Successful integration of sustainability involves the following steps:
- Building a vision and developing goals
- Gaining buy-in from internal and external stakeholders
- Establishing management systems to implement the vision
- Benchmarking and measuring to continuously improve the system
GFTC consultants will assist you through all stages of integration ensuring
a smooth transition. Expert consultants are also available to demystify
carbon assessments, and to provide speakers to educate employees and stakeholders
on sustainability.
Training Services
GFTC training will provide you with the tools you need to merge environmental
management with productivity improvements, giving you a competitive edge
in today's growing green market. The following courses are part of the
Sustainability curriculum at GFTC which are being subsidized:
- Stepping into Green: Environmental Management for the Competitive
Food and Beverage Business
- Stepping into Green: Sustainable Packaging Design
- Best Practices for Energy Management
- Understanding Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Food and Beverage
Industry
- New Technologies for Environmental and Energy Management
2009 Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC)~Workplace Safety and
Insurance Board (WSIB) Safety Group - Saving manufacturers workplace injuries
and dollars.
The Bottom Line You Save Could Be Your Own!
The Safety Group program is an innovative approach that the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is taking to eliminate workplace injuries
and illnesses.
The program rewards firms that incorporate prevention measures into their
daily business and EMC is wrapping up another year for its Safety Group
initiative, benefiting EMC members with millions in potential premium
rebate dollars through continuous improvement in health and safety. To
get started in the safety group, EMC members contact the Safety Group
Administrator, Amanda Doman adoman@emccanada.org
or telephone 1-866-323-4362.
For general EMC membership information, please visit www.emccanada.org.
Ontario Ministry of Labour Safety Blitz Targets Industrial Workplaces
The Ministry of Labour announced in August that as part of Ontario's
ongoing efforts to help reduce workplace injuries, inspectors will be
"blitzing" industrial workplaces over the next month to help
eliminate specific hazards that could lead to falls. Inspectors will look
for fall hazards at heights, such as on any platform, raised floor, mezzanine
or ladder. This will include checking for fall arrest equipment, guardrails
and the use of inappropriate procedures such as climbing up shelving or
working on storage racks. They will also check for proper use of portable,
extension and step ladders. This initiative is part of the province's
new Safe At Work Ontario Blitz Strategy announced in July. For more details
go to http://www.labour.gov.on.ca.
October 22 - Export Market Access Seminar
Holiday Inn Oshawa Whitby Conference Centre - Export Market Access is
an initiative of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), with support and
funding from the Government of Ontario. If your company has five or more
employees and annual sales of $500,000 or more, you may qualify for a
grant covering up to 50% of eligible costs to develop export sales. To
learn more, plan to attend the EXPORT MARKET ACCESS SEMINAR on Wednesday,
October 22, 2008 from 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Oshawa
Whitby Conference Centre, 1011 Bloor Street East. The Keynote Speaker
is Len Crispino, President & Chief Executive Officer, OCC. View the
attached registration form for more details and to register for this event.
If you're unable to attend the seminar, you can look up the program at
http://www.exportaccess.ca.
October 23 - Canadian Business Leadership Forum 2008 - Toronto
Now in its fifth year the Canadian Business Leadership Forum shares first-hand
accounts of successful strategies and leadership initiatives that teach
attendees new skills and innovative ways of thinking. The day-long program
will inspire, motivate, and help deliver competitive advantage to your
organization. Speakers include RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie, GE President
& CEO Elyse Allan, and Richard Florida, Martin Prosperity Institute.
For more information go to http://site.canadianbusiness.com/leadershipforum/.
October 20 - 24 - "Good to Great" Manufacturing Excellence
Conference, Toronto
Supported by the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), 2,500 practitioners
will attend the largest ever Lean Manufacturing Conference in North America
. It will be "right up the alley" for operations leaders who
have a direct impact on productivity. 9 International Keynotes, 70 Best
Manufacturing Practices, 50 Audited Plant Tours, 40 Workshops, and structured
Best Practice exchanges will help companies meet current competitive challenges.
Go to http://www.ameconference.org/
for details and registration.
October 26 & 27 - Grocery Innovations Trade Show
Toronto Congress Centre, Dixon Road, Toronto
The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers is proud to present Grocery
Innovations Canada 2008: Canada's premier grocery conference and trade
show. More details can be found at http://www.groceryinnovations.com/index.html.
The Business Development Branch will be exhibiting at the show. Come and
visit us at Booth 710 next to the Access Ontario Pavillion and also check
out the Pick Ontario Freshness booths. OMAFRA supported the Alliance for
Ontario Food Processors in putting together their display for this event,
as a way to help them reach out to independent retailers and get the products
from Ontario's firms into buyers and eater's hands. Our HACCP Advantage
colleagues will also be at the show in Booth 711.
November 4 - Workshop on "Manufacturing Optimization"
MMRI is co-sponsoring a one-day conference "Manufacturing Optimization:
The Next Generation" to promote adoption of technology in manufacturing,
and collaboration to improve productivity and profitability. This year's
conference will be held at the University of Toronto on November 4, 2008.
Presentations from invited guest speakers shed light on current industry
issues such as recycling of materials, green strategies for manufacturing,
optimization of machining processes, advancements in processing technology
and materials. More information can be found at http://www.manutechnet.com.
Living with Parasites-Take Control
The seminar is a full day program, and will be held Tuesday, November
11th in Atwood at the Elma Memorial Community Centre, and again on Thursday,
November 13th in Napanee at the Napanee Lion's Hall.
To register, please contact OMAFRA's Agricultural Information Contact
Centre at 1-877-424-1300. The agendas and registration form are available
on the Ministry website at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/20081111.htm
November 20 & 21 - Ontario Food Protection Association (OFPA) Annual
Fall Conference, Mississauga Convention Centre
Food safety outbreaks and recalls in Canada are in the media, and on
the minds of consumers and food businesses. Attend the OFPA 50th Annual
Fall Meeting for receive insight and information several food safety experts.
More details can be found at
http://www.ofpa.on.ca/
November 13 - Outlook Conference
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs invites you
to join the 2008 Outlook Conference, taking place at the Royal Agricultural
Winter Fair in Toronto on November 13, 2008. Featuring world-renowned
speakers and thought-provoking panel discussions, this year's conference
will focus on future directions and opportunities in the agri-food sector.
Topics will range from economic and environmental challenges to future
technologies and consumer trends.
Speakers include:
- Robert Vos - United Nations: Director of the Development Policy and
Analysis Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs
- Marion Nestle - New York University: Paulette Goddard Professor in
the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health
- Kristian Borch - Technical University of Denmark: Senior Scientist,
Department of Management Engineering
- Tima Bansal - Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western
Ontario: Director of the Centre for Building Sustainable Value
- Molly Anderson - Wallace Center: Project Manager, and Consultant.
Coordinating Lead, Author on the North America/Europe section of the
International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for
Development
- Ronald Wright - author of A Short History of Progress
Early bird registration is $350. Registration cost includes admission
to all sessions, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and health breaks,
one-day general admission to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, and conference
materials including conference proceedings.
Please visit www.ontario.ca/outlook2008
for more information and to register. For Registration-related questions,
please contact Sarah Wilson. Email: sarah.wilson2@ontario.ca.
Telephone: 519-826-4101.
November 7 - 16 - Subsidized space available for agri-food innovators
at the 2008 Royal Winter Fair
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair returns to the Exhibition Grounds
for its 86th year from November 7th to November 16th, 2008. A celebration
of all things "country", The Royal is the largest combined agricultural,
horticultural, canine and equestrian event in the world, attracting over
350,000 people, including 25,000 school children annually. The RWF is
currently searching for innovative agri-food products and companies to
showcase in their new Innovation Marketplace, a new exhibit area where
smaller, entrepreneurial and not-for-profit organizations can exhibit
for a special lower price. Housed within the Agri-Food Innovation area,
the marketplace has been created in response to visitor feedback. In 2007,
the Agri-Food Innovation highlighted new technologies and products including
kitchen countertops and flooring, clothing and car parts made from crops
and sources of alternative energy. Visitors to the Fair were intrigued
and expressed an eagerness to buy these products and get more information
about these new technologies. The problem was that many of the companies
and not-for-profit organizations responsible for these innovative products
and ideas are small and relatively new. They don't yet have the resources
to fully participate with an exhibit space for the ten days of the Royal.
This year, the Royal aims to eliminate those difficulties by offering
exhibit space for special discounted rates to companies and not-for-profit
organizations that fit within the Innovation Marketplace parameters:
Products and/or services must meet the following criteria. Be innovative
and reflect contemporary scientific information.
- Showcase renewable energy, agriculturally-based bio-products or environmental
technologies or be a new healthy locally-produced food product.
- Relay information about the importance of the agriculture and food
sector to the Canadian economy.
Within this Innovation Marketplace, companies and organizations will
also be allowed the ability to exhibit for either half of the Fair (five
days) or for the full ten days. The amount of financial assistance will
be dependent upon the situation of the company or not-for-profit organization
and will be evaluated on case-by-case basis. Funding may also available
to help cover accommodation, staffing and/or mileage costs. Companies
or individuals wishing more information and application forms are invited
to call Karen Daynard at 519-836-2583 or kdaynard@royalfair.org.
Application forms will also be available on the Royal's website at www.royalfair.org.
A limited number of exhibit spaces are available. There are only three
booths left in the agri-food innovation section of the display.
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