Ontario Renews Partnership with University of Guelph

McGuinty Government Inks Deal to Boost R&D, Food Safety, Environment

The partnership between the Ontario government and the University of Guelph that resulted in the Omega-3 egg is being renewed and improved.

Under an agreement announced today, the university will receive $300 million over the next five years to help it continue its top-notch agri-food and rural research and development programs, animal health and food testing services, and veterinary education. This is in addition to $56 million in one-time funding announced in the 2008 Ontario Budget.

The partnership also provides Ontario with improved methods to detect animal diseases such as rabies and tuberculosis, protecting lives and livelihoods.

QUOTES

"This renewed partnership is good news for our agri-food sector and focuses on research and innovation to better protect our health, economy and environment," Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky said.

"This significant and strategic investment is indicative of the forward-thinking innovation strategy of the Ontario government and Minister Dombrowsky," said University of Guelph President Alastair Summerlee. "This increased commitment will allow the partnership to generate even more than the current $1-billion it has been returning every year for the past 10 years."

"This deal strengthens Guelph's role as a leader in innovation," Guelph MPP Liz Sandals said. "This significant government investment will benefit not only the university and the city, but also the agricultural community throughout the province."

QUICK FACTS

• Between 1996 and 2007, an annual provincial investment of $54 million in the University of Guelph partnership leveraged more than $1 billion in returns per year.
• The current $650-million Ontario soybean market is built on 25 years of research - conducted through the partnership - into better production, yields and innovative uses such as soymilk, soy-based diesel, and even a potential treatment for kidney disease.

LEARN MORE

• Guelph is one of the fastest growing cities in Ontario.
• Photos and video of the celebration.
  

Backgrounder

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (OMAFRA) AND THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

Partnership

OMAFRA and the University of Guelph have agreed to the terms of a new ten-year agreement, with a review after five years. The two institutions will collaborate on delivering research, laboratory and veterinary education programs, which include new initiatives to address emerging opportunities and trends.

Research

• OMAFRA and university staff will work more collaboratively to better plan research projects and transfer results to people who can use them in the industry.
• OMAFRA and the university plan to consult with industry to determine how all parties can work together more effectively in getting research results into practical applications more quickly.
• In the future, the partnership's research program will focus on seven themes that were recommended by the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario, a group of agri-food industry leaders who advise the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and reflect today's realities in the sector and our rural communities:
  
  
  • agriculture production systems
  • food for health
  • environmental sustainability
  • industrial uses for the bioeconomy
  • agriculture and rural policy
  • product development and enhancement
  • emergency preparedness.
    
    
• OMAFRA will contribute funding that supports the equivalent of 65 faculty positions in colleges/departments at the main campus of the university to enable a specialized focus on agriculture, food, environmental, veterinary and related sciences.
• The partnership will also support more than 55 technicians and administrative staff for the research programs at the main campus and at the three regional campuses. Additional staff required to operate agricultural research stations throughout Ontario will also continue to be supported.

Veterinary Clinical Education

The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) is the largest and most research-intensive institution of its kind in Canada. Through the partnership, resources will continue to be provided for faculty and staff to support the OVC's teaching hospital, advanced clinical training program, an externship program for veterinary students, and a one-year post-graduate Veterinary Internship Program

Animal Health Laboratory

Funding will continue to pay the university's Animal Health Laboratory's certified specialists in virology, microbiology, toxicology and pathology, and to provide animal health diagnostic testing. A well-funded and run laboratory supports veterinarians and livestock organizations, contributes scientific and diagnostic expertise to support business decisions, and helps in the development of government policies and programs to mitigate threats to animal health.

Agriculture and Food Laboratory

The university's Agriculture and Food Laboratory supports the ministry's regulatory programs and provides emergency services in the event of an outbreak of foodborne illness or plant disease. More than 140 staff and diagnostic testing will continue to be funded for dairy food testing, foods of plant origin, meat inspection, plant diagnostics, Great Lakes water quality, and soil mapping.

Regional Campuses

The university's three regional campuses at Alfred, Ridgetown and Kemptville play a unique role in agri-food diploma education for the sector, and meet some of the specific education needs of their respective communities. Through a new arrangement with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, current staff and programming at these sites will be maintained, while encouraging the colleges to broaden their course offerings and expand their student populations based on community and industry needs.

Performance Management

The partnership will be reviewed annually and a report will be released publicly on the results achieved. An impact study will be completed in the fifth year to measure the longer term outcomes of the agreement including the economic and health benefits generated by the agreement.

Backgrounder

April 28, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH INVESTMENTS

As announced in the 2008 Ontario Budget, the government is providing the University of Guelph with $56 million in new, one-time funding. This is in addition to ongoing funding provided under the partnership between the university and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

In keeping with the ministry's forward-looking priorities, this money will be used in the following ways:

Agri-Food R&D Innovation

New research areas beyond traditional bulk commodity production will be funded, including:

• product development and enhancement through the value chain
• sustainable agricultural production
• environmental sustainability
• agriculture and rural policy
• industrial uses for the bioeconomy
• food for health
• emergency preparedness
• graduate student development.

It will also finance a new Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) to ensure that research gets efficiently disseminated and adopted. This includes marketing, awareness, publications and developing a knowledge management database.

Animal Health Strategic Investment

This includes activities aimed at providing Ontario with improved methods to address an animal health crisis:

• new tests for emerging diseases
• baseline surveillance for the early detection of emerging hazards
• development and testing of emergency and business continuity plans for the Animal Health Laboratory.

Ontario Veterinary College

New veterinary public health/large animal initiatives including:

• placing graduates in new areas including veterinary public health and zoonotic diseases (which can be transmitted between animals and humans)
• new initiatives to address the need for large animal veterinarians in remote areas.
  

For more information contact:

Kelly Synnott, Minister's Office, 416-326-6439
Brent Ross, Communications Branch, 416-326-9342