Governments Strengthening Agriculture and Food Sector in Northern Ontario
From left to right, Dr. Tarlok Sahota, LUARS Director; Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead's Vice-President, Research and Innovation; Dr. Gillian Siddall, Lakehead's President and Vice-Chancellor; and Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay - Atikokan participated in the announcement on Friday, Nov. 24 in the CASES building at Lakehead University.
November 24, 2023
THUNDER BAY – The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.65 million over five years to support research programming, knowledge transfer and the operations and management of the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS).
This multi-year funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) will help improve the viability and yield of crops in Northern Ontario, develop and diversify the agricultural industry, and position it for continued growth.
“Supporting agricultural research and innovation is vitally important,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment at the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station underscores our shared commitment to advancing Northern Ontario’s agricultural sector, and will help grow, and diversify, the province’s agricultural industry.”
“This $1.65 million dollar investment will greatly benefit LUARS as it particularly focuses on enhancing the agricultural sector's viability and growth in Northern Ontario. It supports research in critical areas such as soil health, environmental sustainability, and climate change, reflecting our government’s strong commitment to advancing agricultural science and innovation,” said Marcus Powlowski, MP for Thunder Bay - Rainy River.
The research will focus on areas such as best management practices for Northern agriculture, soil health, environmental sustainability, and climate change, as well as research and knowledge co-developed with Indigenous researchers and communities.
“Agriculture in the North is growing, and the research at LUARS is becoming increasingly important as farmers expand their operations in the region,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “By investing in agricultural research in the North, we are working towards the goals of our Grow Ontario Strategy by promoting this province as a leader in agri-food technology and increasing production and consumption of locally grown food.”
“I am pleased to see the investment in the Lakehead Agricultural Research Station through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan.
“Our local farmers and consumers will benefit from the innovative and best practices developed specifically for Northern Ontario through this funding.”
Sustainable CAP is a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5 billion investment by federal‐provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, food, and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
QUICK FACTS
• Supporting continued and targeted investments in science, research and innovation to address key challenges and opportunities in the agriculture and food sector is among the priorities set for Sustainable CAP by the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers in The Guelph Statement.
• Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS), located in the city of Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario, was founded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in 1991.
• Funding for LUARS is being provided through the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO).
• ARIO owns 14 research properties across Ontario. Research centres are an important platform for conducting agri-food research, which supports the competitiveness and sustainability of the agriculture and food sector.
QUOTES
“The Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario is pleased to support Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station to advance agriculture research for area farmers and enhance the strength and viability of the agri-food sector in Northern Ontario. The Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station serves as a continued example of how research stations across the province are integral to enabling innovative and high impact research for the province of Ontario.” — Dr. Lorne Hepworth, Chair, Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.
“Lakehead University welcomes the continued financial support from the province and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario to operate our Agricultural Research Station. The research and extension services this station provides to the local farming community and agri-businesses are vital to the economy and continued growth of the agricultural sector in Northwestern Ontario.” — Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice President, Research and Innovation, Lakehead University.