Articles by author: Brock University

• Brock expert says Niagara grapevines well-poised for fruitful growing season as erratic weather approaches

  Thursday, March 20, 2025 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY – March 20, 2025 – R0038

  With the first day of spring officially here and temperatures already hovering around 20 C this week, Niagara grape growers will be keeping a close eye on the temperature swings predicted in the weather forecast.

  Brock University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Jim Willwerth says that grapevines in the region have overwintered well.

  Growers’ attentions have now turned, he says, to being mindful of spring’s warmer daytime temperatures which can threaten the cold tolerance those vines built up during the winter dormancy period.

  That’s because large fluctuations, like those expected this week, can also increase the threat of injury to buds, he says.

  “Right now, our vines are staying winter hardy, the risk is that if we start getting very warm daytime temperatures in March, they might then lose hardiness quite rapidly,” says Willwerth.

  Willwerth’s research conducted with Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) focuses on climate change and vine resiliency.

  “This year we were pretty consistent with the cold, and it hasn’t been very extreme,” he says, noting temperatures only dropped into the -15 C to -20 C range for a few short stretches during January and February.

  This contrasts with what happened in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley over the past two winters, where unusually extreme and prolonged temperatures in the -30 C range devastated grape crops in 2023 and 2024.

  Willwerth says vines are presently entering a period known as “deacclimation,” where warmer temperatures will cause the hardiness of the buds to drop.

  Just as consistently cold weather in winter is good, says Willwerth, consistently warm daytime temps in early spring can be harmful, confusing vines into thinking it is time to prepare for budding.

  If that happens, buds can lose their tolerance to cold, increasing the risk of damage in the event temperatures drop as they are expected to this week.

  CCOVI research, says Willwerth, indicates that Niagara’s core varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Cabernet Franc have overwintered, as have other varieties with less winter hardiness such as Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

  And with the movement to buy local products swelling, he says consumers can look forward to robust and healthy Canadian choices on store shelves, both now and in the years to come.

   

  Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Jim Willwerth is available for media interviews on this topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock gains Canada Research Chair in Social Psychology of Aging

  Thursday, March 20, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – March 20, 2025 – R0037

  Family and friends who provide long-term care for older adults face many challenges, including widespread perceptions on how they should, or shouldn’t, care for their loved ones.

  This internalized public perception of caregiving — and a lack of awareness about caregivers’ experiences — may impact how older adults are cared for, says Larissa Zwar, Brock University’s new Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Social Psychology of Aging.

  “Informal caregiving is still a very invisible area,” says the Assistant Professor of Psychology. “I hope by shedding more light on the perception of caregiving and its connection with caregivers’ and care recipients’ experiences, decision-making and well-being, we can provide better support programs for them.”

  Zwar was among 179 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs announced March 13 by then-Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne. Her award brings the number of active Canada Research Chairs at Brock to 13.

  “Ensuring the health and well-being of older adults, and those who care for them, is a growing priority as our population ages,” says Acting Vice-President, Research Michelle McGinn.

  “It’s gratifying to see the Canada Research Chairs Program recognize Dr. Zwar’s scholarship, which will have significant impact on the ways we care for the caregivers.”

  As a CRC, Zwar will be pursuing her research on how different forms of stigma impact informal long-term care for older adults.

  Zwar defines care-related stigma as the stereotypes, attitudes and discrimination people encounter — either from society, their families or their own beliefs — as they care for older adults.

  She says her research aims to better understand how stigma associated with informal long-term care for older adults contributes to caregivers’ and care recipients’ risk, resilience and decision-making about caregiving.

  “Understanding these mechanisms is essential to support caregivers’ well-being and ability to access and integrate support,” says Zwar. “These findings will help us to develop care concepts that are sustainable and sensitive to these beliefs and different needs.”

  Her research will explore how care-related stigma intersects with other forms of prejudice, such as racism, ageism and sexism, to influence how much caregivers rely on outside help and how it relates to the often-reported stress and guilt experienced by caregivers, says Zwar.

  “Some people think, ‘I should restrict my hobbies and free time so that I can spend more time providing care,’” says Zwar. “Caregivers don’t really put these stereotypes into words, but in conversation with them, it becomes clear that they have an idea of what they believe they should do, and that they often feel like they’re not fulfilling those criteria.”

  Zwar’s work also looks at the experiences of caregivers who are themselves older adults, and on other systematically marginalized and minoritized groups.

  “Dr. Zwar’s research is particularly relevant for the Niagara region, where almost one-quarter of our population is over the age of 65 years,” says Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre.

  “It’s vital we give older adults the best and most compassionate care possible when they need it,” he says.

  Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, says those who provide informal long-term care for older adults are often overlooked or misunderstood.

  “Through Dr. Zwar’s work, we’ll better understand the experience of caregivers, which can lead to supports for them and their families,” he says.

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases