Articles by author: ddakin

  • Brock expert calls Ontario cannabis sales plan a ‘very good start’

    Monday, September 11, 2017 | By

    EXPERT ADVISORY: 11 September 2017 – R00159

    A Brock University Health Sciences professor says the Ontario government’s cautious rollout of legalized cannabis sales is a reasonable move to walk the tightrope of a politically contentious issue.

    Department of Health Sciences Associate Professor Dan Malleck, an expert on Canadian drug and alcohol policy and history, says Ontario’s plan to create a cannabis control board and open up to 60 stores in the first year “reflects the politics of the situation.

    “Governments want to err on the side of caution when they’re dealing with something as historically socially fraught as cannabis,” he says. “Provincial governments are in a tough place because they need to balance social fears about access to cannabis with the problems of black market sales. And they also need to follow legislation and recommendations initiated by the federal government.”

    Malleck says that while the cautious approach makes sense, it could make controlling the substance more challenging.

    “Without a good number of access points, it may be difficult to undercut the so-called black market,” he says, adding that it would have been easier to sell cannabis in existing LCBO stores.

    However, the professor also acknowledges that the Ontario government’s announcement Friday — some 10 months ahead of the July 1, 2018 federal legalization date — is a “very good start.

    “Having the current liquor control board infrastructure manage distribution is also a good thing. Ontario having a plan in place can provide a good example for other provinces,” he says.

    Malleck is available for interviews.

     

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

    Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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    Categories: Media releases

  • Brock scientists helping growers closely track ripening grapes

    Thursday, September 07, 2017 | By

    MEDIA RELEASE: 7 September 2017 – R00155

    As harvest season quickly approaches, Niagara’s grape growers and winemakers are keeping a steady eye on the grapes ripening in their vineyards. They can now also turn to scientists at Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) to help them make informed harvest decisions.

    Every week from now until harvest, CCOVI’s annual preharvest monitoring program will track key indicators of ripeness at four different vineyard sites in the Niagara Peninsula. At those sites, CCOVI viticulturist Jim Willwerth and CCOVI oenologist Belinda Kemp will be sampling grape clusters from five core Ontario varieties: Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

    After the samples are selected, key ripeness indicators such as brix (sugar levels), titratable acidity, pH levels and volatile acidity (a measure of fruit integrity) are then measured by CCOVI’s Analytical Services department.

    Willwerth said while this season was not as hot or dry as previous years, “we are on track for some of the similar vintages of 2013 and 2014 — which provided some fantastic cool-climate wines with great character and regional identity.

    “Although it’s been a challenging year with the wetter weather, the size and health of the crop looks very good — a testament to how our growers have been managing this weather and the delayed maturation.”

    Willwerth says the preharvest monitoring program, which has been running since 2010, provides data that is “an integral part of the industry’s decision-making process.”

    The collected data is available to the industry through an interactive website, providing users with insight into how different grape varieties are responding to the current growing season. It also provides the ability to compare harvests from different areas in the region from year-to-year.

    Interest in the program goes well beyond Canada. Last year alone, more than 1,900 users in 17 countries went online to follow CCOVI’s monitoring of the Niagara harvest.

    Beamsville grape grower Ed Hughes said comparing different harvests helps him track the progress of his own crop and make predictions about what’s ahead.

    “Is my crop as it should be? Am I ahead or behind?” the 2011 Grape King explained. “I can also look back at similar years’ harvests to help me make assumptions on this year’s possibilities, and also look at possible areas of improvement for the next year.”

    Richie Roberts, winemaker at Fielding Estate Winery in Lincoln, calls the program a “time-saving tool, when time is more valuable than ever.” With a later harvest date expected this year, he said the CCOVI program “will be even more useful to help monitor progress in different parts of Niagara.”

    Sampling for the preharvest monitoring program will take place every week and the data will be posted online at ccovi.ca/preharvest every Tuesday until harvest.
    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

    Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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    Categories: Media releases

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