Media releases

• Brock, Niagara Parks to strengthen community impact through renewed partnership

  Tuesday, April 30, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: April 30 2024 – R0058

  Brock University and the Niagara Parks Commission are growing their connection — with the preservation and enhancement of local landscapes in mind each step of the way.

  The two organizations built on their longstanding history of collaboration Monday, April 29 by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides a renewed focus for the partnership.

  An agency of the Government of Ontario, Niagara Parks is responsible for preserving and promoting the natural beauty and cultural heritage along the Niagara River, including managing parks and gardens, historical sites, recreational features and attractions. It is one of the oldest conservation authorities in North America, established in 1885 to preserve the area amidst growing industrialization and commercialization.

  With a significant focus on environmental and cultural conservation, Niagara Parks works to protect and restore natural habitats, promote sustainable practices and preserve historical sites and buildings of cultural significance, all while growing tourism in Niagara and the province of Ontario.

  Throughout their rich history of collaboration, Brock and Niagara Parks have achieved remarkable milestones together. From groundbreaking research endeavours to immersive service-learning experiences, the partnership has left an indelible mark on both organizations and the communities they serve.

  Expanding on this relationship to include more opportunities for students and different types of research will yield valuable insights that will impact the Niagara region for years to come, said Lesley Rigg, Brock President and Vice-Chancellor.

  “We could not be prouder of the work that has come from our ongoing partnership with Niagara Parks and look forward to all that will be accomplished with this renewed focus now in place,” Rigg said. “It is by working together that we will continue to grow the life and vitality of our community, including Niagara’s breathtaking landscapes.”

  The history of collaboration between Brock and Niagara Parks dates back far before the signing of their first official MOU in 2018. The original memorandum included projects with Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC).

  The partnership has since flourished, producing a multitude of impactful projects and initiatives aimed at advancing environmental stewardship, sustainability research and experiential education.

  “Building on the incredible work in the field of environmental science that resulted from the 2018 MOU, we look forward to seeing this partnership grow to include other areas of study and continue to provide numerous mutual benefits for both of our organizations,” said Niagara Parks Vice-Chair Graham Coveney.

  At the core of the new MOU lies a commitment to formalize and fortify the institutional bond between Brock and the NPC. This agreement paves the way for an ambitious agenda of collaborative endeavours encompassing research, education and service.

  Central to the MOU’s activities are several pioneering projects spearheaded by Brock University faculty members:

  • Associate Professor Julia Baird, from Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, will lead efforts to build connectedness to nature and transform water governance through individual interventions.
  • Associate Professor David Goldblum and Professor Michael Pisaric, from the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, will investigate the response of trees to current and future climate conditions, shedding light on vital ecological dynamics.
  • Associate Professor Elizabeth Vlossak from the Faculty of Humanities will oversee experiential service-learning projects aimed at enhancing site interpretation and asset creation.

  These projects not only enrich the academic experience of students but also contribute to the preservation and promotion of the natural and cultural heritage of the Niagara region.

  In addition, the partnership will continue to serve as a platform for meaningful dialogue and engagement with Indigenous communities to foster a deeper understanding of their cultural ties to the environment and amplify their voices in discussions surrounding climate resilience and environmental justice.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University mstdenis@brocku.ca or 905-246-0256 

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  Categories: Media releases

• Ontario awards Brock $3.5M for sustainable agriculture research farm

  Monday, April 29, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: April 29 2024 – R0056

  The Ontario government has awarded Brock $3.5 million for a national sustainable agricultural project that will see the University’s innovative grape and wine research expand into other areas of the agricultural sector.

  Funding from the Ontario Research Fund – Large Infrastructure Fund program supports the three-part Clean Agriculture for Sustainable Production (CASP) Field Infrastructure project. Central to the project is the Brock-led research farm where scientists from Brock, other institutions and industry will develop and test out agricultural innovations.

  Co-leading the multi-institutional initiative are Principal Scientist Sudarsana Poojari and Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Jim Willwerth (PhD ’11, OEVC ’04), who are both with Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI).

  “The Ontario government has recognized the time is now to be proactive in building resiliency and sustainability into Ontario’s $5.5-billion grape and wine industry by supporting this university-industry partnership,” says CCOVI Director and core scientist Debbie Inglis.

  Brock held a small ceremony Friday, April 26 at the site of the future research farm — on Merrittville Highway south of the University’s main campus — to celebrate the Ontario funding, which was announced last month by Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop. The Ontario grant matches a $3.5-million commitment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

  “Ontario’s grape and wine sector supports critical rural economic development, both in Niagara and across the province,” says Sam Oosterhoff, Member of Provincial Parliament for Niagara West. “This provincial funding for Brock University through the Ontario Research Fund will help support sustainable local farm practices and establish a home for Canada’s first Clean Plant Program for grapevines at the University’s new research farm.”

  The Clean Plant Program, which is the initial phase of the CASP project, builds on initiatives — including the national grapevine germplasm repository, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency partnership CLEANSED, and the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN) partnership — where CCOVI and a wide variety of partners work together to produce certified virus-free grapevines for the grape and wine industry.

  Poojari says Canada needs close to 6.2 million clean grapevines each year, and at present is reliant on imports, which is not ideal given high transport costs, time constraints and supply chain issues.

  “Growers are the ones who suffer because of the delays in getting the plant material. They need varieties more suitable to our soil and climate conditions,” says Poojari. “We need to be depending on ourselves rather than on other countries.”

  He notes most of Canada’s nurseries are concentrated in Ontario.

  The second phase of the CASP project, Precision Agriculture and Ecological Interactions, examines how these clean grapevines interact with other plants and organisms. Understanding plant interactions in field and greenhouse ecosystems aims to enable the selection of more resilient crops and increase agricultural diversification.

  Willwerth says a large part of Ontario’s horticulture sector includes grape and tender fruit.

  “We are focusing on clean grapevines, but our research outputs pertaining to sustainable agriculture will be applicable to many other crops grown in Ontario,” he says. “This will help build Ontario’s food security, resiliency to threats like climate change, pests and diseases while increasing biodiversity in our agroecosystems.”

  In the third phase of the project, Urban Applications, the research farm will become a test bed for integrating innovative approaches into an urban setting.

  In addition to Poojari, Willwerth and Inglis, a number of Brock researchers will be involved in the project’s various stages, including Professor of Biological Sciences Liette Vasseur, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Kiyoko Gotanda, Assistant Professor of Engineering Shengrong Bu, Assistant Professor of Engineering and Biological Sciences Alonzo Zavafer and Professor of Biological Sciences Ping Liang.

  The team also includes national collaborators Simone Castellarin from the University of British Columbia and Caroline Provost from Centre de recherche agroalimentaire de Mirabel in Quebec.

  The April 26 event follows on the heels of Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Lisa Thompson’s visit to Brock earlier in this month.

  Thompson met with Poojari and other CCOVI members to learn about the contributions Brock researchers are making to the province’s agricultural sector.

  The visit also included a meeting with Brock President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg at which Rigg shared insight into the future of the research farm.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University mstdenis@brocku.ca or 905-246-0256

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  Categories: Media releases