Media releases

  • Tickets selling fast for Ontario’s biggest VQA celebration

    MEDIA RELEASE: 19 March 2018 – R00057

    The wines have been chosen and Ontario’s top winemakers are ready to pour their favourites this Friday, March 23 at the 30th annual Cuvée Grand Tasting.

    Organized by Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), the Cuvée Grand Tasting takes place at Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls and is expected to be another sold-out affair. The event is the largest celebration of VQA wine of its kind, and highlights the $4.4-billion Ontario wine industry.

    “We’ll have 48 of Ontario’s best and brightest VQA wineries on hand this year pouring two of their winemakers’ favourite wines for our guests to enjoy,” said Cuvée manager Barb Tatarnic. “Local chefs will also be serving our guests a variety of tantalizing culinary options that are sure to excite every palate as we celebrate this 30-year milestone.”

    As well as providing the opportunity to showcase VQA wines to consumers, Cuvée also provides future grape growers and winemakers the chance to interact directly with key industry players.

    Proceeds from the event support the Cuvée Legacy Fund, which was established to fund industry-driven research initiatives and scholarships for students. The event generated more than $37,000 for the fund in 2017 alone.

    “Winning the Graduate Scholarship last year was a tremendous honour and the recognition amongst elite contributors to the wine industry was quite surreal,” said Brock PhD candidate Jennifer Kelly, a beneficiary of the Cuvée Legacy Fund. “It’s such a fun event and offers a unique opportunity for students to access people they may otherwise never have a chance to meet. It also allows everyone to connect with industry friends who are rarely all in one place.”

    Champions in the province’s wine industry will also be showcased at the event, including the first-ever Winemaker of Excellence award. The winner will be announced live before the evening’s popular Après Cuvée begins. Guests are then invited to dance the rest of the evening away to live music from local band The Associates, as well as sample Icewine, sparkling wine, cider and local craft beer selections.

    The Cuvée en Route passport program will extend the wine celebration all weekend long running from March 23 to 25 at participating wineries across Niagara. A complete list of participating wineries at the Grand Tasting and en Route can be found at cuvee.ca

    Tickets, which include both the Friday night Grand Tasting and the en Route passport are available online at cuvee.ca/tickets for $200 per person. Tickets for the en Route passport only are $30.

    For those attending the Grand Tasting, a free shuttle service will be available to bring guests from the Scotiabank Convention Centre parking lot right to the front doors.

    NOTE: Media interested in attending Cuvée Friday are asked to RSVP as soon as possible to Media Relations Officer Dan Dakin below.

    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 steps up efforts to address St. Patrick’s Day problems

    MEDIA RELEASE: 13 March 2018 – R00056

    Brock University officials and student leaders are working with local mayors, residents and Niagara Regional Police in reminding students to be responsible neighbours this weekend when participating in St. Patrick’s Day festivities. 

    Brock is launching numerous initiatives to educate students on the importance of civil respect, including distributing “good neighbour kits” to students, conducting neighbourhood visits to student houses, and mounting aggressive social media and poster campaigns focused on responsible partying, bylaw information, safe drinking and consent.

    Looking beyond prevention, Brock will also help pay for expanded police presence in St. Catharines and Thorold neighbourhoods this weekend, to deploy officers to help address large gatherings before they become a threat to property or safety.

    University President Gervan Fearon is helping lead the charge, writing a letter to students urging them to be respectful and constructive to their host communities, and acknowledging the possibility of consequences for Brock students who run afoul of the law.

    The University has reached an agreement with municipalities and Niagara Regional Police that enables Brock’s own Campus Security officers to patrol off-campus neighbourhoods to alert police or bylaw enforcement officials for early identification and intervention of any student-related problems. This new initiative represents Brock taking action to support strong, positive university-community relations involving students living in neighbourhoods across the region. 

    The Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) is also taking steps to promote responsible behaviour. Its President Faisal Hejazi will be posting a video asking students to exercise good judgment, and this Saturday, March 17, BUSU will start the day by giving students a free pancake breakfast. During the day, BUSU will serve free pizza, water and Gatorade in its student pub Isaac’s, and the pub will close at 5 p.m. 

    Measures being taken to mitigate problems include:

    • Brock staff asking landlords of properties that have been the source of past problems, to direct their tenants to adhere to safe, responsible celebrations.
    • Brock will pay for seven extra Niagara Regional Police officers to assist in neighbourhood patrols on Saturday.
    • Alternative and alcohol education events have been taking place on campus for students.
    • Continuing a new neighbourhood relations protocol that was launched in November, staff from the University’s office of Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations are visiting student rental properties that have been the source of complaints or disturbances.
    • University staff from various administrative departments will be working special shifts through the weekend, checking phone messages, emails and social media from community residents, and reporting student-related problems to Brock officials or to police.

    In his letter to students, President Fearon acknowledged that “the contributions and achievements made by many can be overshadowed by the actions of even a few,” adding, “I ask that you be a member of the Brock team in your own way, finding opportunities to add to and live up to these values of respectfully engaging and conducting activities in neighbourhoods where you live.”

    “It is important for you to know that we have engaged with mayors across the region and with the Niagara Regional Police, so that Brock Security Services is able to patrol off-campus neighbourhoods and report on activities that may violate bylaws or warrant police action. This is being done to help protect the rights of our neighbours, and to encourage students to make safe choices if they choose to celebrate.

    “Please know that where infractions do take place, we at Brock will consider all of our options under the Student Code of Conduct, and officials across the region will also explore their range of options, including municipal, provincial and federal laws.”

    Community residents wanting to report concerns can contact Brock Campus Security at  905-688-5550 x3200 or security@brocku.ca 

     

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    • Maryanne Firth, Writer/Editor, Brock University maryanne.firth@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x4420

    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