Home : Media Centre : News Releases : 2006
For Release
June 27, 2006
Government of Canada strenghthens food and wine sector
Vancouver, British Columbia – Today marks the opening of the new research laboratories in the renamed Food, Nutrition and Health Building at the University of British Columbia (UBC). With an investment totalling $690,000 from Western Economic Diversification Canada, these laboratories will help expand research capacity into the fields of wine, food and nutritional sciences.
“Strengthening our research capabilities in food sciences will enable our food and wine industries to compete in a new global economy,” said Russ Hiebert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence on behalf of the Honourable Carol Skelton, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification. “These new laboratories will ensure Canadian researchers are on the cutting edge of food, wine and nutrition research while helping to improve the health of all Canadians.”
Western Economic Diversification Canada provided investments for two projects with the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems, including new state-of-the-art research equipment for the Wine Research Centre and the Food, Nutrition and Health Program.
“Through our Trek 2010 vision strategy, UBC is committed to conducting outstanding research that will serve people in B.C. and around the world,” said Dr. John Hepburn, Vice-President, Research, UBC. “By bringing our food and wine research groups together into one building, we are able to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations between our researchers”.
“We are doing leading-edge research that is relevant to the food and wine industries,” said Murray Isman, Dean, Faculty of Land and Food Systems. “Some of our research has the ability to impact preventative healthcare and will produce innovative products that will help people improve their lifestyles.”
The Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC is a leader in integrated research and education that addresses global issues surrounding health and sustainable land and food systems. The Faculty uses student-centred learning to educate new generations of scientists equipped to research human health and solve fundamental issues faced by industry, consumers and society
Western Economic Diversification Canada is the federal department mandated to support economic diversification in communities across Western Canada.
For additional information, contact:
Fiona MacLeod Jennifer Honeybourn |
Jinny Wu |
WD Toll-Free Number:
1 888 338-WEST (9378) |
Backgrounder
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
The Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has received $200,000 to acquire new research equipment for their Food Processing Lab and Analytical Facilities. The new equipment will expand the research activities of the Faculty, help attract industry clients and high-calibre researchers, and increase the capacity to train more students.
The UBC Faculty of Agricultural Sciences recently expanded to include the Family & Nutritional Sciences programs and is now called the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Within that faculty, is the Food, Nutrition and Health Program (FNH) that includes the newly integrated Food Sciences, Wine Research Centre, Nutrition, and Dietetics groups. The FNH offers five undergraduate Majors (Nutritional Sciences, Food Sciences, Dietetics, Food Market analysis and a Double Major in Food and Nutritional Science) and has started a new course-based, professional Master of Food Science degree.
Wine Research Centre
The Wine Research Centre received $490,000 for a full renovation to their laboratories and wine library. The Wine Research Centre is part of the University of British Columbia’s program to acquire, interpret and utilize genomic information to support bio-products and technologies.
The Wine Research Centre’s mission is to conduct pioneering research in enology and viticulture. The Centre will develop highly qualified researchers with relevant scientific expertise and enterprise who will promote the technological advancement of the wine industry throughout Canada.
According to the B.C. Wine Institute, over 8.4 million litres of
wine was produced in 2005 from 133 wineries across British Columbia.
B.C. had more than $133 million in sales from B.C. Vintage Quality
Alliance Wines (VAQ). Canadian wineries employ more than 3,000 people
each year (from Statistics Canada Annual Survey of Manufacturers).