On Friday, June 12, Niagara College was pleased to welcome Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Trevor Jones, and MPP Sam Oosterhof to the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The visitors were greeted by Dr. Marc Nantel, Vice President, Research and Innovation, and Mabel Watt, Director of Government Relations, before touring the College’s Teaching Greenhouse and Nursery and the Horticultural and Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC).
From L to R: MPP Sam Oosterhof, Mabel Watt, Director, Government Relations, James Boesch, Associate Dean, School of Environment and Horticulture, Dr. Marc Nantel, Vice President, Research and Innovation, Minister Trevor Jones and David DiPietro, Manager, Business Development.
During their visit, Minister Jones and MPP Oosterhof met with members of NC’s HESIC and greenhouse operations teams, including Scott Golem, Associate Director, Horticultural and Environmental Sciences Innovation; David DiPietro, Manager, Business Development; James Boesch, Associate Dean, School of Environment and Horticulture; Matt Orr, Manager, Grounds and Greenhouse Operations; Ashley Paling, Research Lead, HESIC; and Rita Sterne, Technical Sales Manager, HESIC.
The tour highlighted NC’s leadership in applied research and innovation within the horticultural and environmental sectors. Discussions focused on the College’s role in preparing the workforce of tomorrow while supporting small and medium sized businesses across Ontario through industry-driven research, innovation, and training.
The visit provided an opportunity to showcase the College’s state-of-the-art facilities and demonstrate the impact of its research and education initiatives on Ontario’s agri-food and environmental sectors.
