The
CleanBC Industry Fund is investing $25 million in carbon tax revenue, supporting 26 fossil fuel alternative projects, in three streams: emissions performance, innovation acceleration, and project feasibility studies. Projects include the replacement of propane-powered lift trucks with electric trucks at
Kruger Products L.P. in Queensborough (provincial funding amount: $43,750), and replacing a natural gas-fired broiler with waste-heat exchangers on compressors at the
Tourmaline Oil Corporation gas processing facility (provincial funding amount: $2.65 million).
Government of British ColumbiaMeanwhile, eight universities in British Columbia have received $30 million to support 120 post-secondary research projects through the
BC Knowledge Development Fund. The universities receiving funding include
Simon Fraser University, the
University of British Columbia, the
University of British Columbia-Okanagan, the
University of Northern British Columbia,
Kwantlen Polytechnic University,
Langara College,
Vancouver Island University and the
University of Victoria. Projects supported will include genomic and metabolic solutions for B.C. agriculture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and studies on healthy brain development in pre-term infants at the University of British Columbia.
Government of British Columbia
The
University of Guelph’s
Turfgrass Institute (GTI) celebrated its 35-year anniversary with the opening of the
GM Frost Research and Information Centre, which includes 14 research plots to study pesticide use, grass species, varieties and seeding methods, sports field construction, and disease and weed control. The funding was provided largely by the
Government of Ontario through the
Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.
UGuelphCOLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS
Climate solutions accelerator
Climate Ventures (Toronto) has merged into a partnership between
Social Innovation Canada (formerly the
Centre for Social Innovation), and
Foresight Canada. This collaboration will run
Earth Tech and
Accelerate from Anywhere flagship programs through those organizations, rather than under the Climate Ventures brand.
Climate VenturesA new college dedicated to the study of leadership, the
Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement, will open in 2024 at
McMaster University, thanks to a $50-million donation by former Chancellor Lynton “Red” Wilson. The centre will include learning and research collaborations such as policy hackathons, civic engagement opportunities through internships, and placements in community-focused organizations. It will also create the Wilson Chair in Leadership and Civic Studies, which will lead a team of researchers and visiting fellows from the public and private sectors.
McMasterQuebec artificial intelligence (AI) research institute
Mila is partnering with
Intel Corporation on a three-year strategic research and innovation collaboration to apply machine learning in climate science, disease research, and drug discovery.
MilaThe
University of Alberta has launched a new lab and endowed chair in asthma and obstructive lung disease, supported by a gift from
AstraZeneca. The AstraZeneca Canada Inc. Chair in Asthma and Obstructive Lung Disease will be held by Dr. Paul Forsythe, who will set up the lab and research team to carry out the study.
U of A
The University of Toronto Scarborough has launched a lab to research and address health disparities faced by the Black community in Toronto, with a particular focus on access to primary health care. The Black Health Equity Lab, directed by Dr. Notisha Massaquoi, will design solutions for health disparities and operate in partnership with Scarborough’s TAIBU Community Health Centre. U of T
Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, North America’s only Indigenous-led and owned venture capital intermediary, has launched Raven Fund II, its second fund, with an initial close of $46 million and a target size of $75 million. Investors include
BDC Capital,
Farm Credit Canada, the
TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good,
Vancity, and
Bank of America.
BDC
Carbon credit project investor and finance company
Invert (Ottawa) has raised $25 million in equity financing, providing it with capital to expand its carbon credit streaming portfolio and continue developing its recently launched app. Investors include lead strategic investor
Altius Minerals (Newfoundland and Labrador). Invert recently announced purchase and streaming agreements with
Aperam Steel, Brazil's largest steelmaker, and
BC Biocarbon, for high-quality carbon removal credits (CORCS) derived from biochar.
Invert
Ideon Technologies (Richmond, B.C) has raised $21 million in Series A financing to help address the critical mineral supply shortage. The round was led by
Playground Global (Palo Alto), with support from undisclosed existing investors and Ideon employees. Ideon’s other investors include the
University of British Columbia Seed Fund, which participated in the company’s
$1.3 million July 2020 seed round.
Betakit
REPORTS
A fact sheet on global R&D spending by the
U.S. Congressional Research Service finds that Canada ranks 11th out of 20 countries for spending on R&D. Other key report findings show the U.S. share of global R&D expenditures has fallen 40% since 1960 to about 31% of global spending while China's share has grown from 5% in 1960 to almost 25%, second only to the U.S. Since 2000, total global R&D expenditures have more than tripled in current dollars, from US $675 billion to US $2.4 trillion in 2020.
Congressional Research Service Fact SheetThe Canadian Foundation for Animal-Assisted Support Services has published Canada’s first voluntary national standards for animal-assisted human services. The standards outline the requirements for developing a management system for an animal-assisted human service provider (AAHSP) and aims to increase transparency and accountability of the delivery; establish requirements and best practices for administration and governance, and promote a voluntary, third-party conformity assessment program to cultivate a credibility chain. HRI Portal
A review of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol by the Institute for Sustainable Finance (Smith School of Business, Queen's University) and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada says the protocol, which is the most commonly used standard by companies measuring and reporting their GHG emissions, requires clearer directions for emissions measurement and disclosure. The report finds that the corporate standard is not prescriptive enough and requires significant application guidance, while the development process is not fully transparent and needs review. ISF
THE GRAPEVINE
Dr. John Moores is the new
science advisor to Canadian Space Agency President
Lisa Campbell. Moores, director of the
Technologies for Exo-Planetary Science NSERC CREATE program, replaces
Dr. Sarah Gallagher of Western University, who was the first science advisor to Campbell and was appointed in September 2018. Among other duties, Moores will advise the president and collaborate with the members of the CSA executive committee to promote science priorities for the Canadian space program.
GOC-CSA
Former senior mineral economist and battery mineral advisor at the Ontario Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
Aleem Ladak has been hired by Tesla to work in government policy for critical minerals and supply chain. Ladak joined Tesla in August from the Ontario ministry, ahead of Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry
François-Philippe Champagne's recent visit to Tesla’s car factory in Fremont, California to discuss the feasibility of building a Tesla battery gigafactory in Canada.
Electric Autonomy Tesla OracleDr. Adrian Le has been appointed chief medical officer of regenerative medicine and orthobiologics business
Regenerative Medicine Institute of Canada. Le currently serves as the president and chair of the Canadian Board of Orthobiologics and Regenerative Medicine (CBORM), a not-for-profit dedicated to advancing the use of orthobiologics and regenerative medicine therapies in clinical practice. CBORM and Le will lead the creation and maintenance of a national data registry on patient outcomes for orthobiologics in
Canada. RMIC physicians and clinics will participate in the registry to further develop evidence-based medicine in orthobiologics.
Newswire
Dr. Peter Nickerson is the new dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and dean of the Max Rady College of Medicine, as well as vice-provost (health sciences) at the University of Manitoba. Nickerson is a physician and researcher in the field of organ transplantation.
University of Manitoba
