Ontario Pork AGM – Postponed until further notice

Mar 16, 2020

GUELPH – In light of ongoing concerns related to COVID-19 coronavirus, Ontario Pork has made the decision to postpone its annual general meeting, scheduled for March 24 and 25, 2020 in Guelph, Ontario.

The decision to postpone was made out of an abundance of caution, based on information provided by public health officials and a growing number of travel restrictions affecting some members of our industry.

Hotel reservations made with the Delta in Guelph as part of the Ontario Pork event will be automatically cancelled.

We will continue to monitor the situation, and provide an update on a rescheduled date as soon as it can be confirmed.

COVID-19 and Ontario’s swine industry

At this point, public health officials advise that COVID-19 presents a low risk to most Canadians, and we are not anticipating a significant impact on the extended swine industry. We will continue to monitor the situation and will work with partners across the industry to manage any potential disruption.

Source : Ontario Pork

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.