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Department of Bioresource Engineering welcomes astronaut David Saint-Jacques

admin — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 13:32:07 +0000

The Department of Bioresource Engineering (BREE) enjoyed a visit last month from David Saint-Jacques, astronaut and Deputy Director, Lunar Exploration at the Canadian Space Agency, and BREE graduate Chris Patterson. They met with BREE undergrad and grad students who presented their projects, highlighting links between their research and bioregenerative life support system goals for extended space missions on the lunar surface and beyond in the near future.

Pascal Thériault on U.S. tariffs impact on Canada's dairy industry

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:24:33 +0000

In a recent article, CBC News spoke to several experts who say U.S. tariffs on Canadian dairy products would have little effect on Canada's protectionist system.

The director of ɬ�﷬'s Farm Management and Technology Program agrees that these tariffs would have a "somewhat limited" impact on industry.

IGA and Metro slow to comply with new price display law—comments from Pascal Thériault

admin — Tue, 27 May 2025 19:59:37 +0000

In the IGA and Metro grocery stores visited this week by Le Journal de Montréal, the price per pound of discounted products appeared on signage, but the regular price per pound was still not indicated, contrary to a new regulation that came into effect on May 7 which requires that grocers to "indicate a single unit of measurement for all goods of the same type." This rule aims to allow consumers to easily compare prices.

Rendering: The devil is in the details

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:06:51 +0000

A Sanimax animal rendering plant in Montreal's east end has drawn complaints from residents for years, largely centering on odors coming from the facility. Recently, an agreement reached between the company and the City of Montreal to address the issue by retrofitting the factory seems to have fallen apart.

How artificial food dyes are regulated in Canada

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:56:19 +0000

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to phase out some food dyes, most of which remain allowed in Canada. CBC News spoke to experts about the safety of these dyes and how they are regulated in Canada.

Local goods shop is filling the grocery gap in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue—comments from Prof. Daiva Nielsen

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:35:43 +0000

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., residents have a new spot to do their groceries. After the suburb's only grocery store closed for the second time, B Factory, a locally owned beeswax products shop that had been on the verge of bankruptcy, expanded its space to include a small grocery section called Mon Marché Local.

Are you paying more than before to buy Canadian? Experts say it's complicated

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:20:05 +0000

Some items from quintessentially Canadian brands have jumped in price at a Loblaws in Toronto, CBC News reports.

According to CBC's analysis of grocery products labelled as Canadian, while most products remained the same price and about two per cent decreased in price, the regular price of hundreds of products have increased since governments put out the call to buy food made in Canada. Some are from iconic Canadian brands, including Tim Hortons, St-Hubert, Swiss Chalet, and Chapman's.

Quebec adopts new code to regulate 'forever chemicals' in biosolids—comments from Prof. Grant Clark

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:38:28 +0000

The presence and concentration of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," in fertilizing residual materials will be monitored under new standards in Quebec through a management code, according to Quebec's Environment Ministry.

Quebec's code on the management of fertilizing residual materials such as sewage sludge, also known as biosolids—which come from treating municipal or industrial wastewater—will take effect Nov. 1.

The code takes into account a total of 13 types of substances and includes monitoring guidelines.

Decades after peregrines came back from the brink, a new threat emerges—comments from Prof. David Bird

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 19:43:34 +0000

After DDT use nearly wiped out peregrine falcons in the 20th century, numbers are collapsing again in many countries, the Guardian reports.

Though scientists have yet to determine a definite cause, many—including ɬ�﷬ Professor Emeritus David Bird, who formerly led the University's Avian Science and Conservation Centre—think highly pathogenic bird flu may be largely to blame.

Bridging worlds as the ice recedes

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:55:31 +0000

ɬ�﷬ PhD candidate Alexandra Langwieder works with James Bay Indigenous communities to better understand polar bears

Prof. Emeritus David Bird on wild turkey sightings in Montreal

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 18:47:24 +0000

Wild turkey sightings in Montreal are on the rise, Global News reports.

Experts told them wild turkey populations in southern Quebec have steadily climbed over the past two decades due to warming temperatures.

This has raised concern that predators could be following close behind.

Professor Treena Wasonti:io Delormier to chair expert panel on Indigenous science and food sovereignty

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:58:33 +0000

The Canadian Council of Academics (CCA) has formed an expert panel to examine how Indigenous science can be supported to advance policy and governance in a way that achieves reciprocal benefits for all people in Canada. Using food sovereignty as a case study, the panel will develop a framework that can be applied across a range of policy issues.

Nobody knows why this snowy owl is orange—David Bird weighs in

admin — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:39:43 +0000

An orange tinted snowy owl in Michigan has baffled scientists with its orange colouring, CBC News reports. Experts say it could be a genetic mutation, an accident, or human mischief.

Ornithologist and Professor Emeritus at ɬ�﷬, David Bird, expressed some doubts about the strange colouration being caused by genetics.

Rising mercury levels in Arctic wildlife—Prof. Nil Basu comments on new Aarhus University study

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:11:42 +0000

A new study, led by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, suggests that levels of mercury in Arctic wildlife could continue to rise significantly even as countries curb their emissions. The researchers' analysis indicates that ocean currents are distributing large, century-old stores of mercury through marine ecosystems in the Arctic.

Large predators end up ingesting the most mercury through their diet of contaminated prey. This poses a serious problem for communities that hunt marine mammals with high concentrations of mercury, like seals.

Canada invests in ɬ�﷬ project to protect Lake Simcoe

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 19:55:52 +0000

The Government of Canada recently announced an investment of over $1 million in three freshwater projects for the protection of Lake Simcoe, including $412,700 to ɬ�﷬ to demonstrate and evaluate best management practices to reduce phosphorus runoff from urban and agricultural sources in the Lake Simcoe watershed and to engage the community through outreach and events.