Parliamentarians see first-hand how research builds communities
OTTAWA, ONTARIO — Research touches our lives every day. That was the message of Research Builds Our Communities, an event held yesterday in Ottawa to celebrate the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s 20th anniversary. The event was hosted by Member of Parliament Lloyd Longfield and CFI President and CEO Gilles Patry. More than 100 guests attended, including researchers and community members, Senators, Members of Parliament, political staff and research funding leaders.
Western University professor of psychology, Victoria Esses, spoke passionately about the importance of research to improving the immigration system in Canada. CFI President and CEO Gilles Patry also delivered a speech, quipping that we were all brought together on Valentine’s Day through a shared love of research. He spoke about the bold vision that established the Canada Foundation for Innovation two decades ago, and noted that the ultimate measure of the CFI’s success is the impact the research we fund has on the quality of life of Canadians. MP Longfield was represented by MP Greg Fergus, who highlighted the seven stories of communities that have benefited from research showcased last night.
The event helped mark the 20th anniversary of the CFI, which was created through the Federal Budget on February 18, 1997.
Click the links below to read more of the stories featured at the event.
Vancouver, B.C.
University of British Columbia – Research builds my healing community
Kristin Campbell, Director, Clinical Exercise Physiology Laboratory
Sharon Shum, cancer survivor
Calgary, Alta.
University of Calgary – Research builds our urban community
Ed McCauley, Vice-President (Research) and founding partner for the Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA) facility
Wolf Keller, founding ACWA partner from the City of Calgary
Saskatoon, Sask.
University of Saskatchewan – Research builds my agriculture community
Andrew Van Kessel, Professor and Head, Department of Animal and Poultry Science
Jack Ford, Saskatchewan dairy farmer
Ottawa, Ont.
University of Ottawa/Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) – Research builds my children’s community
Kym Boycott, Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute
Samantha and Sienna Knapp, mother and daughter from Kingston, Ont.
London, Ont.
Western University – Research builds my Canadian community
Victoria Esses, Professor, Department of Psychology
Valerian Marochko, Executive Director, Cross Cultural Learner Centre
Quebec City, Que.
Université Laval – Research builds my farming community
Jean Caron, Professor, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Simon Bonin, Crop advisor, Fruits d’Or
Halifax, N.S.
Dalhousie University – Research builds my business community
Sara Iverson, Professor, Department of Biology, Scientific Director for Ocean
Tracking Network
Franziska Broell, Co-founder, Maritime BioLoggers