Contact II 2009 - Kemptville Campus - University of Guelph

Spring 2009 

ALUMNI 

WEEKEND 

AUG. 28-30, 2009 

Registration 

form on page 69 

Pro Bono Agri Colae 

For the Good 

of Agriculture 

Official 

publication 

of the Kemptville 

College Alumni 

food • life • leadership 

l’alimentation • la vie • le savior 

3626490 

Kemptville College, University of Guelph, Kemptville, Ontario, K0G 1J0 www.kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca

INDEX 

3 Fundraising Campaign 

4 Dairy Education & Demonstration Facility 

9 Our Students 

16 College Royal 

18 Staff Updates 

28 On Campus 

35 Canada Day 

38 On Campus 

49 Research 

53 KC Foundation 

56 In Memoriams 

57 Alumni Notes 

64 Alumni Profile 

69 Alumni Reunion Registration Form 

70 2008 Alumni Reunion 

CONTACT II 

The place to find information about other 

Kemptville College alumni. 

Keep up-to-date on college events and 

changes. 

Check out our easy-to-read 

magazine format. 

Advertise your business 

and reap the rewards: 

Full page - $250 

Half page - $150 

Quarter page - $75 

Business card - $25 

Contact: 

Treasurer Doug Dulmage 

ddulmage@xplornet.com 

Volume 30 Spring 2009 

CONTACT II is published by the Kemptville 

College Alumni and Kemptville Campus 

of University of Guelph 

“Over 4,000 destinations” 

Editor: 

Heather Stewart 

Contributors: 

Alumni and Staff 

Heather Stewart 

613-258-8336, Ext. 61379 

Published by the Winchester Press 

• 2 •

An opportunity, 

a challenge 

Dear Alumnus, 

Kemptville Campus of the University of Guelph is building a state-of-the-art Dairy Education and Demonstration 

Facility, the preliminary stage of a multi-phase redevelopment project for the campus. The new dairy 

facility involves the renovation of a former bull test station, in addition to the acquisition of a voluntary milking 

system incorporating computer and robotic technology. The project cost is estimated at $750,000. 

In this era where governments mandate that colleges and universities must raise a portion of the cost of 

capital projects for growth, expansion and improvement, Kemptville Campus faces the considerable challenge 

of developing a culture of contributing amongst its alumni, its partners and the community. In fact, 

the campus is hoping that alumni embrace this challenge and become a champion of this and future 

fundraising campaigns to help support the education and research that will ensure the college continues 

to play a key role in education, agriculture and agri-business in Eastern Ontario. 

In an effort to develop a coordinated and inclusive approach to fundraising, Kemptville Campus has established 

a Fundraising Committee to initiate a Fundraising Plan and Campaign. The Committee consists of representatives 

from the Kemptville Campus Alumni Association, the Kemptville College Foundation, and staff 

from University of Guelph Kemptville Campus and the University of Guelph Ontario Agricultural College. 

To date, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) has committed the funds required for the barn 

renovation that is well underway. The Kemptville Campus Fundraising Committee is appealing now to the 

alumni, partners, patrons, friends and community members who contribute to and benefit from dairy research 

and training initiatives to help raise $360,000 to acquire the robotic milking system for the renovated barn. 

This is an exciting opportunity for Kemptville Campus. The support of alumni will be critical in this campaign, 

and we hope that as a member of the alumni, this progressive initiative instills a feeling of pride. 

Selected prospective donors will be contacted in person, however a personal approach to all grads is 

beyond the capabilities of the alumni association. If you would like more information, have questions, or 

would like to send or discuss a tax-deductible donation, please contact either of the alumni representatives 

on the Fundraising Committee: 

Mac Johnston 

Robert Byvelds 

Year ‘68 Year ‘88 

613-231-3320 613-535-2360 

macjohnston@rogers.com 

rdbyveld@magma.ca 

Thank you 

Message from the Ontario Agricultural College Dean Robert J. Gordon 

The Dairy Education and Demonstration 

Facility at Kemptville is recognized as 

a major element of a strategic initiative by 

OMAFRA and the University of Guelph. 

Through Vision 2050 we hope to provide 

the blueprint for animal production education 

and research for the next several 

decades. It is hoped that the education 

and demonstration facility at Kemptville 

will fully complement any potential dairy 

infrastructure that is established for 

research purposes at Elora. 

The facility is a central feature of 

Kemptville’s strategic plan, and key to its 

long-term success. The collaborative 

fundraising campaign by OAC staff at 

Kemptville and Guelph, the Kemptville 

Alumni and Kemptville’s Foundation are 

important in terms of this valuable project 

moving ahead. 

Robert J. Gordon 

Dean 

OAC 

• 3 •

KEMPTVILLE CAMPUS 

Kemptville Campus State-of-the-Art Dairy Education & Demonstration Facility 

The Evolution of the Dairy Industry - 

a new era of robotics emerges 

Dairy farming in Canada has evolved over the past two 

centuries through three distinct, yet overlapping phases: 

domestic enterprise, farm mechanization and technological 

integration. The processing of milk, butter, and 

cheese moved from farm to factory, and 

the dairy farmer became a specialized fluid 

milk producer who formed part of an integrated, 

regulated industry, producing a 

wide variety of milk-based food products 

for domestic and export markets. 

Four technological and scientific innovations 

adapted from Europe and the 

United States were important in this 

transformation: the cream separator, the 

Babcock Test, the milking machine, and 

bulk handling of fluid milk. A new era of 

technological advancement is upon us, and it will have an 

equally profound impact on dairy. It is the digital age of 

computers, robots and automated milking systems, or 

“robotic milkers.” 

Robotic Milkers 

Case for Support 

Since the late 1980s, the number of dairy farmers and 

dairy cows in Canada has steadily declined, yet milk 

production levels have increased. This is due in large 

part to higher per-cow production levels. Although the average 

Canadian dairy herd consists of 60 cows, some farmers 

have much larger operations, involving a highly labour-intensive 

production process. A solution adopted by some dairy 

farmers is the robotic milker. 

Robot experts claim 

that today, robots 

are where personal 

computers were 

in1980. 

The robotic milker works on the principle that when a 

cow’s udder is full, she will voluntarily come in to get 

milked. Upon entering the unit, she is identified by her collar, 

while a laser senses the location of her teats, and cleans 

them and the udder before beginning the milking process. 

As she is milked, the milk is scanned for abnormalities. 

Feed is offered within the robot to keep the cow’s interest 

and once milking is completed, the cow exits the milking 

enclosure. The identification collar on the cow’s neck 

allows the computer within the robotic milker to track her 

production, sending readings to a computer elsewhere on 

the farm. As the system also records how often she comes in 

to be milked, the farmer can supplement her rations to stimulate 

increased production, in some instances leading to a 

third or fourth daily milking. 

The Challenge 

The number of farms using automatic 

milking systems has grown from the first 

installation in the Netherlands in 1992 to 

more than 8,000 milking units on more 

than 2,400 farms in 2007. The vast majority 

of these farms are in northwestern 

Europe, with the Netherlands having the 

largest installed base and Scandinavia 

showing the fastest growth rate in the past 

few years. Now, virtually every dairy 

research facility in Europe operates with a 

robotic milker. 

It is predicted that in the next 10 years, most dairy farms in 

Canada will have a robot. And yet, there are approximately 

only 150 farms with robotic milking systems in Canada, 

out of a possible 13,621 dairy operations across the country. 

There is currently no Canadian institution carrying out 

research with a robotic milker, or training students with this 

advanced technology. 

Without research and educational support applied to 

local conditions and economies, adoption of this new technology 

will be slow and the competitiveness of the Canadian 

dairy industry will suffer. Larger producers will introduce 

robotics sooner, and will lead with greater efficiencies. 

Smaller dairy operations may not invest in the new technology 

and fail to adapt to changing economies of scale. The 

industry will become even more concentrated, less diverse 

and less competitive. 

Robotic milking technology has taken off in Europe. It is not unusual to head into a quaint 

dairy barn in Germany and find a robotic milker taking care of a 60-cow milking herd. 

These dairy farmers have embraced the technology as a way to ease the milking regimen 

that saddles small dairy operations. 

• 4 •

A NEW ERA 

The Opportunity 

Kemptville Campus will be the 

first education institution in 

Canada to have a robotic milking 

system, creating a unique opportunity 

for students and researchers. This 

will set Kemptville Campus apart in 

terms of providing technologically 

advanced equipment and setting a new 

standard in dairy teaching and research 

capacities. 

Kemptville’s research resources have recently been 

enhanced with the recruitment of one of Canada’s most 

promising dairy researchers from the University of British 

Columbia – Dr. Trevor DeVries. 

Veterinarian Phil Bourke 

predicts that in the next 

10 years, most dairy 

farms in Canada will 

have a robot. 

(CBC News) 

Trevor’s current projects include: 

• Investigating whether management of feeding practices for 

growing replacement dairy heifers will influence their 

feeding and diet selection behaviour and the learning of 

this behaviour over time. The knowledge gained from this 

research will provide valuable insight about how to best 

manage the feeding of these animals to improve efficiency, 

growth, health and welfare, both in the present and as 

they become part of the lactating herd. 

• Understanding what factors, including those nutritional, 

management, and housing, influence diet selection behaviour 

in lactating dairy cows. This research is being done in 

effort to reduce the negative impacts of this behaviour, 

including promoting rumen health and improving dietary 

efficiency. 

• Evaluating how standing/lying behaviour relates to the 

udder health of lactating dairy cows, including those milking 

in conventional systems, as well as 

those milking in robotic milking systems. 

This research will shed light on how the 

risk of intramammary infection can be 

reduced through changes in management 

which may influence the behavioural patterns 

of dairy cows milking in both conventional 

and robotic milking systems. 

Under Trevor’s direction, graduate 

students are being invited to Kemptville 

to increase the breadth and scope of 

research conducted and to contribute to 

dairy industry innovation. And furthermore, 

plans are under way to expand Kemptville research 

capacity through a new laboratory. Canadian research granting 

bodies are attracted to this new initiative, and grant applications 

are pending. 

Dr. DeVries completed his 

Ph.D. in 2006 at University of 

British Columbia. The focus of 

his PhD research was on 

improvement of feed bunk management 

and design for lactating 

dairy cows. He was a post-doctoral 

researcher with Agriculture 

and Agri-Food Canada for one 

year, working on research related 

to feed sorting and its interaction 

with feeding management and 

acidosis. In 2007 he was appointed 

as Assistant Professor in the 

Dr. Trevor DeVries 

Department of Animal and Poultry 

Science at the University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus. 

Trevor’s research focus continues to be on understanding 

the links between dairy cow behaviour, nutrition, health 

and welfare. 

In terms of enhanced research opportunities through the 

new dairy facility, a robotic system at Kemptville Campus 

will facilitate research into mastitis as it relates to production 

equipment and management techniques - how the incidence 

of mastitis can be reduced in herds with automatic milking 

equipment. In addition, the equipment for electronic detection 

of mastitis within milking robots is more sensitive now 

than in the past, and our dairy education and research facility 

can help students and industry learn how to use the new technology 

more effectively. 

Furthermore, the unique capabilities enabled by the robotic 

facility will complement and encourage collaboration with 

existing initiatives within the University of Guelph and its 

regional campuses — Guelph’s dairy research facility at 

Elora and Alfred’s organic dairy program. 

The Benefits 

Technological advancement and improvements are 

inevitable, and agriculture practices must maintain 

pace with the opportunities that arise for improved production 

practices. 

Kemptville’s future in dairy education depends upon 

establishing the state-of-the-art facility and the acquisition 

of automated equipment such as the robotic milker. Without 

the right equipment, our dairy research team cannot help 

farmers adopt this new technology, nor can we fulfill our 

mandate to bring educators, researchers and students to the 

cutting edge of technology and education for successful 

technology transfer. 

Kemptville Campus aims to have the state-of-the-art 

Dairy Education and Demonstration Facility, including the 

robotic milker, up and running by September 2009. To date, 

the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) has 

committed the funds required for the barn renovation. 

• 5 •


Current Facility: 

• 30 cow herd (full capacity) 

• Tie-stall barn 

• Manual (transportable) milker 

• Bulk Tank (at capacity) 

• Manual clean-up 

• Manual data recording 

• 1926 architecture 

• Spatial danger/difficulties 

The Impact: Animal Health & Welfare, Education & Research 

Tie to Free-Stall Housing 

Herd management technology encompasses the simultaneous 

study of animal-environment-management interactions, 

nutrition and decision support systems to 

enhance productivity. Free-stall housing, as an example of herd 

management technology, is becoming more common within the 

dairy industry in Canada and worldwide. Free-stall housing at 

Kemptville Campus will therefore give educators, researchers 

and students a facility that is in accordance with industry trends, 

corresponding to the latest in herd management technology. 

Giving cows freedom of movement 24 hours a day is closer 

to the natural environment of the animals. The new facility 

will allow for increased research activity as animal observations 

will be more accurate in terms of getting a more reliable 

picture of natural animal behaviour, and likewise, welfare. 

Animals will be studied collectively as a herd and for 

individual assessment within the herd. Students will be able 

to observe best practices in animal care. 

Manual to Voluntary Milking 

In the current facility, cows are milked twice daily in individual 

stalls by barn personnel using a manual system 

where a transportable milker has to be moved from one 

cow to the next. This process is both time consuming and a 

disruption to the animal’s natural behaviour. Automated 

equipment is considered to be less invasive to cows and 

encourages more natural behaviour. 

• 6 • 

Cows are animals that easily establish a routine and it is 

expected that they will transfer from the manual (involuntary) 

milking routine set by the barn personnel to the voluntary 

milking system with minimal disruption. Kemptville 

Campus researchers will study the effects of the robotic milking 

system, in terms of how the less invasive habitat will 

encourage cows to make their own milking schedules, by 

entering the robot freely and milking more frequently. More 

frequent milking will result in better teat and udder health 

and, potentially, an increase in milk production. Research 

will also concentrate on instances of mastitis and mastitis 

management as related to robotic milk production. 

Voluntary Milking Process 

The cow walks freely into the unit that scans and 

identifies the cow. The unit prepares the equipment 

to the particulars of the identified cow, beginning 

with an udder preparation procedure* that cleanses the 

udder and each teat before the cow moves through the 

milking process. 

*Note: While sanitation and hygiene are standard procedure 

in milking, it is a subjective process, contingent upon the 

individual actions of barn personnel. The robotic milking system 

incorporates a scanning and cleaning mechanism 

catered to each individual cow as identified by its collar. 

The built-in computer software monitors milk flow, testing 

the milk for quality and contamination, while identifying any 

animal health issues through milk quantity, quality and weight.

A NEW ERA 

Since the robotic milker archives the data collected, it is able 

to detect abnormalities in the milk of an individual animal for 

better disease detection. It is also able to distribute supplements 

during the milking process as programmed by the operator. 

After teat cup removal, the unit performs a post-milking 

teat cleansing. There is also a built-in alert system to notify the 

dairy personnel if any malfunction in the equipment occurs. 

This alert can be sent to the personnel’s cell phone, for example. 

To further help keep cows content and to reduce stress, the 

animals can be fed while undergoing the milking process. 

Automated Manure Scraper 

The installation of an automatic manure scraper will 

help improve sanitation within the barn and the 

hygiene of the cows. Furthermore, as mentioned previously, 

automated equipment is preferred over manual 

equipment because it is less invasive to the animals. Any disturbance 

by equipment and/or people will cause stress to 

cows, especially when there are fluctuations in the routine 

caused by the distinct actions of individual personnel. 

Insulation and Ventilation 

Modifications to barn 16 will also include the installation 

of modern insulation and ventilation features 

for optimal air flow in summer and heat retention in 

Proposed Facility: 

• 60 cow herd 

• Free-stall housing 

• Robotic Milking System 

• Larger bulk tank 

• Automatic manure scraper 

• Real-time live-feed data display 

(record, manipulate, archive) 

• Contemporary architecture/design 

• Space to expand/develop 

winter. These features will keep the animals at a comfortable 

temperature and prevent the accumulation of stagnant air. 

Doubling Herd Size 

The current facility’s architecture limits herd size to 30 

cows. The new facility will allow Kemptville Campus 

to double its herd size to 60 cows, which is closer to 

the current industry average. Data collected and research conducted 

on the 60-cow herd will be comparable and therefore 

more relevant and applicable to the dairy industry at large. 

From an education and demonstration perspective, a larger 

herd will give students greater access to individual animals 

when performing procedures and studying certain animal features. 

It will also be easier to monitor individual animal behaviour, 

health and welfare in comparison to the rest of the herd. 

• 7 •


With a larger herd, there will be more homogenous groups 

for studying within a given time frame of lactation. Having 

access to cows at each stage of lactation simultaneously 

enables more accurate readings of averages and variances 

among the herd and, over time, thereby enhancing education 

and research capabilities. 

A larger herd size will give Kemptville Campus the capacity 

to conduct research more efficiently and effectively, 

reaching research goals earlier, anticipating and responding 

to changing industry needs better and being in a position to 

work towards the next innovation in dairy production and 

herd management. 

Summary of Impact 

Free stall housing, in combination with an automated 

scraper and robotic (voluntary) milking system lends 

itself to more routine behaviour of the cows, and therefore 

provides more accurate data and consistent readings for 

educators, researchers and students. 

This project will provide Kemptville Campus with a stateof-the-art 

dairy facility and align its education and demonstration 

with innovation in the industry, bringing unique 

research and collaborative opportunities. 

Case for Support 

The state-of-the-art Dairy Education and Demonstration 

Facility project is the culmination of recommendations 

made by the Canadian Council of Animal Care, 

the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, 

Dairy Farmers of Ontario, and the first-hand experience of 

the Kemptville Campus educators, researchers and students. 

Currently, the Kemptville Campus dairy barn is limited 

by its 1926 architecture. While the campus has made the 

most of this facility, it has limited capacity in terms of education, 

research and animal health and welfare, and can no 

longer meet the current needs of the Canadian dairy industry. 

As such, this project is critical to allow Kemptville 

Campus to continue its commitment to academic excellence 

and research innovation. 

The state-of-the-art Dairy Education and 

Demonstration Facility will: 

• provide the dairy industry with an education and demonstration 

facility that can serve as a model for others in technological 

advancement and as a critical enabler for technology 

transfer to students and industry 

• bring Kemptville Campus to the leading edge of dairy 

technology by being the first institute of its kind in Canada to 

have a robotic milking system 

• surpass current industry standards in design and functionality 

• maintain a level of flexibility to adapt to future developments 

in dairy production and herd management technology 

- support and develop innovative approaches to problems 

encountered by the industry 

• integrate the Canadian Council of Animal Care’s recommendations 

for improved housing, providing an immediate 

solution to current animal care issues, and present opportunities 

to demonstrate best practices appropriate to the 21st century 

• Facilitate and promote innovative dairy research, providing 

opportunities for research collaboration on local, national 

and international levels 

Conclusion 

The project cost is estimated at $750,000 and involves 

the renovation of a former bull test station and the 

acquisition of a volunteer (robotic) milking system. 

To date, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario 

(ARIO) has committed funds towards the renovation and 

facility upgrades and the barn renovation is well under way. 

Your investment will contribute towards the purchase of a 

robotic milking system and thusly support the development 

of core education, extension and research programs here at 

Kemptville Campus. The new dairy facility will allow 

Kemptville Campus to continue to advance dairy education 

and research in alignment with industry innovation and 

advancement. 

For further information regarding this initiative – partnerships, sponsorships and donations, 

please feel free to contact the following: 

Dr. Renée Bergeron Patricia Remillard Colin Carson 

Interim Director Manager of Cost-Recovery President, KCFoundation 

613-258-8336 ext.61448 613-258-8336 ext.61418 613-258-8336 ext. 61413 

rbergeron@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca premilla@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca Info@kcf.ca 

Bill Curnoe Mac Johnston Robert Byvelds 

Vice President, KC Foundation KC Alumni Association KC Alumni Association 

613-258-8336 ext. 61413 613-231-3320 613-535-2360 

Info@kcf.ca macjohnston@rogers.com rdbyveld@magma.ca 

• 8 •

OUR STUDENTS 

Kemptville Campus students win $19,400 in OAC Fall Awards Ceremonies 

Amy MacQueen 

with Director 

Goss and Shelly 

Byrne. 

Millenium 

Excellence 

Award 

Amy MacQueen won the Millennium Excellence Scholarship 

Award, recognizing her academic excellence and 

active citizenship in her senior diploma year. She was presented 

with a certificate and $4000 cheque from Director Dr. 

Michael Goss and Awards Chair Shelly Byrne. Amy is now a 

graduate of the Agriculture - Equine Option Diploma Program. 

Rebecca Balsdon 

Congratulations 

to the following 

students who 

have won Bursaries 

and Scholarships in 

competition with our 

sister campuses. 

Some students traveled 

to the OAC 

Awards Presentations 

in late November at 

Guelph. 

Justin Brennan 

Alex Bouwman 

Jacob Droogh 

Andrew Lockie Laura Maahs Michael Martin 

Curtis Miller 

Jennifer Papworth 

Mike Stephens Doug Skinner Evelyn Turner 

• 9 • 

Cameron Wilson

OUR STUDENTS 

Sara Schrier receives 2008 OMAFRA Minister’s Leadership Award 

The Kemptville Campus Awards Committee 

congratulated Sarah Noreen 

Schrier as the 2008 recipient of the 

OMAFRA Minister’s Leadership Award 

representing U of G, Kemptville Campus. 

Sarah graduated in May 2008 from the 

two year “Food, Nutrition & Risk Management” 

diploma program. An engraved 

trophy and cheque were presented to 

Sarah for her accomplishments. 

Sara Schrier 

Sarah was raised in small town Alma, 

about 30 minutes north of Guelph 

with her parents, twin brother and 

younger brother. 

Throughout high school Sarah was 

always extremely interested in science and 

living a healthy lifestyle. When it came to decide her 

future, she chose the Food, Nutrition and Risk Management 

course at University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus, 

hoping that it would point her in the direction she wanted 

to go! 

Since Kemptville was a little distance from Guelph, 

Sarah was nervous about the big move. But the moment 

she arrived at the campus she was forced to meet people, 

and was so thankful for the Orientation Week experience. 

This made her realize what a friendly and safe atmosphere 

Kemptville Campus is. 

Throughout Sarah’s junior year, she quickly realized 

that she had a love for Nutrition. Around Christmas, Sarah 

was chosen to be the Food, Nutrition and Risk Management 

Junior class representative on Student Council, 

Leadership Committee and Foods Club. In Sarah’s second 

year at the Campus she was chosen to be the Food, Nutrition 

and Risk Management Senior class 

representative. In this role she was an 

active member of Student Council, Leadership 

Committee and Foods Club Treasurer. 

On Student Council she was the Food 

Rep for the current and future events of 

Kemptville Campus, lending her advice to 

any problems and activities being planned. 

As a member of the Leadership Committee 

she played a part in solving on-campus 

problems and advising the director of the 

committee’s decisions. 

As Foods Club Treasurer, she helped 

plan and manage a student pub once a 

semester, and perform local fundraising, 

always being food based. As a 19-year old 

senior, Sarah worked at the Bell Hall front 

desk, as well as at the campus library. She was also 

involved in the PASS program as a tutor for her fellow students. 

Sarah was a member of the College Bowling Team 

and competed at the Ontario Provincial Agricultural College 

Games in her Junior and Senior year. In her fourth 

semester she won the “People Choice Award” for the best 

Food Demonstration in the Food and Nutrition Program’s 

Product Development class. {see Contact II 2008} 

Sarah’s two years at Kemptville Campus in the Food, 

Nutrition and Risk Management Diploma Program also 

helped her decide to pursue a career as a Registered Dietician. 

So, beginning last September she was a student at St. 

Francis Xavier in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, where she 

studies the Human Nutrition program. Sarah’s eagerness, 

work ethic and pleasant and friendly personality will not 

be forgotten by the staff and her fellow students at 

Kemptville Campus. 

Presenters Ms. Pat Burton (left) and Mrs. Barbara (Burton) 

Newman and Justin Holeksa, absent Dr. John Burton. 

New W. Ernest & Margaret Burton 

Memorial Scholarship 

The new W. Ernest and Margaret Burton Memorial Scholarship 

was presented in October 2008 to Justin Holeksa, Sr. 

Agriculture Diploma student. 

Dr. John Burton, along with his sisters, Barbra Burton Newman 

and Patricia Burton, have established a $500 scholarship in 

memory of their parents to diploma students entering the second 

year of the Agriculture program with a minimum 70% average. 

Selection is based on participation in community based activities 

such as 4-H or other major community organizations, while 

preference given to students who have demonstrated leadership 

within the student body during the first year of the program. 

Congratulations to Justin! 

• 10 •

OUR STUDENTS 

IDA Team: Karen Beatty, Roxanne Gervais, Prof. Katrina Merkies, Kim Appleton and 

Vicky Thivierge. 

Intercollegiate Dressage Team making strides 

By Katrina Merkies – coach 

This year saw an increased 

interest in dressage as a 

number of students tried 

out for the Intercollegiate Dressage 

team. Six girls travelled to 

eight shows in Massachusetts, 

Vermont and Connecticut to represent 

the University of Guelph 

Kemptville Campus. Intercollegiate 

competition is unique in that 

riders do not have to bring their 

own horses, but instead ride horses 

provided by the host college. 

Horses are determined by a draw, 

and riders have ten minutes to 

warm up their horses before 

showing in front of a judge. A 

dressage team consists of four 

riders, each riding a different test, 

with the top three scores from a 

team counting toward team placings. 

The Kemptville Campus 

team was well represented by Vicky 

Thivierge (BBRM), Roxanne Gervais 

(BBRM), Karen Beatty (AEO), 

Natasha Gibson (AEO), Kim Appleton 

(AEO) and Ali Carpenter (AEO), with 

the team placing in the top six in every 

competition, including two reserve 

champion placings. Year-end regional 

standings landed the team in fourth 

place overall, with Vicky Thivierge 

Vicky Thivierge reaches for national 

championship. 

placing third as an individual in her 

division. Vicky narrowly missed moving 

on to the national championships, 

as there was a three-way tie for second 

place in her division, but only the top 

two move on to nationals. 

We look forward to seeing more 

dressage riders join the team next year 

for more exciting competition and 

great road trips! 

Evelyn Turner, 

Horticulture Diploma 

Graduate ‘09, 

wins local bursary 

Congratulations to Evelyn 

Turner who was awarded 

the Student Bursary from 

President Pat Kiteley of the 

Kemptville Horticultural Society. 

Funds for this annual bursary are 

raised through the “Bud to Bloom” 

annual Garden 

Tour organized by 

Nora de Vette. 

Recognition 

was published in 

the Kemptville 

Advance Weekender 

in November 

2008. Good 

Evelyn Turner for you! 

Congratulations 

to Lukas Grant 

Lukas Grant, one of our 

Industrial Welding Fabrication 

students, was featured 

on CBC Radio March 26, 2009. 

Lukas is a singer/songwriter in his 

non-student life and has a demo 

CD that he is 

currently featuring. 

Lukas 

appeared at the 

Avant-Garde 

on this date 

and at Starbucks 

on Richmond 

Rd. at 

Stafford Rd., 

in Bells Corners 

the fol- 

Lukas Grant 

lowing night, on March 27th. 

Congratulations Lukas! 

• 11 •

OUR STUDENTS 

March Equine Madness 

By Dr Katrina Merkies, with contributions 

from BBRM students Briana Ewart, 

Roxanne Gervais, Tracy Gibbons, 

Christine O’Rielly, Kalina Rutledge, 

Brooke Schneider, and Vicky Thivierge 

March came in like a lion for BBRM 

Equine Management degree students. 

Liz Forbes, Judith McCartney 

and Helen MacGregor, instructors of 

the Equine Event Management course, officially 

declared March as “Equine Month”, 

giving the students an opportunity to organize 

and host a number of events both on and off campus. 

The month ‘kicked off’ with the College Royal horse show 

on March 6th and 7th, an annual student-run event. The Royal 

horse show showcased Kemptville campus riders who worked 

hard throughout the year to perfect their skills. There was a 

variety of English, Western and gaming classes, as well as the 

ever-popular horse and dog relay. Jumping classes featured 

the new class of 2012 BBRM jump, which celebrates ‘we 

recycle’ as part of environmental awareness on campus, and 

the class of 2011 BBRM Greenhawk jump. 

University of Guelph Kemptville Campus once again 

proved itself to be ahead of its competitive agricultural 

schools when it hosted its second annual Equine Career Night 

on Wednesday March 11th. The Career Night featured several 

well-known names in the equine industry. Hundreds of students 

came to listen to the wise words of Corlena Patterson, 

barn manager at Kemptville Campus; Susan Rutledge, equine 

nutrition representative; Lisa Richardson, marketing representative 

at Rideau Carleton Raceway; and Mary Shepard, 

representative for the American Paint Horse Association. Displays 

were also provided by the Canadian Thoroughbred 

Society and Lynda Cho, equine alternative therapist. 

The goal of the Equine Career Night 

is to educate the students and the community 

about employment possibilities 

in the equine industry, and to give students 

the opportunity to talk to the “big 

timers” and gain a better idea of where 

they wish to direct themselves once they 

have graduated. 

“It was extremely educational” said 

Miranda Amey, BBRM student. “The students 

were given an extraordinary opportunity”. 

“The career night was very inspirational,” 

Jill von Schilling, another BBRM 

student said. “I learned that there are 

many options out there for me and not to 

limit myself.” 

Gracious sponsorship by Horse World, 

the Canadian Thoroughbred Society and 

Greenhawk Harness and Equestrian Supplies 

provided raffle and door prizes 

including a grooming kit, a hat and scarf 

and a saddle pad. Special thanks to Liz Forbes and Helen 

MacGregor for all their assistance in this Career Night. 

On March 15th, over 150 enthusiastic students, staff, family 

and friends attended an evening of dinner and racing at the 

2nd annual Kemptville Campus Night at the Races at the 

Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa. Students worked closely 

with the Rideau Carleton Raceway marketing staff to 

organize a professional fundraising event featuring a prominent 

University of Guelph presence. Participants had the 

opportunity to be in the Winner’s Circle as well as sit in the 

pace car for a race. Evening highlights included a birthday celebration 

for Kemptville Campus Director, Dr. Michael Goss. 

Students of the organizing committee worked hard to fill 

the race card with local advertising and information regarding 

the new and exciting programs offered by the University, 

sold tickets among the community and promoted all aspects 

of this energizing night out. The University of Guelph 

Kemptville Campus would like to thank all involved for their 

support of the program, with a special thank you to Lisa 

Richardson from the Rideau Carleton Raceway. 

The following weekend two equine events ran concurrently: 

the first annual Medieval Festival in Kemptville and the 

Can-Am Equine Emporium. 

The Medieval Festival was held on 

March 14th from 10 am – 4 pm with over 

250 people attending throughout the day. 

Fun for the entire family included 

archery, sword fighting, hand combat, 

dancing, horse-riding demonstrations, 

medieval weapon displays, kids’ crafts 

and brass rubbings. Numerous campus 

personalities were disguised in medieval 

garb. 

Many thanks go to the various Cantons 

of the Society for Creative Anachronism 

(SCA) for their support and help. 

Equine students from the University of 

Guelph Kemptville Campus attended the 

Can-Am Equine Emporium in London, 

ON, to promote the campus’ equine programs. 

The students chosen to represent 

Kemptville Campus designed the information 

poster and pamphlets, managed 

the interactive display, and interacted 

• 12 •

OUR STUDENTS 

Sarah MacFarlane, Equine Option 

Diploma student, publishes 

in ‘The Horse’s Hoof ’ magazine 

with the public and prospective students to answer questions 

and explain the variety of equine programs offered at the 

Kemptville Campus, including the one-year certificate, the 

two-year diploma, the four-year degree, the riding certificates, 

and the opportunity to compete on the Intercollegiate 

Dressage Team or Intercollegiate Polo Team. 

The finale of equine events fell on a gorgeous spring 

weekend, allowing students to ride outside in the John Kersley 

clinic on March 28th and 29th. Kersley, an international 

competitor who has competed at well-known events such 

as the Badminton Horse Trials and World Championships, 

shared his wide knowledge to the eight eager participating 

students. With challenging exercises focusing on effectiveness 

of the seat, balance, straightness and collection, the riders 

learned to subtly control the horse’s movement and to 

better predict where every hoof lands. 

“John is an easy going and fun clinician which makes it 

easier for someone to learn from him” says Carleigh Simpson, 

BBRM student who rode her green Thoroughbred gelding, 

Dolce. “I learned so much in just one session, I would highly 

recommend his clinic to any rider interested in jumping”. 

Kemptville Campus hosts many clinics throughout the 

year to give students and the community the opportunity to 

sharpen their riding skills, in both the Western and English 

disciplines. On February 7-8, popular clinician Lyne Laforme 

gave a demonstration of great coaching when she held a 

Western clinic at Kemptville Campus. Laforme drew in 9 participants 

from in and outside of the school to improve their 

reining, western pleasure and horsemanship riding skills. 

“Lyne is so amazing,” BBRM student Stephanie Carr, 

who rode in the clinic, said. “It’s like she gets into your 

horse’s head within minutes of meeting him and knows 

exactly what he needs... it was just awesome.” 

Laforme is an Equine Canada Level 3 Coach in performance 

riding, and she has been coaching for 27 years as well as 

giving clinics for the past 10 years. She has given several clinics 

previously at Kemptville College, all of which were hits. 

The tradition of “Equine Month” will continue in future 

years, with exciting events lined up. Keep your eye on local 

newspapers for information on upcoming events, including 

the annual Balance in Motion Symposium in October. 

New publisher, 

Sarah MacFarlane of Equine 

Option Class 2010 

Sarah McFarlane’s 

article about her 

sister’s Champion 

Pole-bending horse and 

competitions within 

high-intensity sports, 

such as Barrel Racing, 

without horse shoes on 

the hooves was published 

in a prominent 

hoof care and hoof 

health magazine (focused 

on bare hooves) 

from the USA. See The 

Horse’s Hoof, Issue 34 

in Spring 2009, pages 

12 and 13, where Sarah 

writes, “the trim is crucial 

- the rolled hoof 

wall gives incredible 

traction on any type of 

footing.” The MacFarlane family operates a small private 

barn of 11 horses in Napanee where Sarah continues 

to provide hoof care after intensively studying several 

methods. 

The main audience of The Horse’s Hoof (www.thehorseshoof.com) 

is hoof care professionals, both ‘Natural 

Hoof care Practitioners [trimmers]’ and certified 

farriers alike. It has readers in the hoof care industry 

and horse owners from all over the US and Canada and 

publishes articles from big names in the hoof world 

such as Dr. Robert Bowker, Pete Ramey, Gene 

Ovnicek, and our own Canadian “guru”, Kate Romanenko. 

Needless to say, we are all very excited to have 

Sarah included! 

Sarah worked with editor Yvonne Welz to help prepare 

the article of two full colour pages, complete with 

pictures of the hooves, the horse and her sister competing 

at the national show where they won the Championships. 

This is her first published work in the equine 

journalism industry, yet hopefully just a bare beginning. 

Sarah adds, “And thanks very much to Heather 

Stewart for giving me ideas to fine-tune my “public” 

writing in Communications 1. The article is written 

with some slack for professionalism, but I think it will 

make for an interesting read nonetheless, as well as 

give it some character.” 

• 13 •

OUR STUDENTS 

KC Koyotes Polo Team up and running 

The Kemptville Koyotes are 

making history by becoming 

the first ever Canadian Intercollegiate 

Polo Team. The team practices 

three days a week and have 

attended/participated in clinics at the 

Augusta Polo Club. 

This six-member varsity polo team 

includes Alexandra Carpenter, Elyse 

Germain, Amy MacQueen, 

Christine O’Reilly, Jennifer 

Shumilak and Julia Vigeon. We 

are all very grateful to their 

coach, George Bezak, who not 

only trains the team and is the 

Club owner, but who also 

donated the use of his facility, 

horses and time. 

At the same time as those 

students who keep closer to the 

ground were doing us proud in 

the OPAC Games, the polo team 

were playing at Vassar College 

(NY) and Harvard University (Mass) 

then Skidmore College and back to 

Harvard. These test matches were part 

of their preparation and qualification 

to compete in the Intercollegiate 

Championships 

at Yale University. 

They are now looking 

for more competition 

closer to home as 

well. 

Our all female team 

appeared on the television 

Breakfast Show of 

A-Channel February 

9th, plus the Ottawa Citizen published 

a half-page article, ‘The sport of 

queens’ in the April 6th sports edition. 

Go KC Koyotes go! 

OPAC in Kemptville a great success 

By Brian Hill, Recreational Coordinator 

WOW, another great performance 

from our student athletes 

again during OPAC! 

This year’s games went without any 

problems and everyone had a great 

time! I think the 2009 edition of the 

games was the best yet and feedback 

from the other campuses was 100% 

positive! I can’t count the number of 

times throughout the weekend that I 

was complimented by visiting students 

& staff about how organized and fun 

our OPAC Winter Games were! That 

puts such a big smile on my face :o) 

We couldn’t have accomplished such 

a fantastic weekend without all of the 

amazing student and staff volunteers!!! 

There are far too many people to thank, 

but Helen MacGregor, Laura Tobin, Bill 

Graham, Bill Green, 

Shawn O’Callaghan, Nikki 

Dignard, Paul Sharpe, Neil 

Kennelly and Trevor 

DeVries are just some of 

the fantastic helpers who 

made OPAC such a success!!! 

Thank You, Thank 

You!!! I couldn’t have done 

it without any of you!!!! 

Also, a big thanks goes to 

Chartwells for keeping all 

of us fed and a delicious 

banquet meal! :o) 

Congratulations to everyone who 

competed in this year’s event!!! 

We look forward to next year’s 

OPAC games hosted by Ridgetown 

Campus! 

Let’s go Kemptville! 

• 14 • 

KC medal winning teams 

Ice Hockey: Gold 

Broomball: Gold 

Curling: Silver 

Soccer: Men - Gold 

Mixed - Gold 

Bowling: Men - Silver 

Mixed - Silver 

Floor Hockey: Gold & Silver 

Basketball: Gold 

Volleyball: Mixed - Silver 

Badminton: Singles Men - Gold 

Double Men - Gold 

Doubles Women - Silver 

Mixed Doubles - Silver 

Iwant to add my 

congratulations 

and thanks to all 

the students and staff 

members, especially 

Brian, who participated 

in making the 

games such a success. 

I visited most 

venues on Saturday, 

and was impressed 

by the standard of all 

the athletes and the 

great spirit demonstrated 

by all the team members and 

supporters. 

Another great effort by Team 

Kemptville! 

Thank you all 

Michael J. Goss

OUR STUDENTS 

Lianne Head, 

EMC Graduate, wins 

photographic awards 

Lianne Head was not only 

winner of the Friesian Association 

(FHANA) Keuring 

Photo Contest with Friesian Representative 

David Cryderman, she 

also has a prize photo featured in 

WHOA magazine’s April 2009 

issue, that will grace October’s 

WHOA cover issue. This great news 

for Lianne was received from the 

Ontario Equine Federation. 

“I have always loved taking pictures. Ever since I was 

little, I played around with my parents old film camera. It 

made my Mom frustrated because she was constantly 

spending money to develop photos and film. 

I still have yet to read the instruction manual for my 

SLR camera, which I received a year ago for Christmas 

to help the batter turnout of my photographs. I just have 

a good eye for creativity with good results. 

My photography 

First prize 

to Lianne 

Head for 

capturing 

the 

working 

mare 

being 

longlined 

in 

black 

and 

white. 

focuses on 

animals, nature, sports, scenery and 

portraits - although not posed. I try to keep shots as natural 

as possible. 

Although I have had a couple of breaks by winning 

contests and people requesting my services, I still have a 

lot to learn. 

Coming back to Kemptville for the two-year Equine 

Option Diploma, maybe I will focus on a photography 

club or special course. This summer, if I find the time, I 

would love to take a couple of night courses to develop 

more skills in this profession.” 

Left: 

Lianne and 

‘Goodtimes’. 

Right: 

Lianne’s 

cover photo 

of WHOA 

magazine. 

• 15 •

COLLEGE ROYAL 

Breakfast, a Royal affair. 

Highlights included a Calf Sale (above) 

and a tour of the Greenhouses (left). 

College Royal events included the Hockey 

Tournament (above), the Horse Show 

(right) and the Beef Show (below). 

Dean Gordon with College Royal King Len 

Callaghan and Queen Kaylin Burns. 

Staff Advisors Theo 

Hunter and Tim Rennie. 

• 16 •

COLLEGE ROYAL 

The expertly manned Alumni Table. 

College Royal President 

Justin Williams with Colin 

Carson. 

KCF Table (above). College 

Royal Committee takes a 

well-earned break (right). 

First Year thoughts 

By Jared Rommens 

Hey ‘ya’ll’, I am a first year student in the BBRM 

program at the Kemptville Campus. Right now 

I’m living in Rorke hall and also spend a fair bit 

of time in Bell with friends. I met a few of my friends 

at the new student orientation this summer and have 

made many more; some of whom live close by and 

some from as far away as Newfoundland and British 

Columbia. 

Orientation week was a great chance to meet 

everyone, and the boat cruise was an awesome end to 

the week. There are often people in the lounges playing 

pool or watching TV, and you can always find an 

open door just down the hall. The campus is great in 

the summer and I enjoy spending time outside. I’m 

just starting my second semester now and am having a 

great time with all the new friends I have made this year! 

Equine degree student 

Jared 

Rommens 

• 17 •

• 18 •

STAFF UPDATES 

Director Dr. Michael retires May 1, 2009 from UoG Kemptville Campus 

Dr. Michael Goss 

Dr. Goss began as our director 

in September 2005 with the 

vision of ‘Advancing Agri- 

Food and related industries to 

improve the quality of life’. Part of 

this vision was to develop the culture 

of life-long learning within students 

and staff. Other initiatives included 

further collaboration with partners. 

Accomplishing much, if not all of 

these, in his short four-year span, 

Mike adds, “Nothing is ever really 

finished, but we have certainly ‘put 

flesh on the bones’ of these goals – it 

is equivalent to life-long learning.” 

Within academics, Agriculture 

Diploma Program Coordinator Jim 

Fisher’s new agri-food leadership 

diploma program is a great example 

of industry collaboration to develop 

educational programming. When 

combining the best education for students, 

our BBRM program is a fine 

example of joining two years of 

applied experiential learning with 

two years of more class-room based 

learning on the Guelph Campus. 

Some other specifics are in 

research. We have very strong ties with 

companies and institutions in eastern 

Ontario with whom we are building 

collaborative initiatives. Such examples 

as biomass crops for energy and 

specific bio-chemicals with La Farge 

and Performance Plants Inc., plus the 

joint food grade soybean research 

development for eastern Ontario with 

Ridgetown Campus and Hendrick 

Seeds. We are also looking at oil products 

to develop appropriate burners to 

produce energy through pyrolysis to 

create oil from biomass. In addition, 

the bovine mastitis research network 

with Kemptville as the Ontario hub is 

ongoing, dealing with 22 collaborating 

farms and working with researchers 

across the country. 

At the Agroforestry Centre, we 

linked with North Grenville Community, 

Futures, the Maple Syrup Industry 

and OMAFRA to establish a stateof-the-art 

maple syrup production 

system with education trails throughout 

the sugar bush. This was linked 

with the Eastern Ontario Model Forest 

organization – with appreciation 

for their support and guidance. 

The new dairy barn with robotic 

milker will provide students greater 

real-time access of information on 

milk quality and of individual cows 

through direct web-cam and computer 

connection from barn to classroom. 

Data is both instantly visual 

and computer processed and stored. 

As the first step in creating a Centre 

of Excellence, we have enhanced 

the research capacity of Kemptville 

Campus. 

Mike continues his research along 

two themes: agricultural activity and 

water quality, plus soil-plant interactions. 

Particular interest is in the communication 

between soil microbes and 

higher plants, as they send chemical 

signals each direction. He plans to 

continue collaboration with colleagues 

in Europe, as well as with people in 

Ontario. Mike is also very content to 

stay in Kemptville and eastern 

Ontario, so we need not say farewell. 

For the coming 2009-2010 academic 

year, we welcome Dr. Renée 

Bergeron as Interim Director for both 

Kemptville and Alfred campuses. 

Excerpt from 

the Office of the Dean, 

Ontario Agricultural College: 

I would like to take this opportunity 

to personally thank Michael for 

his many significant contributions to 

the College, and particularly to recognize 

and thank him for his contributions 

most recently as Director at 


I am pleased to announce that Dr. 

Renée Bergeron will be appointed as 

Interim Director at Kemptville Campus 

effective May 1, 2009, for a period 

of one year. Dr. Bergeron will 

also continue as Director at the 

Alfred Campus in 2009/10. I want to 

take this opportunity to thank Renée 

for accepting the Interim Director 

role at Kemptville, during this period 

of significant College and Campus 

transition. It is greatly appreciated 

and I look forward to working with 

her and the Kemptville team, on the 

challenges ahead. 

Dr. Bergeron and I will arrange 

meetings at Kemptville, with various 

staff as appropriate, to discuss immediate 

arrangements for the fiscal year 

2009/10, as well as for longer-term 

planning. This will include an update 

on developing plans for the College 

to review all Regional Campus Academic, 

Research, and Business Development 

Centre activities, going 

forward. 

Yours sincerely 

Robert J. Gordon 

Dean, OAC 

www.kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

• 19 •

STAFF UPDATES 

Jon Morgan moves on, but stays with agriculture 

Eighteen is Jon Morgan’s lucky 

number – as we say farewell, but 

still reconnect in the Agriculture 

Industry. 

Dr. Jonathon Morgan moved on to 

CFIA on October 18th, after 18 yearsof 

dedication to our campus, with the following 

words: 

I would like to say “thank you” to 

Marcy and the Aggie Club for organizing 

a most enjoyable 

Rye and Cheese last 

night :-)! 

I appreciate all 

the warm wishes I 

have received and 

the friendships that I 

have developed. 

Dr. Jon Morgan 

I will wear my KC 

jacket and remember 

all the goods times, great students and 

wonderful people who were such a big 

part of my life for the last 18+ years. 

Of course, I will also drink the 

Crown Royal and Wolf Blass (Shiraz) 

as part of Thanksgiving in appreciation 

of the good things in life, LOL ! 

Thanks again and see you all soon, 

Jon 

From Heather Watson, BDC 

We’d like to thank Bill Hossie 

specifically for his involvement in the 

Agroforestry Centre and maple syrup 

production for the past three years since 

the grand re-opening in 2007. 

Also, we’d like to welcome Peter 

Wensink, our new maple production 

operator who gave us an excellent season 

- our best ever as the weather was 

perfect! Peter is a welcome addition to 

Kemptville Campus, while in the offseason 

works at Upper Canada Village. 

We are continuing research into 

energy and cost savings with the use of 

reverse osmosis during production, and 

are also involved in a new, very exciting 

research project – details to come. 

From Nicole St. Martin 

Business Development Intern 

As you may or may not know, my 

internship has come to an end and my 

last day is April 21st. I would like to 

extend my thanks to everyone who took 

the time to make my stay here a little 

smoother and more productive - especially 

Lisa who helped me when I 

locked myself out of my office, more 

then once, I’m afraid. 

But seriously, I had a very pleasant 

stay here and the internship has developed 

many new skills that will help me 

in the future. 

My thanks to Claude who was a 

strong and flexible supervisor and I hope 

to see the Equine-Assisted Therapy program 

flourish in the coming years. 

Thanks also to Katrina, Elaine and 

Debra who offered me valuable feedback 

and support. 

Have a wonderful summer. 

Vanessa and Mike 

Vanessa and Mike 

are married! 

Vanessa McDougall ’06, 

KC Recruitment Officer, 

married Michael White 

’05 on August 16, 2008 in a beautiful 

ceremony outside of Russell, 

Ontario. 

Baby Nolan Kennelly 

Nolan Anthony Kennelly was 

born to Krista and Neil Kennelly 

on November 10, 2008 weighing 

9 lbs., 12 ounces and 23 inches long: a 

bundle of joy and full of surprises. 

Pat Scissons is our own 

Campus Hero 

Patrick Scissons, 

IT Specialist & 

Coordinator, 

together with two of 

his sons, Ryan and 

John, plunged into 

icy waters last October 

to save a life. It 

Pat Scissons 

was during the first 

snow storm of the season when a van 

left the Dwyer Hill Road in Goulbourn 

Twp to land sideways in the icy creek. 

Even though water was up to their 

chests, Patrick and the boys helped 

another rescuer on the scene to free the 

man’s legs and pull him out of the water. 

For their efforts they received Certificates 

of Merit from the Ottawa Police 

Department. Congratulations Pat! 

Business Interns 

From the Eastern Ontario Development 

Fund of 2008 under the 

Grenville Community Futures 

Development Corporation regarding 

Youth Internships, we welcomed the 

following Business Interns: Jenna 

Brenno, Sara Emond, Kris Sample, 

Nicole St. Martin and Meredith Ludlow. 

These interns worked in various 

areas of focus to provide training and 

experience to add to their employability. 

They do not replace staff, but support 

existing staff in various initiatives. 

• 20 •

STAFF UPDATES 

From Michael J. Goss, Director, 

University of Guelph Kemptville 

Campus 

I wish to clarify the responsibilities 

and expectations for Claude Weil and 

Pat Remillard in their revised roles. 

Claude Weil - Manager of Business 

Development 

Reporting to 

the Director of 

Kemptville Campus, 

the Manager 

is responsible for: 

1. Seeking and 

creating opportunities 

to develop 

new Continuing 

Claude Weil 

Education Cost- 

Recovery and Research 

Programs with external partners 

for Kemptville Campus 

2. Building partnerships and joint 

ventures with private a public sector 

agencies, companies and businesses. (It 

is expected that these external revenue 

sources will need to grow over the next 

three to five years, as the OAC College 

undergoes a review and restructuring 

that will include Kemptville Campus 

re-organization.) 

The Manager identifies, fosters and 

develops new external relationships 

leading to contracts that are then managed 

by others at Kemptville, including 

researchers (faculty and CARG) and 

Business Development Centre staff. 

This takes about 80%+ of the time. 

The Manager also manages CE 

contracts through the BDC, related to 

his/her area of expertise (currently CE 

contracts in the BDC related to Agricultural 

Engineering). This takes up to 

about 15-20% of the time. The Manager 

works closely in co-ordination with 

the KC Associate Director Research, 

the KC Associate Director Academic 

and other KC senior professionals to 

optimize the use of KC 

personnel and expertise to 

maximize annual external 

revenue potential. 

Pat Remillard - Manager 

of Cost-recovery 

Programs 

Reporting to the Director 

of Kemptville Campus, 

the Manager is responsible 

for: 

1. Operational, financial 

and human resource 

management, 

Pat Remillard 

2. Continuous improvement and 

renewal for cost-recovery projects and 

programs for Kemptville Campus. 

Cost recovery projects and programs 

include examples such as Power 

and Equipment, Welding, HVAC, 

Technical, Food and Nutrition continuing 

education and life-long learning 

programs, elearning, Agri-business, 

Tech transfer, in addition to Agroforestry, 

the Campus Bookstore and 

International Development projects. 

More specifically, the position is 

responsible for financial management 

- budgetary planning, monitoring, and 

control of cost-recovery programs and 

projects. Working within budgetary 

guidelines, the Manager determines 

and defines required staff 

positions, extends / terminates 

contracts, recruits 

and hires human 

resources on an as 

required basis. In addition 

the role is responsible for 

the Project Management 

function associated with 

strategic projects; and 

those projects are defined 

as initiatives that align 

with U of G’s strategic 

direction, expands and 

develops new markets 

through new technologies - extension 

education, e-learning, agri-business, 

and technology transfer. 

Mike MacLean: Canadian Bovine Mastitis Research Network 

Mike has been 

working from 

Kemptville 

Campus these past two 

years as part of a 

research network of the 

four Ontario Veterinarian 

Colleges (OVC). 

As research technician, 

Mike has worked with 

coordinator Dr. Trevor 

deVries from our staff in 

what is considered the 

largest study of its kind. 

“Fifteen distinct major 

projects at seven different 

universities and research centres 

across Canada are based on this 

research data,” explains Mike. In the 

Mike MacLean 

past two years 134,000 

individual milk samples 

were collected, with 

35,000 of those from 

eastern Ontario. Many 

samples were purposefully 

collected from 

healthy cows for comparisons. 

Mike is a graduate of 

the University of 

Guelph in Animal Science. 

Over three years 

ago he was working for 

crop science in research 

when Ken Leslie in 

Guelph asked about his interest in 

working in eastern Ontario. As Mike 

is from this area, he gladly accepted 

the opportunity. He states that probably 

75% of his time was spent in the 

field, so Mike now knows 27 farms 

and farmers very, very well, with 

many more through association. 

This research data collection for 

the Canadian Bovine Mastitis 

Research Network, which concluded 

in December 2008, is actually the 

first step. Mike continued to enter 

and validate information until now, 

and he expects to continue, on-andoff, 

in the future. Right now, he is 

heading back to Kingston in partnership 

with his father on the home 

Holstein dairy farm. Our best wishes 

go with him. 

For more information, check the 

www.mastitisnetwork.com website. 

• 21 •

STAFF UPDATES 

Thanks Laura 

Laura Tobin, Interim 

Residence 

Supervisor, came 

to us last year as an 

experienced School Residence 

Professional. 

Her past 18 years of Laura Tobin 

working in residential schools or summer 

camps were skills well used as she offered 

our Resident Supervisor Krista Kennelly, 

a rewarding parental leave. 

Laura’s past experiences include Kent 

Academy, Africa; Tyndale College & 

Seminary; North York, Ontario Pioneer 

Camp, Port Sydney; Lakefield College 

School, Lakefield; Fulford Academy, 

Brockville and now Kemptville. When 

asked about her roles, Laura replied, “I 

love to influence young people, offer a 

lot of needed direction and be an encourager 

- just by being me!” She says there 

is so much potential working with students 

at Kemptville Campus with a 

unique situation of fast turn-over of student 

groups of various ages. 

Laura has been actively involved in 

NextLevel Leadership for nine years - a 

leadership program designed for Women 

of Influence, while she holds a Masters 

of Theology, Suicide Intervention plus 

Personal Life Coach Training, with near 

completion of a certificate in Adult Education. 

We wish Laura well as she was a much 

appreciated member of our team. Perhaps 

we’ll meet again! Laura’s home contact is 

613-342-7469 or lauratobin3@gmail.com. 

Jane Kielly and Greg Varney are 

proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, 7 

pounds, 10 ounces, born June 1, 2009. We 

congratulate both Jane 

and Greg and welcome 

little Vivienne. 

Mary Ashby 

We welcomed 

Mary Ashby to full 

time Facilities Management 

Assistant in 

October 2008, working 

with Larry Fisher 

in Physical Plant Mgt. 

Spring Williams moved to the position 

of Accounts Payable clerk. 

David Irving: Farewell 

As a graduate with a Bachelor 

of Science (Biology) from 

Carleton University in 1974, 

Dave’s plant science career of over 

34 years has not taken him too far 

from his childhood home ~ a family 

farm at Shanly, near Spencerville. 

He began his career on March 3, 

1975 on temporary contract with 

Owen Irvine delivering short courses 

of milk and plant grading, plus 

ice cream and butter making for 

people in the industry. Then, Dave 

contracted with the Horticulture 

Section picking apples in the fall 

with Roy Class. 

In the same summer, he was a 

summer student for Horticulture: 

cutting lawns, planting and weeding 

with Bob Gordon and Allan Crowder. 

Through the winter, David continued 

with short courses before 

becoming a summer student with 

Agronomy staff researching corn, 

cereals, forages and mustard, to 

name a few. By fall 1976, he continued 

as laboratory support for soils 

with Bill Curnoe. 

Dave has always liked the variety 

of work and people that complete 

his full year. He explains, “As 

the crop research cycle is light over 

the years, Earl Hicks, then I, began 

to help Information Technology (IT) 

Services. We were at the beginning 

of the big growth of computer use 

on campus. I can remember when 

we had only one computer in the 

Agronomy building that all staff 

could access.” 

“Generally, I have enjoyed my 

time here, and always felt good to 

have completed a task and do it well. 

I really enjoy working with the 

Agronomy group. I always like to be 

busy, so am always looking for the 

next thing to do,” Dave says. An 

example of this is working with 

Basil Wren with Promotions: school 

visits and agricultural events such as 

the Royal Winter Fair (RWF) and 

the Ottawa Valley Farm Show 

(OVFS), plus the Ploughing Match- 

David Irving 

es (IPM) over the years. He adds, “I 

particularly enjoyed meeting potential 

students, current students and 

alumni folk. It was great to talk to 

them and hear of their lives and families. 

I never remember people’s 

names and details as well as Basil 

Wren does ~ he is the master.” 

Sidelines of interest for Dave 

were as a member of the Staff Activities 

Committee, planning staff 

events in relaxed environments and 

with the Judging Team, “where we 

trained students to judge agricultural 

classes ~ from heifers to cabbage 

and jam.” He adds, “those from a 

4H backgrounds had already 

learned half the skills to verbally 

justify reasons of choice.” 

Now, Dave says he’s, “looking 

forward to doing the things I like to 

do, together with Helen, without 

time restrictions.” 

Dave and Helen met at KCAT in 

1977 while both were Lab. Technicians. 

This friendship continued 

through sugarbush research, marriage 

and eventually two sons and a 

daughter joined their lives. 

David and his family have an 

interest in all things Scottish, 

including tours of Scotland and his 

patriarchal heritage home in Dumfries 

~ a lowland area in the south 

west corner close to the English border. 

For many years, David and his 

two sons, together with his sister 

and her son, performed in the 

Spencerville Legion Pipe Band. 

Now, he plans to stay in touch 

with alumni and maintain regular 

campus contact. 

• 22 •

STAFF UPDATES 

Len MacGregor: Farewell 

strictly a female residence then.” Len adds, 

“The Residence Counselors through the years 

have been the greatest support team, including 

Len MacGregor began his career 38 years 

Mark Smith – all phenomenal to work with.” 

ago on November 16, 1970 in Huron 

In year 1998, an opening in Agronomy 

County out of the Clinton Agriculture 

enticed Len once more as a Technician, working 

Office as an Assistant Ag. Representative with 

with Wendy Asbil, doing technical pesticide 

the Youth Extension - 4-H and Junior Farmer 

research throughout eastern Ontario. Len 

groups, along with crop extension. Len remembers, 

“at that time we introduced the first 4H 

ter and other off-site trials under Wendy, Ben 

explains, “This included Kemptville, Winches- 

equestrian and rabbit clubs.” During these 

Hawkins and now the supervision of Nick Bray 

eleven years, the interest in young people 

- a truly effective supervisor.” 

together with agriculture propelled him forward 

in all his career choices. 

Assistant (TA) for Dr. Michael Goss in soils 

During this same period, Len was Tutorial 

Len MacGregor 

From a KCAT graduate of ‘69, Len had already 

and with Garry Hoekstra, Wendy and Ashraf 

devoted the summers of 1968 and 1969 as a summer student Tubeileh in crop courses. “I love working with the students 

in the Agronomy section with John Curtis. “Of all the people again: helping them to learn. Many of them are not as strong 

I know, no-one has influenced me more than John Curtis,” in math or science, so I try to make it as simple as possible. 

adds Len. 

When the understanding clicks, it is awesome,” Len exclaims 

On October 1st, 1981, Len arrived at KCAT as an Agricultural 

Technician in oil seed crops with John Madill. As Len Raised on a dairy farm in Easton’s Corners, which his 

excitedly. 

states, “Then, Earl Hicks, Bill Hossie and Dave Irving all brother still manages, Len is glad to stay in the area during 

helped me in this area, until I could do it on my own - researching 

oil seed trials with soy beans, canola and white beans.” ue to keep busy. His two daughters, Joanne and Elizabeth are 

retirement. Now, he plans to work on his house then contin- 

In September 1983, Len became Dean of Students, taking in the Ottawa area ‘to keep him on his toes’ and looking forward 

to the future. Len will always stay in touch with the 

over the position from Rod O’Dell, in residence and athletics. 

He says, “Back then, we had three residences, as we also young people and hopes to connect with students in the future 

rented the government barracks north of town. Rorke was ~ perhaps assisting in their education. 

Helen MacGregor helping to keep BBRM program running smoothly 

For the past two years, Helen has 

been teaching Biology labs and 

being a lab assistant in other 

courses in the new BBRM equine 

management degree program. Such 

courses as Biology I and II, Anatomy 

& Physiology, Nutrition, Event Management 

I and II and Chemistry keep 

her busy over the terms. 

Helen’s background includes a 

B.Sc. in Biology from Dalhousie University 

and a year at Nova Scotia Agricultural 

College which led to a Masters 

degree in Animal Science from the 

University of Guelph. She then taught 

at the University of Saskatchewan for 

five years in the Animal & Poultry Science 

Department. 

Helen was first hired here about fifteen 

years ago by Dr. Dan Stevenson in 

the Animal Health Laboratory. When 

the AHL was downsized, she worked 

in the Food Nutrition Program for a 

year. After an outside stint at Eastern 

Breeders Inc. in their embryo transfer 

Helen MacGregor with Jack. 

department, Helen came back to work 

in administration for a few years. 

Now, the challenging role as lab 

instructor and assistant in the BBRM 

program has fulfilled Helen’s expectations, 

using both her personal and professional 

skills. 

As a former U of G varsity volleyball 

player, Helen has enjoyed coaching 

our many student volleyball teams 

over the years. “OPAC games are fun 

and a great opportunity to meet students 

and staff from other campuses,” 

she exclaims. 

This is in addition to Helen’s community 

involvement as solo soprano 

and choir manager for the North 

Grenville Concert Choir. We thank 

Helen for leading the national anthem 

during our spring convocation each 

year. Community volunteer work also 

includes many lead roles in musicals 

and she has been producer of many 

musicals for the Kemptville Youth 

Musical Theatre Company (KYMTC). 

A big part of Helen’s past three summers 

was as a volunteer to help care for 

the welfare of our school horse, Jack. 

This brought much joy and, as usual, 

another avenue for her many gifts. 

• 23 •

STAFF UPDATES 

Larry Fisher has 

had one busy year! 

Our new Physical Plant 

Manager, Larry Fisher, 

began in February 2008 

to oversee all KC buildings, 

grounds, campus security plus 

capital projects any other miscellaneous 

needs. 

As Larry describes it, “I truly enjoy 

the variety of challenges and working 

with many people. It is great to have 

support of the team (of 10) working with 

me. Truly, we have to be ‘on our toes’ as 

each new day brings new challenges.” 

Larry was raised in the Munster area 

outside Ottawa, where his first experience 

with the agriculture industry was 

through his involvement in 4-H completing 

many projects as a member in 

Carleton County, then he became a 4-H 

leader. As a rural youth he gained an 

appreciation of agriculture while working 

for neighboring farmers helping with 

square bales, wood splitting, feeding 

chickens, sheep and picking many many 

rocks - really! Larry was a Junior 

Farmer member for 15 years, involved 

at the club, county, zone and provincial 

levels in various executive positions. 

During his last eligible year with the 

association he was elected to the position 

of Executive Director of Finance. 

Throughout these earlier years, he 

graduated from South Carleton High 

School in Richmond. He also worked in 

the Recreation Department for Goulbourn 

Twp part time where he decided 

a career in facilities and parks management 

was a direction he was interested 

in pursuing before accepting a full time 

position. . .and he has not looked back 

since. Okay, well maybe looked back a 

couple of times but continues to find 

enjoyment in the job he does. 

The Emergency First Response Team 

in Munster for three years sparked his 

interest in health and safety, which led to 

a volunteer tenure of eight years on the 

local Goulbourn Township Fire Department. 

Training in health and safety as a 

certified member with several health and 

safety committees along with several 

other training opportunities has helped 

him over the years. 

Larry graduated from 

Algonquin College in 

Facilities Management and 

from Humber College in 

Arena Management. He 

earned his Public Administration 

Certificate from St. 

Lawrence College. 

After the ten-year 

employment with Goulbourn 

Township, Larry 

worked for Russell Township 

managing facilities, 

parks and programs for the Village of 

Russell - the youth centre, outdoor 

pool, arena and parks - for almost five 

years. This is when the opportunity for 

a position in Tilsonburg became available 

as Parks and Facilities Manager 

for a multi-purpose facility centre: a 

water park and town facilities of a 

museum, fire hall, libraries, municipal 

airport and cemeteries. Larry was 

employed there for two years before he 

moved back east to work another five 

years for the RA Centre of Ottawa, after 

which he joined the KC team. 

Larry is also involved with the 

Ontario Recreation Facilities Association 

(ORFA) where he has been a volunteer 

member for many years and a 

member of the Board of Directors now 

in his third term serving the Eastern 

Region . He has been involved with the 

several committees including, aquatics, 

parks and open space, energy conservation, 

membership and finance and 

admin. The ORFA has provided educational 

opportunities in many areas of 

facilities and parks management. 

We are fortunate that Larry chose to 

join our staff a year ago and, as he 

states, “I am looking forward to being a 

part of the future and its priority-setting 

here at KC.” 

Larry Fisher 

Welcome Dr. Kielly, DVM 

Jane Kielly began full-time in 

August 2008 in the KC Equine Program 

as an Animal & Poultry Science 

Assistant Professor. Her courses 

include the BBRM Introduction to 

Equine Nutrition, Introductory Biology, 

as well as Equine Anatomy and Physiology. 

She is also the instructor for 

Equine Facility Management & Design 

offered to certificate, diploma and 

Dr. Jane Kielly 

degree students. Jane has taught Equine 

Conformation and Lameness and as 

guest lecturer in many of our equine 

courses over the past three years. 

Prior to her position here, Jane 

worked in large animal clinical practice 

for two years at the Dundas Veterinary 

Services of Winchester and six years at 

the Ottawa Valley Large Animal Clinic 

on Donnelly Drive in Kemptville. 

Since graduating from OVC in 2000, 

she has focusd her interest in equine 

health management programs, medicine 

and surgery. 

Jane is our KC facility veterinarian 

responsible for overseeing animal care: 

a role in education and as an Animal 

Care Committee member reviewing 

policies and veterinary activities on 

campus. She says, “Clinical practice is 

very rewarding, as I am able to address 

individual horse needs, however, client 

and student education is a very important 

part of keeping horses healthy.” 

After moving from Newfoundland 

in her early teens, Jane worked on 

Ontario farms caring for horses, cows, 

sheep and pigs. This was the beginning 

of her career path. Some current 

research interests involve horse health, 

performance horse strength and conditioning 

and new reproductive technologies. 

Other interests include pursuing 

an active lifestyle as a competitive runner 

and former national level Ultimate 

Frisbee Team player as well continuing 

to enjoy recreational horse-back riding. 

Jane continues to balance work with 

sports, family fun and recreation and, 

together with Greg, new parenthood. 

• 24 •

STAFF UPDATES 

Blair Dow ‘84 heads west after 25 years in Kemptville 

By Blair Dow 

Igraduated from Kemptville 

College in 1984. 

After a couple of summers 

working in agronomy 

under section head Don 

MacDonald, I accepted a 

position as a research technician 

for a corn silage 

research trial with Dr. 

Garry Hoekstra. In 1988 I 

found myself without a 

contract again and accepted 

a position working in 

the greenhouse with Bob 

Gordon. Bob was near the 

end of his career, but had 

an amazing ability for 

dealing with people. I 

learned a great deal from my years 

with him. Bill Curnoe was now the 

section head and provided me with 

the opportunity to teach lab classes 

and assist with college promotion. 

In 1990 many changes were 

being made in the Animal Science 

section at Kemptville College. 

Albert Koekkoek and I were both 

successful in a competition for 

research technicians in the animal 

science section. I spent the next 

year as a research technician and 

teaching assistant for Dr. Lumir 

Drevjany. This was en excellent 

learning experience as, not only did 

Lumir have a thorough knowledge 

of dairy nutrition, he also was highly 

respected as a teacher in the animal 

science section. 

Later in 1990 the College hired 

Jon Morgan as farm manager and 

instructor for the animal science section. 

For the next decade I taught 

sheep production, chaired the College 

Royal, volunteered on the 

Kemptville College Foundation, 

assisted with College promotion and 

provided technical support for 

research projects. In 2000 I had the 

opportunity to coordinate the dairy 

herdsperson program. Over the next 

eight years the program grew from 

six participants to twenty. Always 

Blair Dow (centre) in his new role at Lakeland College. 

having a passion for teaching, I 

found myself with the opportunity to 

teach two courses each semester 

from 2003 through 2008. In late 

2006 I assumed the responsibility as 

Alumni Liaison. I thoroughly 

enjoyed working with the Kemptville 

College Alumni Association. 

Over the next two years we would 

improve our relationship with the 

University of Guelph Alumni Association 

and start working with the 

Ottawa chapter of the University of 

Guelph Alumni Association. 

I will always remember from my 

early days at Kemptville College the 

relationship that Basil Wren had with 

Kemptville College Alumni throughout 

Eastern Ontario and his ability to 

motivate students and help them 

establish their careers. Over the past 

decade I had the opportunity to assist 

students in career planning, and 

through these contacts I received the 

advertisement for a Dairy Instructor 

position at Lakeland College in Vermilion 

Alberta. This would be an 

opportunity to teach full time in a 

diploma program, an opportunity 

which was not available in 

Kemptville. 

The evening that I saw the advertisement 

I asked Lisa and Travis if 

they had any notion of moving to 

Alberta. To my surprise 

they both said that would 

be fine, so I applied and 

was offered the position. 

After three days of deep 

thought I accepted the 

position and agreed to be 

in Vermilion Alberta on 

August 18th to start 

teaching September 4th. 

As I had lived on the 

same farm for over forty 

years I had family and 

friends to tell, sheep to 

sell, a farm to rent, and an 

old livestock trailer to 

rebuild in preparation for 

the move. We are very 

thankful for the help of 

family and friends, many 

of whom are Kemptville College 

Alumni. Special thanks to our neighbors, 

the Metcalfe Agricultural Society, 

and the Kemptville College 

Alumni Association for the excellent 

‘going away’ party held at the Metcalfe 

fair grounds in late July. 

We spent four days driving from 

Metcalfe to Vermilion. We spent an 

enjoyable evening visiting with 

alumni Trudy and Jason Reid in 

Thunder Bay. They are doing very 

well and Travis enjoyed playing with 

their young daughter. Trudy and 

Jason graduated from the diploma 

and the dairy apprentice program 

and it was great to get caught up on 

all the Thunder Bay Kemptville College 

Alumni news. 

Vermilion is two hours east of 

Edmonton and one half hour west of 

Lloydminster. It has a population of 

just over 4000 with most residents 

working in the oil business. Lakeland 

College has many programs 

ranging from Environmental Reclamation 

to Fire training. 

The Agriculture program is widely 

known for the student managed 

farm concept for the crop management 

program. In 2009 the Beef, 

Dairy, Sheep, and Feedlot units have 

moved to the student managed farm 

concept. 

• 25 •

STAFF UPDATES 

This is very exciting as I am working 

with the senior agriculture students to 

manage the dairy and sheep units. The 

dairy unit consists of a 50-cow free stall 

barn with 2/3 Holsteins and 1/3 Jerseys. 

The sheep flock consists of 150 Canadian 

Arcott ewes. The students have just 

finished lambing the sheep flock with a 

190 percent lambing average and less 

than a five percent death rate. Students 

are busy setting future goals for each 

unit and developing a transition plan for 

next years seniors. The junior students 

are applying for leadership positions in 

next years student managed farm. 

In the fall semester I taught Animal 

Production (to the Animal Health Technician 

students), Dairy Production, 

Stockman’s Practices, and Farm Safety. 

This semester I am teaching Feeds and 

Feeding (to the Ranch and Feedlot Riders), 

Sheep Production and Management, 

Advanced Dairy Management, 

and assisting with the Student Managed 

Farm. It has been a very busy teaching 

year but the student evaluations from 

the fall were very encouraging and this 

semester is going very well. 

We are living in Vermilion. Travis is in 

Grade 5 at Vermilion Public School. He 

played hockey this year for the first time 

and enjoyed it very much. Lisa is working 

at Apple Drugs in Vermilion and will 

soon know most of the people in town. 

I have many fond memories from my 

years at Kemptville. Special thanks to 

Jon Morgan for his support over the 

years and yes, I continue to carry a thermometer 

to check the temperature of sick 

animals (and now promote that to Lakeland 

College Students). A couple of my 

highlights at Kemptville were the creation 

of the Large Herd Dairy Management 

course, the recreation of the Aggie 

Club, growth of the Dairy Herdsperson 

Apprentice program, working with the 

Kemptville College Alumni Association, 

and the addition of the Kemptville College 

Classic heifer sale to the annual College 

Royal. I will always treasure the 

standing ovation I received at the 2008 

Kemptville College Royal. Who would 

have known that four months later I 

would be heading to Alberta 

Food & Nutrition sector continues to attract Liz Forbes 

Elizabeth Forbes 

Liz Forbes is continuing her work 

with research projects in partnership 

with Health Canada, 

including the Total Diet Study, since 

1999. Five other short 

contracts include a Milk 

Project for the B.C. government, 

sample preparation 

used for the Granola 

Bars project which tests 

for toxins and heavy metals, 

two Wheat Flour studies 

and a study of Ethnic 

Fish and Seafood with 

help from Cheryl Wightman, 

Gary Earl and two or 

three contract technicians. 

April/May 2009 two more 

projects were secured with Health 

Canada; Infant Food Survey and 

Acrylmide Survey. Thousands of food 

samples are used for these studies. 

Excess food items are donated to The 

Ottawa Mission. Liz also travels to various 

cities to train CFIA shoppers who 

play an important role in getting the 

required food samples. 

A new role this year as Awards and 

Bursary Chair, previously held by 

Shelly Byrne, has presented its challenges 

as the current economic situation 

has impacted the in-trust endowment 

availabilities. With the assistance 

of Spring Williams, there is continuous 

contact with both donors and 

students. Liz expresses, “The continuing 

support of the Alumni and the 

community is monumental in the ability 

for the Kemptville 

Campus to attract students 

by offering a great 

awards/scholarship/bursary 

program”. At present 

approximately $100,000 

of awards are continuously 

presented throughout 

the year from Access 

Awards to new students, 

in course awards to Graduation 

Awards. 

Liz, embracing change, 

had the opportunity to 

teach Sales and Sales Management to 

agriculture students in the fall as it 

applied to their industry. In the BBRM 

degree program, she was also able to 

provide support in The Event Management 

I course taught by Judith 

McCartney. Joining the Equine Road 

Trip to universities and equine facilities 

in the USA provided her with a 

great introduction to the Equine 

degree students as well as the industry. 

In the winter semester, co-teaching 

Event Management II with Judith 

gave Liz the opportunity to initiate 

March as “The Equine Event Month”. 

Student managed events were: College 

Royal, Equine Career Night, 

Kemptville Campus Rideau Carleton 

Raceway Night (fund raiser for 

BBRM), Medieval Festival (geared to 

Grade 4 curriculum) and designing 

and manning the KC booth at the Can- 

Am Equine Exhibition in London, 

Ontario. The students were also 

responsible for two riding clinics: the 

Lyne Laforme and the John Kersley 

Equine Clinics. 

Life on campus changes at least 

every five years for Liz. She began 

part-time in the fall of 1980 in food purchasing 

for Ruth Shaver. Then, she was 

Lab. Assistant for the Food Prep classes. 

Eventually, she took the full-time 

position as Technician in September of 

1981. By the mid-1980s, Liz began lecturing 

within the Food and Fashion 

Program for OMAFRA. Although Liz’s 

background was initially in fashion, her 

opportunities came more in the food 

courses. She held the coordinator position 

of the Food and Nutrition Management 

program from1999 to 2005 but 

did not accept a second term as coordinator 

because the classroom was where 

she wanted her focus to be. That was 

short lived as she accepted the position 

as the interim Associate Academic 

Director in 2007 but after nine months, 

again the classroom and projects with 

Health Canada won her focus. 

• 26 •

STAFF UPDATES 

Dalton Gilmer retires after 30 years 

When Dalton began on March 1, 1978, little did he 

realize how quickly time would pass until his retirement 

on January 1, 2009. 

His career began as a truck driver for Berry Feed and 

Seeds of South Mountain, then Christie Transport from 1969 

to 1978. 

Graham Hooper was Head of the Animal Science Section 

at the time, when he used to take students out to the Gilmer 

family farm. When Everett Craig retired, Graham was looking 

for a new man, and Dalton was able to take over. Dalton 

says he had always farmed, but was looking for a change at 

the time. 

Some of the first responsibilities 

were to feed the outside 

cattle barns. In 1978, Dalton 

focused inside the dairy barn as 

Assistant Herdsman to Herdsman 

Bill Green. Brian MacIntosh 

began in 1980, directly 

from his graduation from 

KCAT, to feed and bed the outside 

cattle barns. He would mix 

feed for both the dairy barn and 

outside barns. 

By 1987, Dalton took over 

the Herdsman position from 

Bill when he moved over to 

Keith Gilmer’s job in Facilities 

Maintenance. From then, Dalton continued as Herdsman. 

He states, “I really enjoyed the young students every year 

coming in, training and teaching them practical milking procedures. 

Also, the International Dairy School began in 1985 

bringing in students from different countries: China, Africa, 

Ukraine, eastern Europe and Asian countries.” 

Dalton also continued training in this capacity for the visitors, 

so they could return with newly acquired dairy skills. 

Others involved at the time were Dennis McKnight, Ray 

MacNilage and Bill Green. When Ray retired, Albert 

Koekkoek came in 1988 and Gord Black in 1989. 

When we became part of U of G, we became a combined 

Research Station with Agronomy and Animal Science together. 

This expanded the work into the fields in addition to dairy 

cattle management and housing. 

Well after four months of working 

here it is, unfortunately, 

time for me to move on. After 

many weekends of driving down to 

Peterborough I decided that I might as 

well move down there! This is where 

the future pulls me now, although I see 

myself back in Waterloo this fall. 

Dalton with Bill Green and Ray MacNilage in the 

dairy barn. 

All in all I had many good times here. 

There was the intense competition at 

lunch time badminton, the crash course in 

being a food critic I audited in the lunch 

room, the chance to meet people from 

many different places and rural backgrounds, 

and of course the opportunity to 

be involved in many research projects 

• 27 • 

Dalton and Sharon Gilmer 

When he was a young lad, Dalton 

used to attend KAS back in the Dairy 

Days of the 1950s: included were the 

Ontario Cream Producers’ Marketing 

Board, the Ontario Whole Milk Producers’ 

League, the Ontario Cheese Producers’ 

Marketing Board and the Ontario 

Concentrated Milk Producers’ Marketing 

Board. 

Dalton was raised on a dairy farm on 

Hyndman Road with his twin brother, Doug, where he 

remained after marriage to Sharon until they moved into the 

Herdsman’s House on the KC farm property. Dalton and 

Sharon have two daughters, Sherri and Darlene. Sherri lives 

in Rockland after marrying Luc Bertrand and Darlene is in 

Jasper, ON with husband Randy Severson and one granddaughter, 

Chloe, age 10. 

Now, the couple cleans many buildings on campus at 

night, five days a week. By age 65, they would like to do 

some traveling, while both enjoy bowling together on a 

league each Wednesday night in Kemptville. 

Albert Koekkoek would like to add, “I have nothing but 

positive words for Dalton. He was always there and always 

did a job well. It meant a lot that we could always depend on 

Dalton.” 

Matthew Piggott, student intern, says so long to Kemptville in May 2008 

and learn the ropes of being a college professor. 

I learned a lot these past months 

that I hope I can apply in the future. 

It was a pleasure meeting everyone 

here and I hope we’ll run into each 

other some time again. 

Sincerely, 

Matthew Piggott

ON CAMPUS 

Road trip 2008! 

By Helen MacGregor 

From November 13-17, 2008, 29 

first and second year students and 

four staff members from the 

BBRM Equine Management program 

traveled to the USA for an educational 

road trip. The five days were packed 

from morning till night with all kinds of 

equine adventures. 

Our first stop was at Cornell University 

in Ithaca, N.Y., a first rate veterinary 

and agriculture school. We were 

lucky enough to receive a live demonstration 

of the equine treadmill facility. 

Dr. Soderholm explained how the treadmill 

is used to diagnose respiratory 

obstructions in poorly performing 

equine athletes. Dr. Antczak then toured 

us through the McConville barn which 

houses their unique inbred horse herd, 

including the famous Twilight, whose 

DNA was used to sequence the entire 

horse genome. Lunch was graciously 

provided for us while four research specialists 

gave short lectures outlining 

their areas of research in immunology, 

genetics and reproduction. 

On the second morning we visited 

the University of Massachusetts Hadley 

Farm, which houses their equine program. 

Dr. Herbert talked about pasture 

management, Dr. Gradil gave a lecture 

on their breeding program for Morgan 

and Hannoverian horses, and Jerry 

Schurink outlined the equine programs 

offered at UMASS. 

The next day and a half was spent at 

the Equine Affaire in Springfield, MA. 

This huge extravaganza offers innumerable 

clinics, seminars, demonstrations 

and lectures on every imaginable 

A day and a half was spent at the Equine Affaire in Springfield, MA. 

topic involving horses. The students 

also enjoyed the trade fair, where they 

could purchase anything from western 

boots to driftwood sculptures. 

Visits to two horse farms encompassed 

day four. Mount Holyoke College 

Equestrian Centre in Hadley, MA 

runs their riding program as part of 

their curriculum. Students can take 

lessons in dressage or hunt seat, and 

can ride as part of an intercollegiate 

team, earning 

credits toward their degree. The second 

farm, Stonebridge Farm in Saratoga 

Springs, N.Y., is a thoroughbred 

breeding and training farm. The farm 

manager, Dennis Brida, took us on a 

tour of all three of their farms, including 

the newly-installed $8 million 

polytrack and the newest facility, still 

under construction, for their broodmares 

and yearlings. 

University of Massachusetts Hadley Farm. 

• 28 •

ON CAMPUS 

The group 

visited 

Mount 

Holyoke 

College 

Equestrian 

Centre in 

Hadley, MA. 

The final day we toured Pucker 

Ridge Farm, another thoroughbred farm 

in Warrensburg, N.Y. Farm owner Lois 

Engle welcomed us with drinks and 

snacks, and had arranged to have her 

vet, Dr. Begley, come out to do a number 

of procedures for the students to 

watch, including pregnancy checks on 

the mares and the castration of a young 

colt. Jeff Harrison, farm manager and 

adjunct professor at the State University 

of New York, Cobleskill talked about 

nutrition, pasture management and 

wildlife control. Jeff Kniesel, head of 

the New York Thoroughbred Breeders 

Association was also present to talk 

about grants available to breeders 

to enhance the impact of New York 

bred racehorses. 

In addition to all the amazing 

facilities we saw, we also had the 

pleasure of amazing scenery, 

including snow-tipped trees in the 

Adirondacks, and our wonderful 

bus driver, Gord, who enjoyed the 

horses every bit as much as we did, 

and didn’t mind a bus full of mud, 

hay and straw. Plans are underway 

to make next year’s road trip just 

as exciting. 

Osgoode Tire donation well-received by Kemptville students 

University of Guelph Kemptville 

Campus receives state-of-the-art 

wheel balancer and changer 

It was with extreme gratitude that the 

Power and Equipment Centre accepted 

the generous donation of a Rav 

Wheel Balancer (Model 6P2124) valued 

at approximately $4,000 and Rav Wheel 

Changer (Model G820NS201) valued at 

$3,500 from Osgoode Tire Sales in 

Osgoode, Ontario. 

The combination of tire balancer with 

the changer are invaluable teaching aids 

in the Mechanical Trades program, which 

includes the Diesel Equipment Mechanic 

and Farm Equipment & Heavy Equipment 

apprenticeship programs. 

“We donated the wheel balancer,” 

explains Brian Kearns of Osgoode Tire 

Sales, “because we wanted to give back 

[to Kemptville Campus] in hopes of 

teaching up and coming students the 

proper way to do tires.” 

Part of the apprenticeship program 

includes knowing how to change tires. 

This learning requirement will be much 

more effective and efficient with an inhouse 

wheel balancer and changer, as it 

gives students greater access to the 

equipment and first-hand experience for 

enhanced applied training. 

Up to this point, program instructors 

have relied on local businesses to give 

demonstrations at remote locations. 

While these relationships are valued by 

Kemptville staff and students, having 

an in-house wheel balancer and changer 

will greatly enhance the educational 

experience of each student through 

hands-on, practical learning. 

Currently, there is high demand for 

trained professionals in the Equipment 

Trades, and industry predicts this trend 

will continue, increasing the need for 

such professionals. 

Over the years, Osgoode Tire Sales 

have provided continuous support to the 

Campus’ educational offerings, and 

have been instrumental in program success 

and student achievement. Mr. 

Kearns notes, “We also like to do our 

part to give back to the community and 

figured this was a perfect way to do so.” 

Kemptville staff - including Senior 

Lecturer Andy Sleeth and Allan Smith, 

Technician/Mechanic, have been working 

with businesses like Osgoode Tire Sales 

for a number of years to ensure that the 

Campus upholds the highest standard of 

education and training. Of note, Osgoode 

Tire Sales sends their tire technicians to 

Kemptville Campus to become certified 

to work with truck tires. 

• 29 •

ON CAMPUS 

Improve Your Financial Knowledge and Wealth: Speakers spread expertise 

Jim Rader, a University of Guelph 

Kemptville Prof taught students 

accounting/finance and then prepared 

10 finance questions for students 

to answer after attending sessions by 

several expert guest speakers. These 

speakers share with students many 

valuable life-long uses of 

accounting/finance. 

Guest speakers’ topics included Personal 

Finances, Tax Savings, Succession 

Success, Computer Accounting, 

Crop Insurance, Bank/FCC Loans, 

Farm Law and Farm Management. For 

more information, contact speakers or 

Prof Jim Rader at Jrader@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca. 

or Jrader@sympatico.ca, 

613 533 0055. 

Personal Finances: 

Don Farnsworth, from RBC Wealth 

Management in Kemptville, showed 

students how to wisely invest to make 

money and save taxes to achieve Freedom 

55: maximize investments in 

appreciating assets, such as stocks, 

house, etc; minimize expenditures on 

depreciating assets and work with a 

knowledgeable financial advisor one 

can trust. Invest in growth investments 

to help become wealthy over time, i.e. 

usually it’s not timing the market, but 

‘time in the market’ that builds wealth. 

Don offered some excellent examples 

of building wealth over time, such as 

saving $50/week at 8% for 40 years nets 

$700,000, while saving the $9/day one 

may smoke and invest it at 8% for 40 

years nets $950,000, and saving the 

$10/day on fast food 

and invest it at 8% for 

40 years nets $1M. 

Don can be 

reached at, RBC 

Wealth Mgmt, Email 

Donald.farnsworth 

@rbc.com, Cell 613- 

246-3211. 

Tax Savings: 

Chris Hart, a 

CMA of Allied Associates 

LLP Chartered 

Accountants in Winchester 

showed students 

how to save 

taxes. A tax consultant can normally 

save farmers, (who did not have a tax 

consultant before), sizable amounts in 

taxes annually by maximum write-offs, 

smoothing income over time, etc. At 

succession time, Chris can save the 

average farm family $100,000 in taxes. 

While this may seem high, 5% of an 

average $2M farm transfer is $100K, so 

may be quite feasible. 

Maximize tax savings with DDD: 

1) Deduct taxes - buy a house, farm or 

business, as capital gains are not taxed 

up to $3/4M; 2) Defer taxes - buy 

RRSP’s or put $5,000 into the new free 

savings account and 3) Divide taxes – 

put money in lowest income family 

name e.g. education funds while not tax 

deductible to parents, are taxed at students 

tax rate (zero if student income is 

under $10,000), which makes College 

more affordable and gradually 

improves wealth. 

Prof. Ashraf Tubeileh and Jim Rader with Chris Hart and IT 

Co-op student Alex Achorn. 

Chris can be reached at www.alliedgroup.ca; 

Email chart@alliedtax.ca, 

613-774-5204 or 1-800-661-1956. 

Succession Success: 

Peter Coughler, a Kemptville Campus 

Grad of OMAFRA in Brighton, 

described Succession Planning. Farmers 

can pass $3/4M capital gains per 

parent to children tax-free, with one 

half of the rest tax-free, and the remainder 

taxed at parents’ tax rate (exception 

is livestock and, if a farmer gives children 

calves for work, then over time 

children own the livestock tax free — 

proving Planning Pays). Experts state 

many farm families wait too long for 

succession planning; an acute example 

is the 90-year-old farmer who said he 

would show books to his 59-year-old 

son “when his son was old enough”. 

While this is extreme, many examples 

were discussed of children not 

Don Farnsworth with senior student Nicole Cressman and 

Jim Rader. 

Peter Coughler (third from right) with staff and students. 

• 30 •

ON CAMPUS 

allowed to see finances, but 

who are suddenly expected 

to easily take over. 

Peter described how most 

Succession Plans are not 

easy, nor automatic and 

often create many family 

human relations problems, 

such as parents not ready to 

relinquish control when the 

children feel they are ready 

to take over; either no heir or 

multiple siblings want the 

farm, so how much and how 

to afford to pay siblings, etc. 

Often a third party (like 

Peter), who understands 

Succession Planning, can 

help with a family’s Succession 

Planning. Peter can be reached at 

Email Peter.coughler@ontario.ca, 613- 

475-1630. 

Estate Planning: 

Len Davies, CFP, CLU, EPC, 

CAFA, CIP, CDFA, a University of 

Guelph grad owns his own Company 

with several financial experts in 

Chatham, but has many clients in Eastern 

Ontario. Len described the importance 

of both a will and Power of Attorney, 

but he also described a Hanson 

will, where incorporated farms/businesses 

can pass on shares to their heirs 

with significant tax savings. 

Len stressed advantages of up-todate 

wills by describing how someone 

(who lived, then died in Windsor) had, 

50 years earlier, left his old army buddy 

(who now lives in North Bay and ‘hit 

the sauce’) in charge, so his old army 

buddy had both the funeral and burial 

Peter Coughler 

in North Bay, although the 

deceased’s entire family lived 

in Windsor. Len showed how 

to minimize probate fees and 

described Mediation and Litigation. 

Len is an expert in 

Estate Planning, Succession 

Planning and Tax Savings and 

can be reached at www.lendavies.ca, 

Email Len.davies 

@freedom55financial.com, 

519-352-6840 ext. 365. 

Farm Law: 

Don Good, B Sc (Agr), 

LLB, P Ag and a Grad of both 

University of Guelph and 

Kemptville Campus, who lives 

in Ottawa described how hiring 

a lawyer who knows Farm Law can 

be financially rewarding as when he 

won both sides of mushroom farm 

odors because he understood odors are 

tolerable on premises close to mushroom 

farms but are terrible when further 

away. Don pointedly expressed 

that hiding income is not always smart 

as one farmer had no CRA income 

records to prove he lost $75,000 when 

he was going to sue the custom sprayer 

who put too much pesticide on his corn 

and killed his year’s corn crop. 

Don explained the value of a good 

Succession Plan as cases can be worth 

over a $million, when one sibling manages 

the farm for many years, then after 

parents decease other siblings want 

equal share. Also establish a will as 

Don only charges about $250 for a regular 

will and power of attorney. Homemade 

wills are a 

lawyer’s dream 

and meal ticket. Farm family divorces 

have become his largest item. Lawyer 

Don Good can be reached at Farmlaw@ 

on.albn.com, 613-228-9676 or 1- 

800-661-8837. 

Banking Knowledge: 

Paul Crozier and John LeClair of 

CIBC Bank showed students the 

accounting/financial information that 

customers need for Farm, Business or 

House loans. At a minimum, one needs 

a balance sheet, income statement, 

good cash flow and good ratios. Paul 

and John stressed that their bank does 

not want to have to seize a farm, business 

or house, the bank just wants its 

money back and to maintain good relations 

with its bank customers. 

Paul and John confirmed most 

young people can not yet have many 

assets. So he would loan such young 

people money for a house, if they had 

good money management and adequate 

cash flow; and a College degree helps 

achieve good cash flow. Besides 

describing financial information needed 

for loans, Paul and John stressed 

good management is essential to financial 

success; which supports the good 

management taught at Kemptville 


Paul Crozier, Manotick, can be 

reached at Email Paul.crozier@ 

cibc.com, W 613-692-5095, H Office 

613-253-1180, Cell 613-340-3359, and 

John LeClair, Brockville, can be 

reached at Email John.Leclair@ 

CIBC.com, 613-342-6651 Ext 400. His 

Kemptville Office is at 116 Prescott St. 

Len Davies on right with Jim Rader’s students. 

Don Good with daughter in centre and IT Lisa Heisel, Jim Rader 

and Tim Rennie on right. 

• 31 •

ON CAMPUS 

FCC Farm Loans: 

John Gregory, Eastern Ontario 

Manager of Farm Credit Canada 

(FCC) showed students the 

accounting/financial information 

that customers need for FCC Farm 

loans. As the banks, one needs a 

balance sheet, income statement, 

good cash flow and good ratios. 

John also stressed the FCC does 

not want to have to seize a farm - 

the FCC just wants its money 

back and good relations with its 

customers. 

John described the FCC stresses 

financial ratio’s to provide 

farmers with best loans possible, while 

maintaining the FCC’s solvency. 

Besides describing financial information 

needed for loans, John stressed 

good management is essential to financial 

success; which supports the good 

management taught at Kemptville 

Campus. John can be reached at Kanata 

Email John.Gregory@fcc-fac.ca, 

613-271-7640. 

AgExpert Computer Accounting: 

Howard Giles, of Farm Credit Canada 

(FCC), an AgExpert Certified Trainer 

from Athens, taught a computer class 

to explain advantages of AgExpert 

computer accounting (accuracy, speed, 

tax preparation, management, etc), that 

20,000 farmers now use on their farms. 

Howard described how generally it 

takes farmers or students three to four 

hours to learn AgExpert and trainers 

exist all across Canada (usually within 

25 kms of where anyone lives) check: 

http://www.agexpert.ca/en/agexpert. 

AgExpert normally costs about $400 

each, but to help young farmers 

get started, FCC gave a free program 

to each of our 100 students, 

a gift potentially worth $40,000 

to our students. This obviously 

strengthens our relationship 

between our accounting/ finance 

students and the FCC. Howard 

can be reached at Email hgiles@ 

assistnow.com, 613-802-4453. 

Better Farm Management: 

Melissa Dupont of the Canadian 

Farm Business Management 

Council (CFBMC), HQ in 

Ottawa, described value of farm 

John Gregory with Jim, Tim Rennie and Hugh Pearson. 

planning/creativity. CFBMC 

provides leading edge management 

to farmers, such as mentoring 

(matches young people with experienced 

farmers), AgriWebinar (online 

conferences with worldwide agricultural 

experts), succession planning information, 

best young farmer awards, 

Annual Managing Excellence Ag Conference 

with world class speakers (with 

funding to attend). CFBMC membership 

costs $50. 

Also 25 Kemptville students entered 

CFBMC’s $1,000 awards to five Agricultural 

College students for 500 word 

essays on “What are some innovative 

ways for the next farm generation to get 

into farming” These topical essays 

help students think about better management 

and can often be attached to 

students’ resumes. For more information, 

check www.farmcentre.com, 

Email council@cfbmc.com, or call 1- 

888-232-3262. 

Simply Accounting: 

Ted Ceelen, a Simply Accounting 

Certified Trainer from Hallville (near 

Melissa Dupont at right and Jim holding a sample cheque won 

by three previous students from CFBMC Essay Contest. 

• 32 • 

Kemptville), taught a computer 

class to explain the advantages 

of Simply Accounting 

computer accounting (accuracy, 

speed, tax preparation, 

management, etc), that thousands 

of farmers now profitably 

use. Simply Accounting 

has 60% of the business 

accounting market in Canada. 

Ted described how it generally 

takes farmers/students three to 

four hours to learn Simply 

Accounting and trainers can be 

found across Canada (usually 

within 25 kms of where anyone 

lives) check www.simplyaccounting.com/support/customersupport/. 

Simply Accounting normally costs 

about $200 each, but to help young 

farmers get started, Ted gave a free program 

to each of our 100 students, a gift 

potentially worth $20,000 to our students. 

This strengthens our relationship 

between our accounting/finance students 

and Simply Accounting. Ted can 

be reached at Email tceelen@thc-technology.com, 

613-989-2824, Website 

www.thc-technogy.com. 

Crop Insurance Benefits: 

Lorne Cooper, Chief Actuary of 

Agriculture Canada from Ottawa, 

described the benefits and rules of 

insurance for crops/items like BSE, 

wheat, Frost, Ice Storms, apples, tomatoes, 

hay, cash crops, etc. To set the 

rate for crop insurance, Agriculture 

Canada considers math models on all 

crops including historical yields, long 

term weather experiences, etc. 

Federal and Ontario Governments 

pay for all administration 

and overhead expenses, 

so the farmer pays only 

40% of the actually 

costs, and unlike USA 

crop insurance plans with 

built in profits, Canadian 

farmers do not have to 

pay for crop insurance 

profits. Thus Canadian 

farmers are getting a 

great deal on crop insurance. 

Lorne can be 

reached at Agriculture 

Canada Crop Insurance, 

Email lorne.cooper@ 

agr.gc.ca 613 759 1332.

ON CAMPUS 

Kemptville Campus 

‘Fun’ Raising 

By Jon Holmes 

United by a common cause, the 

students and the staff of the 

Kemptville Campus joined 

forces in order to raise money for the 

Easter Seals of Ontario through a charity 

Bowling tournament. Every 

Wednesday campus students enjoy 

bowling after class at the local alley 

because it is a great way to get to know 

your fellow students in a fun and 

friendly environment. The Kemptville 

Campus entered two teams in the tournament 

and was joined by members of 

the community to raise funds for a 

good cause. Our college staff team 

ended with the highest scores of the 

day, but the real winners were those 

who will benefit from the $4,500 

raised for Easter Seals and North 

Grenville Community 

Living. 

This is just an 

example of the many 

public events that the 


participates in for the 

better of the community. 

The students and 

staff alike are always 

willing to lend a helpful 

hand while having 

fun at the same time. 

See you there next 

year. 


open for success 

By Vanessa White 

Eighty-eight students and their 

families attended our campuswide 

open house hosted on 

October 23rd 2008; the day was filled 

with exciting possibilities for prospective 

students as well as a number of 

free prize draws and snacks. Staff and 

current students were on hand to 

demonstrate what life is like on the 

Kemptville Campus and to showcase 

the programs and courses offered by 

the Campus. Classrooms, labs, shops 

and barns were all open for prospective 

students to acquaint themselves to 

our facilities. The event worked in 

conjunction with this year’s CIP tour, 

which brought 24 of Ontario’s colleges 

on site to answer any questions 

posed in a free information session. 

The two events complemented each 

other nicely and ‘rounded the day’ 

with grace. At the end of the day, one 

lucky student walked away with a paid 

semester of tuition at the Kemptville 

Campus, but everyone walked home a 

winner with the knowledge and experience 

to help them make that big 

choice. This year’s open house will be 

on November 6, 2009. 

Applicants discover 


By Jon Holmes 

On March 6, 2009 applicants and 

their families joined us for our 

3rd annual Applicant Discovery 

Day which was operated in junction 

with College Royal. Seventy-three 

prospective students and approximately 

100 family members took the opportunity 

to meet program coordinators, 

ask questions, tour the campus and join 

a program specific workshop. Students 

interested in agriculture checked the 

current progress of our new dairy facility, 

welding students witnessed a 

demonstration of several different 

welding techniques, diesel equipment 

students tried some of the program 

equipment while equine students 

toured the horse barns and other facilities. 

Several visitors commented on the 

friendliness of campus staff and the 

‘small town atmosphere’ of the campus. 

Some families stayed the weekend 

in order to enjoy other College Royal 

activities including the horse show, calf 

sale and pancake breakfast. 

Kemptville Campus launches new Pre-Apprenticeship Welder Training Course 

By Jon Holmes 

We are pleased to announce the 

newest group of students to 

the Kemptville Campus: our 

Pre-Apprentice Welders. In response to 

the skilled trades shortage, the government 

of Ontario in partnership with the 

Kemptville Campus is offering a 40 

week Welder Pre-Apprenticeship program 

at no cost to the students. The new 

course, which launched April 20th, will 

be completely funded by the government 

of Ontario for tuition, supplies and 

equipment, as well as a shuttle bus providing 

transportation to and from 

Ottawa. Our Welder Pre-Apprenticeship 

program is designed to offer the 19 new 

students the practical training and experience 

necessary for a level 1 welding 

apprenticeship with MTCU. In addition 

• 33 • 

to learning all the basics of welding, students 

also receive courses in math, computers, 

communications and much more. 

The program launch was a big success 

with all 19 students attending a BBQ 

lunch with the director, faculty and teaching 

staff of the Kemptville Campus. We 

look forward to seeing this program blossom 

over the next 40 weeks and to seeing 

what becomes of these future welders.

ON CAMPUS 

What’s new in the Library this year 

Our Library received a 

$20,000.00 grant in 2008 to be 

used to improve facilities for 

our students with the new library location 

in mind. The grant was provided 

by the Student Federation of Ontario 

Agricultural College through the Student 

Enhancement Fund. 

Recent improvements include: 

• Establishment of a Student Café 

Located in Parish Building in an area 

adjacent to the Campus Bookstore, Student 

Gym and the location of the future 

student lounge and relocated library. 

Kris enjoying his work at the library. 

Guest Speakers welcomed 

to Large Dairy Herd class 

Doug Dulmage ‘74, Instructor for 

the Large Herd Dairy Management 

students, hosted the following 

guest speakers during the winter 

2009 term in Parish Auditorium: 

Bill Grexton, Canwest DHI, Guelph, 

ON. 

Topic: “Profit profiling for your dairy 

herd.” Mr. Grexton discussed the new 

optional program that is currently available 

for bench marking dairy herds. 

Dr. Ann Godkin, DVM, Disease Prevention 

(Cattle), OMAFRA, Fergus, ON. 

Topic: “Johne’s and the Proposal for 

Ontario Herds” 

Jean Baril, Eli Lilly Company Rep, 

on the role of “Rumensin in Johne’s Prevention” 

Canada Day 2008 on 


By Heather Watson 

That’s right, for the second year in 

a row Kemptville Campus hosted 

Canada Day celebrations for 

Kemptville and surrounding area! 

• 34 • 

Amy and Alex enjoy reading while relaxing. 

Café tables and chairs, artwork 

and coffee/hot chocolate 

dispenser are amongst 

the additions in the café. 

• Much needed improved 

seating and work areas within 

the library. Furniture for 

the new student lounge was 

included in this purchase. 

• Five new study carrels. 

• Five task chairs 

• Reading tables and 

accompanying chairs. 

• Two new flat screen 

televisions for the student 

café and the common area in 

Rorke Residence. 

New and improved 

Website 

Debra Simpson wears, as one of her 

hats, the position of Webmaster for the 

campus website. Debra was fortunate 

to obtain funding to hire Kris Sample 

as a Web Intern. Kris is redesigning 

our website using the template provided 

by the University of Guelph. Funding 

was provided through the Eastern 

Ontario Development Project, 

Grenville Community Futures Corporation. 

Young graduates are provided 

with an opportunity to gain experience 

in their chosen fields of study through 

the EODP. We were very fortunate to 

be able to employ Kris. He has done 

an excellent job. 

Check out the new website at 

http://www.kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca. 

KC staff float ‘Make Dreams Live’- 

Jack-and-the-Beanstock 

Our Canada Day began with the Kemptville Legion Breakfast (8-10am), 

then we were on our way to Oxford Mills for a flag-raising ceremony at noon, 

followed by a Lions Club BBQ, face painting and other festivities until 3pm. 

Starting at 1pm on Campus, we enjoyed live music, children’s games and 

activities, an artisan show, horse demonstrations, volleyball tournament, guitar 

hero contest, steak BBQ, beer tent... the list goes on 

The Rotary Club Parade marched through town beginning at 4pm and ending 

on Campus. Canada Day ended with a big bang as fireworks lit up the sky 

at dusk, followed by more music, dancing, and even a bonfire with s’mores. 

2008 was the most memorable Canada Day, ever! See the highlights in the 

photo spread on the opposite page. 

Bring your family, friends and your lawn chair to this spectacular event 

happening in our very own backyard. 

See you here for our CANADA DAY 2009!

ON CAMPUS 

Andy Sleeth with Steve Hand and son. 

Canada Day 2008 on Campus 

• 35 •

• 36 •

• 37 •

ON CAMPUS 

Food and Nutrition Program off 

and running again! 

by Paul Sharpe, Ph.D., 

Associate Director, Academic 

University of Guelph 


The Food, Nutrition and 

Risk Management Diploma 

will be running again 

in the 2009-10 adademic year! 

Coordinator Theo Hunter, instructors 

Liz Forbes and Don 

Theo Hunter 

Mercer, plus recruiters Jon Holmes and Vanessa White 

have worked hard for months to ensure that this program 

is ready to take students again. At this point, 13 

students have confirmed applications for the FNRM 

diploma plus one confirmed for the one year Food Service 

Worker Certificate (which uses the same courses). 

A number of mature students and students transferring 

from other institutions and programs are expected over 

the next three months. 

The new Agri-Food Leadership Diploma will be 

taught by instructors in both the FNRM and Agriculture 

Diploma programs. These three diploma programs complement 

each other and the Agri-Food Leadership Diploma 

should help to fill a training gap between the other 

two diplomas. 

The changing face of education at Kemptville 

By Natalie Dierx 

Traditionally, Kemptville Campus 

has offered agricultural education 

focusing on students with 

farm backgrounds interested in running 

their own farming business. Over the 

past year, staff has been working hard to 

develop a new diploma program, 

attracting a new kind of student: urban 

as well as rural. This program specializes 

in leadership related careers in the 

agriculture industry. 

This diploma, called Agri-Food 

Leadership Diploma, teaches students 

about the food supply chain. Special 

emphasis will be placed on leadership 

courses for students to develop the necessary 

skills to be successful in the 

industry. These courses will be augmented 

by science and business courses 

necessary for the technical competence 

the production industry requires. Possible 

careers include farm supply, processing, 

wholesale/distribution, retail, food 

safety and marketing, just to name few. 

A graduate of this diploma, who 

demonstrates strong leadership abilities 

as well as technical competence, will 

expect a vast array of career opportunities. 

It is a growing industry and is 

becoming more important every day in 

supplying food across Canada. A core 

group of college staff recognized the 

importance of this industry and how valuable 

this could be to Kemptville Campus. 

This diploma is unique in Ontario; it promotes 

entrepreneurism and leadership in 

a competitive market and will be highly 

sought after in the years to come. 

KC Charity Garage Sale Team with Community Living North 

Grenville Rep. 

Community Living North Grenville 

benefits from KC Charity Garage Sale 

University of Guelph Kemptville Campus held its second 

annual Charity Garage Sale this past October to 

raise money for Community Living North Grenville. 

Members of Kemptville Campus staff and the community 

were encouraged to donate their gently used items for this 

excellent cause, and this year’s event was a great success, 

raising $721.47! 

A special thank-you goes to everyone who showed their 

support for this great cause. Come out next year and help 

strengthen the fabric of our wonderful community. 

Community Living North Grenville believes that “all persons 

live in a state of dignity, share in all elements of living 

in the community, and have the opportunity to participate 

effectively.” 

Food Chain Management Diploma. 

The Food-Chain Management Diploma 

program is currently in the process 

of development with its many new 

courses and new market segment. Staff 

is expecting to start this program in the 

Fall of 2010. Anyone interested in more 

information about the diploma can contact 

Jim Fisher at jfisher@kemptvillec. 

uoguelph.ca or by phone at 613-258- 

8336, ext 61447. 

• 38 •

ON CAMPUS 

Funding to create 

‘Agri-Food Technology 

Transfer eNetwork’ 

The University of Guelph Kemptville 

Campus was pleased to announce in 

September 2008 that it received funding 

from Inukshuk Wireless for the development 

of a web-based technology transfer network 

to accelerate the pace of research 

uptake, increase the frequency of its integration 

into agricultural practice and commercialization, 

and ultimately stimulate rural 

economic development. 

The “Agri-Food Technology Transfer 

eNetwork” will create an innovative learning 

environment - an online network / infrastructure 

to convert and disseminate existing 

research findings into a variety of interactive, 

multimedia-based formats, making the information 

more accessible and understandable. 

Researchers, practitioners, academics, students, 

producer associations, government and 

non-government organizations and their communities, 

can use the eNetwork to develop an 

open and inclusive environment for information 

sharing, knowledge exchange, and collaboration. 

A Research Gallery and Researcher 

Profiles will provide users with easy access to 

both researcher and their research. 

This project is in direct response to the 

increased complexities facing the Agriculture 

Industry, recognizing the need for farmers, 

producers, and industry stakeholders to 

embrace new technologies and best practices. 

Web-based learning and communication are 

becoming more and more prevalent, and can 

be leveraged as a critical enabler for the Agriculture 

Industry in Canada. This initiative 

seeks to address the critical gap in technology 

transfer in the Agri-food Industry, by providing 

online mechanisms for information 

and technology dissemination among and 

between researchers and practitioners. 

“Inukshuk Wireless” is an equally owned partnership 

between Bell Canada and Rogers Communications created to: 

- Build and manage a Canada-wide wireless broadband 

network licensed by Industry Canada. Inukshuk Wireless’ 

network footprint will cover 45 cities and over 100 unserved 

rural and underserved communities across Canada by 

the end of 2008. 

- Fund content development projects to bring innovative 

web-based learning to rural communities 

For more information on Inukshuk Wireless, visit 

www.inukshuk.ca. 

Front Row: Laurie Scissons, Steph Nicholls, Back Row: Ellen Mooney, Pat 

Scissons, Bill Graham, Mike Goss, Elaine Graham, Diana & Jim Fisher. 

Absent from picture: Larry Fisher, Jennifer Martin & Jane Hunt. 

Kemptville ski trip 

to Gray Rocks 2009 

by Ellen Mooney 

The University of Guelph 

Kemptville Campus staff 

and friends went on a ski 

trip in March to Gray Rocks. It 

was the last week-end ever to ski 

at Gray Rocks. The ski hill and 

historic hotel and conference 

centre is closing after over three 

generations: 1905-2009. Only 

the golf course will remain open. 

Thank you to Diana Fisher and 

Pat Scissons for organizing the 

ski weekend. We are looking forward 

to going on a ski trip to 

Mont Gabriel in 2010. 

• 39 • 

KC Alumni Association (Pictured at 

the closing ceremonies for Gray 

Rocks ski hill) Ellen Mooney- retired 

staff, Mike Goss- Director, Steph 

Nicholls- president. 

For more information on the Agri-Food Tech Transfer 

eNetwork and University of Guelph Kemptville Campus initiatives, 

please contact: 

Heather Watson, Program Coordinator 

University of Guelph Kemptville Campus 

613-258-8336 x61377 

hwatson@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca or 

Pat Remillard, Manager of Business Development 


613-258-8336 x61418 

premilla@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca

ON CAMPUS 

Director announces $100,000 donation from Kubota Canada 

Allan Smith and Andy Sleeth. 


Kemptville Campus students 

receive 25 new diesel 

engines 

Dr. Michael Goss, Director 

at University of 

Guelph Kemptville 

Campus, was pleased to 

announce a recent donation 

made to the institute’s Power 

& Equipment Centre by Kubota 

Canada in spring of 2008. 

It was with extreme gratitude 

that the Power and 

Equipment Centre at Kemptville 

Campus accepted the 

generous donation of 25 brand 

new Z482 two-cylinder diesel engines 

valued at approximately $4000 each for 

a total value of $100, 000. 

Each engine was accompanied by a 

complete information package including 

a hardcopy owner’s manual and 

repair manual CD-Rom, which are 

invaluable teaching aids for the programs 

in which the engines will be 

used. 

Through its Mechanical Trades program, 

the Power & Equipment Centre 

offers the Diesel Equipment Mechanic 

and Farm Equipment & Heavy Equip- 

The donation is an invaluable teaching aid. 

ment apprenticeship programs. 

Currently, a high demand exists for 

trained professionals in the Equipment 

Trades. Kemptville Campus offers a 

way to fast track the career of potential 

students with a Ministry-approved two 

year course that allows them to complete 

all three apprenticeship levels, in 

addition to an advanced level, while 

gaining invaluable experience through 

hands-on training. 

Upon successful completion, graduates 

of the Mechanical Trades program 

can immediately start working as a paid 

apprentice. 

Some of the career 

fields graduates enter as a 

result of the training 

gained at Kemptville Campus 

are Farm Equipment 

Technician, Truck and 

Coach Technician, Railroad 

Equipment Technician, 

Heavy Equipment 

Technician and Marine 

Technician. 

The donated engines 

will be used to enhance 

program curriculum in 

such areas as engine fundamentals, 

diesel cylinder 

head and valve train components, 

diesel cylinder 

block assemblies, diesel 

engine cooling systems, 

diesel engine lubricating 

systems, diesel injection 

principals and diesel 

engines starting systems. 

• 40 • 

The Campus’ relationship 

with Kubota Canada is 

through Weageant Farm 

Supplies Brockville Ltd. 

and Topline Trailer and 

Equipment Sales Winchester 

(A division of 

Weageant). Andy Sleeth, 

Senior Lecturer and Allan 

Smith, Technician/Mechanic 

at Kemptville Campus, 

have been working with 

these companies for a number 

of years to ensure that 

the equipment on Campus is 

kept up to date and that a 

high standard of maintenance 

and safety is upheld. These companies 

have provided continuous support 

to the Campus’ educational offerings 

in a variety of ways, and have been 

instrumental in program success and 

student achievement. 

The 25 donated engines will greatly 

enhance the educational experience of 

each student through practical learning, 

allowing for up to 25 individual projects 

instead of students having to work 

in groups and share equipment. This 

brand new equipment will help students 

to stay at the cutting edge of technology 

as the industry advances. 

The KC Foundation is the principal 

fundraising arm of Kemptville Campus, 

dedicated to enhancing the learning 

and research opportunities, increasing 

the status and ensuring the longevity 

of the Campus as a leading education 

and training institution. 

For information about donations to 

Kemptville Campus, please contact the 

KC Foundation at 613-258-8336 

x.61413 or email info@kcf.ca. 

KC memorabilia 

Come and see the Alumni 

Display Cases in Parish 

filled with KC memorabilia 

over the years and including 

pictures taken at the 2009 KC 

Royal.

ON CAMPUS 

Campus authors: The Dehydrator Bible 

The book The Dehydrator Bible is 

the collaborative work of Jennifer 

MacKenzie, Jay Nutt, and Don 

Mercer. Jennifer is a professional home 

economist specializing in recipe development 

and testing; Jay is a chef and 

owns a gourmet food store; and Don is a 

Professional Engineer and Associate 

Professor in the Department of Food 

Science at the University of Guelph. He 

is located at the Kemptville Campus. 

This may seem like a rather strange 

partnership of authors - having an engineer 

working with a home economist 

and a chef to develop a cookbook. 

However, the skill-sets made for a very 

good working arrangement. While Jennifer 

and Jay were primarily focussed 

on the recipe development, Don investigated 

the best drying conditions for 

the wide variety of ingredients used in 

these recipes. The dried ingredients 

include herbs and seasonings, grains, 

fruits, fruit leathers, vegetables, and 

even beef jerky. The result was a 368 

page book published in March 2009 by 

Robert Rose Publishing of Toronto. 

Dehydrating is one of the most 

effective ways to preserve food for 

maximum nutrition at very low cost. 

Sales of home dehydrators are soaring 

as many cooks look for alternatives to 

purchasing commercial ingredients. 

There is also something incredibly satisfying 

about drying produce from your 

own garden and using it during the winter 

months. A book of this type serves 

as a comprehensive handbook for dehydrating 

foods at home. 

As the cover states, over 400 recipes 

are provided. They have been designed 

to appeal to a wide array of tastes, and 

feature contemporary ingredients such 

as whole grains. They work equally well 

in a home kitchen, in an RV, on a boat, 

or at a campsite. Examples of some of 

the recipes include: beef and potato 

stew; chicken pot pie; vegetable lasagna; 

zucchini and red pepper fritters; dried 

tomato and basil polenta; mushroom, 

herb and white wine sauce; and strawberry 

rhubarb tarts. Recommendations 

for buying a dehydrator and storing 

dehydrated foods are also included. 

Jennifer is also the author of The 

Complete Curry Cookbook and The 

Complete Book of Pickling. Some of 

you may be familiar with her recipes 

which are featured in the 2009 “Milk 

Calendar”. 

Claude Weil 

Claude Weil launches new book 

Claude Weil, Business 

Development Manager 

of Kemptville Campus, 

recently launched a new book 

co-authored with his friend, 

Raouf Omar, entitled Light 

Behind the Darkness: Stories 

of Compassion from the Holy 

Land. Jericho Restaurant in 

Ottawa, hosted the 

launches on April 21 

and 27, May 4 and 11, 

2009. 

The Ottawa Citizen 

featured this book 

on the front page of 

their April 20th Arts & 

Life section explaining 

how Raouf Omar, 

a Palestinian, and 

Claude Weil, a former 

Israeli soldier, became 

trusted friends before 

publishing a book 

together. 

Light Behind the 

Darkness focuses on 

the humanity experienced on 

both sides of war and to show 

a way forward with mutual 

respect. 

The book can be purchased 

on line at Chapters Indigo 

(they also have a few in-store 

Claude Weil in 1975 

copies) and it is starting to be 

available in book stores. Plans 

are in the works to have this 

book available through area 

churches, mosques and synagogues 

to raise funds for Middle-East 

peace initiatives. 

• 41 •

ON CAMPUS 

A visitor from Africa co-hosts informative luncheon seminar 

By Bre Wick, Financial Support, 



As some of you may know, I 

spent two weeks 

in Kenya in January 

of 2007 and will be 

going back to Africa in 

July — Botswana this 

time! My first trip to 

Africa was through my 

involvement with the 

local charity Our Kenyan 

Kids (www.okkids.ca). 

My upcoming trip is 

through the World University 

Service of Canada 

/ Canadian International 

Development Agency 

Bre Wick 

program, Leave for Change. 

I will be working with an AIDS 

intervention program, training their 

staff and helping build their 

business/accounting 

skills capacity. It is going 

to be a whirlwind summer! 

All of us shared a 

little of that whirlwind 

when my friend from 

Kenya, Kyambi (pronounced 

kee-AM-bee) 

Kavali, visited the 

Ottawa area on June 8 to 

co-host a luncheon with 

me on campus by 

Chartwells, including a 

presentation by both 

Kyambi and myself. 

Kyambi and her niece. 

Another great year for REALS 

Experience through career exploration! 

By Jon Holmes 

It has been another successful year for the REALS program 

here at the Kemptville Campus. REALS (standing 

for: Reconnecting and Engaging through Apprenticeship 

and Local Skills) 

was developed as a way to 

reach hands-on students and 

expose them to the potential 

careers in the skilled trades 

and Agri-food industry. Participating 

high school students visit the campus to take 

part in a one or two day workshop which showcases our 

programs and the careers available through the 


Truly it is due to the tireless efforts of the instructors at 

the Kemptville Campus who make REALS possible; without 

their help there would be no REALS. The program 

instructors are always willing to accept the REALS students 

into their classrooms or workshops and always take 

the extra effort to make them feel at home and to expose 

them to what we do here at the Kemptville Campus. 

The positive reaction from the school boards is 

equaled only by the number of smiling faces seen leaving 

our campus after a REALS event. This year we were 

able to accommodate students in both spring and fall 

sessions, the school boards and the campus together 

welcome the bright future of the REALS program. 

SAD NEWS... from Earl Hicks 

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the 

entertainment community. The Pillsbury 

Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection 

and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the 

belly. He was 71. 

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. 

Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, 

including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California 

Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and 

Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with 

flours. 

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly 

described Doughboy as a man who never knew how 

much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in 

show business, but his later life was filled with 

turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, 

wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. 

Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a 

crusty old man and was considered a positive roll 

model for millions. 

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two 

children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had 

one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly 

father, Pop Tart. 

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. 

If this made you smile for even a brief second, 

please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on 

and share that smile with someone else who may be 

having a crumby day and kneads it. 

• 42 •

ON CAMPUS 

Ryan’s Legacy Well unveiled 

The unveiling of Ryan’s Legacy Well constructed at our 

Agroforestry Centre, Bedell Road, on August 22, 

2008 was an honour and a delight for Kemptville 

Campus and University of Guelph staff and faculty. This 

well pays tribute to Ryan Hreljac, a local young man who 

has now just celebrated the construction of the 500th well in 

developing countries from his first humble efforts as a child. 

Over half a million people are drinking clean water in 15 

countries thanks to the Ryan’s Well Foundation. 

This particular project began in 2004 when Ryan received 

Rotary International’s prestigious Paul Harris Award from 

the Kemptville Rotary Club. It is the first step in a partnership 

between the municipality of North 

Grenville, University of Guelph Kemptville 

Campus and the Ryan’s Well Foundation – so 

everyone may have clean water. Appreciation 

goes to Valley Plumbing and Water Treatment 

for the well construction. 

Among those present were John Gerretsen, 

Ontario Minister of Environment; Joanne 

Shoveller, VPAlumni Affairs & Development; 

Dr. Robert Gordon, Dean of OAC at University 

of Guelph; Mayor Bill Gooch and Dr. 

Michael Goss, Director of Kemptville Campus. 

Programs and informational brochures 

were distributed, while hundreds of people 

were directed to either the AM Barr Arena to 

catch a shuttle bus, or to the start of the trails 

leading to the festivities at the centre. 

Above: Dr. Michael Goss, Jimmy, Ryan, 

Joanne Shoveller, VP - Alumni Affairs 

and Development, UofG and Dr. Robert 

Gordon. At left: Ryan and Jimmy. 

Equine Rider Bootcamp Fitness, a fun alternative to cookie-cutter gyms 

By Maureen Venables 

Our Rider Bootcamp Fitness 

instructor and participants were 

interviewed by CBC Radio in 

October 2008 – please see below. This 

course is offered through Kemptville 

Campus’ Business Development Centre 

and is held every Tuesday evening. Call 

Maureen at ext 61619 if you’d like to 

join or need more information. 

Also in October 2008, Elizabeth 

Hay from CBC Radio interviewed Dr. 

Deb Bennett. Dr. Bennett is a world 

leader in equine conformation, anatomy 

and biomechanics and Kemptville 

Campus was fortunate enough to have 

her as our keynote speaker at the ‘Balance 

in Motion’ Symposium 

The Symposium hosted Dr. Bennett 

as well as Heather Sansom from 

EquiFitt, Lynda Cho of Tender Touch 

Equine Therapy, Dr. Gordon Chang, 

nutrition expert and Genevieve Kendall. 

From Heather Sansom, MA, CSP, 

PTS, Owner, Personal Trainer, 

Equifitt course instructor... 

I had the very great pleasure this 

week of doing an interview with Elizabeth 

Hay, CBC producer of the radio 

show ‘Fit at Fifty’. This show features 

interviews with a wide variety of fitness 

facilities and health practitioners on a 

weekly basis as the host goes through a 

kind of ‘reality radio’ ‘fit after fifty’ journey. 

The CBC contacted me after hearing 

about my participation in last weekend’s 

special ‘Balance in Motion’ symposium 

at U Guelph Kemptville Campus. 

In addition to a lifelong interest in 

fitness/active living, Ms. Hay has a personal 

interest in equestrian sport. Needless 

to say, I was very glad to learn the 

• 43 • 

interview would be radio and not TV. 

Ms. Hay came to Kemptville Campus to 

observe the rider fitness class that I do 

there, and she also interviewed staff 

from the College and participants in the 

course. It was fun and she put me at 

ease right away as Ms. Hay is quite 

familiar with a wide range of fitness 

practices. The show aired on October 

25th on the dial at 91.5 FM and then 

again on CBC. You never know what a 

day’s work will turn up! 

The economy might be causing concern- 

but your health doesn’t need to 

be... Feel Great! Sign up for classes and 

bootcamps in Kemptville, or create a 

fall fitness blast package that includes 

personal training time. Email, phone or 

go to: www.equifitt.com for class 

schedules. Equestrian Fitness options 

also available.

ON CAMPUS 

Leave for Change: Assignment Malawi 

By Donald G. Mercer, Ph.D., P.Eng., Associate Professor, 

Department of Food Science, Kemptville Campus 

Leave for Change is a program sponsored by the World 

University Service of Canada (WUSC), the Canadian 

International Development Agency (CIDA), and various 

employers across Canada, including the University of 

Guelph. The idea is for employees of these organizations to 

volunteer three weeks of their annual vacation leave to work 

on assignments in developing nations. During 2008, six University 

of Guelph staff members participated in assignments 

in Botswana (2), Vietnam (2), Guatemala (1), and Malawi 

(1). Projects covered such diverse topics as working with 

women in crisis; setting up computer databases for monitoring 

health-related issues; assisting the hospitality industry to 

promote tourism; and working with the agri-food sector. 

Logistical arrangements and project administration were handled 

by “Uniterra” of Ottawa. 

I was privileged to be given an assignment in Malawi from 

July 27 to August 17, 2008. It was directed towards identifying 

the challenges being faced by the agri-food sector. This 

involved meeting with representatives of cooperatives, industry, 

government, academia, and agricultural associations 

within the Farmers Union of Malawi. A two-day workshop 

was then presented to leaders of international aid organizations 

plus officials from government, industry, and academia. 

Agriculture and food processing in Sub-Saharan Africa 

are incredibly different than in North America. The farms are 

small (one to two hectares) and there is a noticeable absence 

of mechanization. While some of the challenges are the same 

as those faced in more developed countries, there are many 

that are unique to this part of the world. With so many smallhold 

farms, it is extremely difficult to provide adequate technical 

input that would help increase productivity and yields. 

The scale of food processing in Malawi is so small and 

labour-intensive that it cannot compete with larger companies 

that sell their products in Malawi. As an example, a commercial 

fruit juice processor used a kitchen juicer to squeeze tangerines 

and oranges, then heated the juice in five-litre batches in 

two kitchen-scale pressure 

cookers to process it 

prior to putting it in plastic 

bottles and selling it at 

the local market. Only 

two hundred 250 mL bottles 

could be produced 

each day. This is in comparison 

with more automated 

processes used in 

North America that can 

put out 100 packages or 

more per minute. Similarly, 

a dairy cooperative 

was able to process only 

Deforestation of hillsides (left photo) caused 

by burning of trees for charcoal (right photo). 

• 44 • 

200 litres of milk from 

the more than 4,000 litres 

collected from its mem- 

Farmer after completing milk delivery to dairy in Malawi. 

bers each day (the remainder was sold to a larger competing 

commercial dairy). The milk was pasteurized by putting it into 

plastic pouches, sealing them, and holding it in these pouches in 

a hot water bath for well over thirty minutes before cooling. 

Without exception, the major challenges faced by producers 

and processors in Malawi are financial. Government 

assistance is provided to farmers primarily through subsidies 

for such items as fertilizer. There is such a high dependence 

on fertilizer that without it, the country is in danger of not producing 

adequate amounts of maize to feed its population of 

thirteen million. In spite of government assistance, farmers 

are often victimized by unscrupulous practices such as traders 

who buy maize at the time of harvest, store it, and sell it back 

to the farmers at excessively high prices during the dry season. 

Government intervention is planned to address this issue. 

As in almost all countries of the world, the agri-food sector 

in Malawi is faced by high input costs. Fertilizer prices 

have tripled in the past three years. Gasoline and diesel fuel 

prices skyrocketed during 2008. Electricity is not only expensive, 

but its supply is also limited. Frequent power brownouts 

and total black-outs make reliable operation of industrial-scale 

processes almost impossible.

ON CAMPUS 

Land stewardship and a general regard for the environment 

are conspicuously absent. Hillsides that were completely 

covered by trees ten years ago are now totally bare. As a 

result, erosion has removed the soil from the slopes. This is 

the outcome of a rather strange arrangement regarding charcoal 

production. In Malawi, it is not against the law to produce 

charcoal, but it is an offense to purchase it. Black-market 

sales of charcoal appear to be thriving while trees continue 

to be destroyed. Meanwhile, only those unfortunate 

enough to get caught buying the charcoal are penalized. The 

producers are basically immune from prosecution. Waste 

management is also a non-event. Garbage is dumped in gullies, 

ditches, and along riverbanks where contaminants leach 

into the water which is later used 

for domestic purposes. This also 

encourages the proliferation of 

rats and other vermin. 

Overall food safety is an issue 

throughout the entire food chain. 

Handling practices for herbicides 

and pesticides are dubious. 

“Dumping” of chemicals from 

offshore into Malawi has created 

difficulties in dealing with 

unknown strengths and usage levels. 

Transportation of finished 

products and raw materials is a 

major problem faced by all those 

in the agri-food sector. In 

Malawi, there is only one major 

highway, while secondary routes 

are very poor with patched-up 

wooden bridges. On top of this, 

there is an inadequate supply of vehicles appropriate for distributing 

perishable products. One growers’ cooperative 

hired a person to take its production of fruit juice to market 

in Lilongwe (the capital city of Malawi) by bus each morning 

and return later in the day - a round trip distance of nearly two 

hundred kilometres! 

Theft is another problem that is alarmingly common. A 

macadamia plantation had experienced theft of these highvalue 

nuts during the night. When officials raided homes of 

the suspected thieves, they found huge quantities of the 

macadamia nuts bagged and awaiting shipment out of the 

country. In another case, wiring for new landing lights at one 

of the country’s major airports was stolen. When replacement 

wiring and new transformers were brought in, they too 

were stolen. The end result of this has been that night landings 

are no longer possible at this airport and the area economy 

has suffered. Even the handles from the pumps on wells 

at cooperatives were stolen for their scrap metal value. 

Seed multiplier associations in Malawi face an interesting 

situation that can be attributed to a lack of equipment to 

process their seed. As a consequence, they have been forced 

to rely on obtaining such services from large multi-national 

companies with whom they are essentially in competition. 

These companies then charge high prices and reduce the profitability 

of such ventures to the membership. Much of the 

potential profit is diverted to the multi-nationals and ultimately 

leaves the country. The Malawi Organic Growers 

Association (MOGA) represents over 20,000 members who 

are so poor that they cannot afford to pay any annual membership 

fees to support the organization which ultimately 

could provide them with the necessary technical information 

to improve their profitability. 

One of the interesting outcomes of my trip to Malawi 

came as the Director of WUSC-Malawi, Jacob Mapemba, 

and I were having a discussion during breakfast about valueadded 

opportunities. We could see mango trees beginning to 

flower, which turned the conversation to the incredible waste 

that occurs when the mangoes ripen during a short period of 

time. When they mature, mangoes 

can be seen literally rotting 

in piles by the roadside as residents 

try to sell them for a few 

“kwatchas” (100 kwatchas equal 

about 70¢ US). Based on some 

experience with drying mangoes 

in the lab back in Kemptville, I 

mentioned that they were relatively 

easy to dry and had a good 

shelf-life with minimal needs for 

specialized storage conditions. 

From this, Jacob made me promise 

to include a two-hour presentation 

on mango processing and the 

potential value-addition to be realized 

through mango drying in the 

two-day workshop. The case 

study made a favourable impression 

on those attending. A follow- 

Decking on a typical bridge in rural Malawi. 

up investigation into the details of 

mango drying was begun shortly after my return to Canada in 

late August. The project report has now been forwarded to 

WUSC - Malawi for consideration of a pilot study into the 

drying of mangoes. Mango drying work will also be continued 

in the Kemptville lab. 

Health issues in Malawi were a real eye-opening experience. 

HIV / AIDS has had a devastating effect on the nation’s 

economy and on the lives of the people in general. It is estimated 

that over 12% of the population is infected, which is 

down slightly from previous years. AIDS-related deaths have 

struck many during their peak years of productivity, thereby 

creating a knowledge-base problem for the agri-food sector. 

Without these experienced individuals, there is a lack of 

skilled labour and a scarcity of trainers for younger people 

coming into various trades. On top of this is the tragedy of 

countless orphans who must be given care by already overextended 

government agencies. 

In spite of what it may seem from the preceding account, 

Malawi is a wonderful country that has great potential for 

future growth. Through international programs to provide 

technical input and financial assistance, United Nations Millennium 

Development Goals of reducing hunger and poverty 

can be achieved. My experiences in Malawi were extremely 

gratifying and I will always have fond memories of the time 

spent in “the warm heart of Africa”. 

• 45 •

ON CAMPUS 

Eggcellent Education: Interactive educational tour for Grades JK - 6 

By Anne Kotlarchuk 

Conference and Catering Services, with the 

help of BBRM intern Kara Edwards, 

embarked on a new program last winter. 

After months of AUP application compilation and 

ultimate approval, February 10th was the date of 

the first grade 1-2 class to visit the Egg Hatching 

Incubation display in Room B10 of the Administration 

Building. What a site it was - to have little 

feet in this building! 

This new Egg Hatching Program is designed 

around the curriculum requirements for grades one 

and two, as young students visit the chicks before, 

during and after they hatch. Visits are targeted for 

each grade –with an optional one hour extended 

tour through our dairy facilities. For example, egg 

carton crafts are created with the primary classes. 

Basic tours are one and a half hours in length with 

an additional hour for extended tours. 

Anyone is welcome to visit the chicks when 

they’re born during spring break week (mid-February). 

Contact the KC Conference and Catering Services 

at 613 258-8336, ext. 61234. 

Egg Hatching with Anne Kotlarchuk and Kara Edwards. 

Grade 1 teacher’s question sparks entire egg hatching program 

By Kara Edwards 

It all started with an email from a 

South Branch Elementary School 

Grade 1 teacher that sparked the 

University of Guelph, Kemptville 

Campus into developing an entire egg 

hatching program to provide local 

grade one and two students with a 

hands-on learning approach to science. 

Joanne O’Connor of South 

Branch Elementary was looking for a 

local hatching program for the students 

in her class to aid in teaching the 

Needs and Characteristics of Living 

Things portion of the Grade 1 curriculum. 

After contacting the conferencing 

department at the Kemptville Campus, 

we went full force on developing a 

program for the students. 

The program provides an interactive 

approach and is designed around 

the curriculum requirements for Grade 

1 and Grade 2. Students come to the 

campus to visit the chicks before and 

after they hatch. Visits are targeted 

specifically for each grade and the students 

learn about the care of the chicks 

while observing their growth over the 

course of two weeks. In the first week, 

the classes participated in hands-on 

activities such as weighing the eggs, 

chick crafts and naming of the chicks. 

During week two of the program, 

classes focused on aspects relating to 

the growth, development and care of 

the chicks within the science curriculum 

requirements for grades one and 

two. Each class was assigned a specific 

chick which they weigh at each visit 

and observe growth changes. Classes 

also had the option of extending their 

visit and touring the dairy production 

facilities on campus. 

The program had its official kickoff 

in January when the first batch of 

eggs was put into the incubator and 

became an official success at 4 a.m. 

on Friday the 13th when the first of 

the incubated chicks hatched from 

his egg. Three more chicks hatched 

over the following days and students 

from both Kemptville Public School 

and South Branch Elementary 

School made visits during that week. 

Students were very enthusiastic to 

learn about the chicks and egg hatching 

and enjoyed the enriching experience 

of learning outside their normal 

classroom. 

A class from Kemptville Public 

School was even lucky enough to 

witness a chick hatch during their 

visit on Friday afternoon, leaving the 

20 Grade 1 students mesmerized. 

This program truly became a full 

campus effort as the eggs were turned 

and monitored three times per day 

while in incubation. A second hatching 

is planned to take place this year in 

June and the campus is also hoping to 

hatch duck eggs during this session. 

For more information regarding 

the program or to book a visit, please 

contact the Kemptville Campus at 

258-8336, ext. 61234. 

• 46 •

ON CAMPUS 

AgriBusiness eCampus officially launched at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 


Kemptville Campus held 

the Official Launch of its 

new online initiative, the 

AgriBusiness eCampus (ABe- 

Campus) on Tuesday, September 

9th at Canada’s Outdoor 

Farm Show in Woodstock, 

Ontario. 

As Director of Agricultural 

Development, Aileen MacNeil 

brought greetings on behalf of 

the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, 

Food & Rural Affairs and 

was guest speaker at the Launch. 

MacNeil described the ABe- 

Campus as responding to “both 

a need and an opportunity to 

use technology to help increase 

access to new learning tools in 

agricultural business management 

– and provide increased 

opportunities for life-long 

learning.” 

The AgriBusiness eCampus 

is a web-based resource portal 

for agribusiness management 

and entrepreneurism - knowledge 

and information. The 

ABeCampus brings together educators, 

government, non-government, and 

industry associations creating a unique 

partnership network; providing farmers, 

producers and agriculture professionals 

with direct access to online and 

face-to-face business management 

tools: training, information, resources 

and networking. 

“By working together,” MacNeil 

affirms, “this partnership has been able 

to tap into far greater strengths than any 

one of us could have done alone.” 

The current partnership includes the 

Kemptville Campus of the University 

of Guelph, OMAFRA, the Ontario Cattlemen’s 

Association, the Canadian 

Farm Business Management Council, 

and Farms.com. “These partners understand 

the critical role of continuous 

learning and skills development in the 

long term prosperity of the agriculture 

sector,” MacNeil maintains. Indeed, the 

strength and success of this program 

lies in collaboration and partnership; an 

ongoing endeavour as the depth and 

scope of the program grows. 

John A. Anderson (left), ABeCampus advisor and Aileen 

MacNeil, guest speaker and Director of Agricultural 

Development with OMAFRA, at official launch. 

• 47 • 

“In our knowledge-based economy 

and society, change is constant,” 

claimed MacNeil, adding “For our sector 

to be successful, farm managers and 

employees must embrace lifelong 

learning – and constantly learn new 

skills and train for new challenges.” 

As the “go-to place” for agriculture 

management learning tools and 

resources, the eCampus provides 

greater access to farmers, producers 

and related agriculture professionals, 

and creates a common space to meet, 

network, and exchange information. 

The ABeCampus program is customized 

according to the unique 

lifestyles of the agriculture industry - 

offering 24-hour online access to 

products and services – anywhere at 

anytime, so that learning opportunities 

may fit around work and home life 

schedules. 

Spokesperson on behalf of the 

AgriBusiness eCampus and advisory 

board member John A. Anderson, 

KPMG Consultant and Farm Advisor, 

spoke of the aim of the eCampus project 

- “to cultivate a ‘culture of 

business management through 

life-long learning’ in order to 

develop highly qualified business 

managers in agriculture 

and agri-food, and to promote 

the importance of enhanced 

farm business management 

skills for the sustained growth 

and development of the agricultural 

industry both provincially, 

and nationally.” 

Mr.Anderson gave guests at 

the Launch a virtual tour of the 

program and all of its features 

from online courses (eCourses) 

to a knowledge database (eLibrary). 

The ABeCampus program is 

initially focusing on 5 areas of 

farm business management: 

Strategic and Business Planning, 

Business Succession Planning 

and New Entrants, Commodity 

Marketing, Domestic and Global 

Marketing and Human Resource 

Management. 

Program Components 

include: 

eSchool - AgriBusiness eCourses 

are continuous intake, non-credit, indepth, 

self-study, affordable short 

courses aimed at mature students and 

adult learners, providing the practical 

tools applicable to their farm business 

today. Information-sharing opportunities 

are facilitated through eDiscussions 

open for general chat and specific 

course-related discussion. Facilitators 

are a phone call or click away to 

answer any questions. No prerequisites 

required. 

eCourses available: 

• Strategic Business Planning: The First 

Step to a Successful Business 

• Managing People on Your Farm 

• Farm Safe: Creating a Safety Culture 

for your Farm Operation 

• Marketing Concepts & Overview 

• Niche vs. Brand Management 

• Managing Market Information to 

Manage Market Risk 

• Global Marketing 

• Commodity Marketing

ON CAMPUS 

eLibrary — A compilation of the 

best resources in agribusiness management 

in a variety of learning formats 

from online articles to tutorials, 

videos, worksheets, calculators 

and more. 

eConsult — Organic Meadows 

Inc. in collaboration with 

the University of Guelph 

Kemptville Campus have developed 

an electronic Workbook to 

assist conventional dairy farmers 

evaluate the business risk 

associated with converting to 

organics. Students register for 

the eConsult and work one-on-one with 

a facilitator to develop their “workbook.” 

Budgets and management scores 

are produced that project the financial 

outcomes and risk in transition year 1 

through to mature organic status. 

eForums — Bypass the time and 

geographic constraints of face-to-face 

interaction. Connect with fellow farmers 

and agricultural professionals to 

build an effective support network for 

your farm business endeavours in collaboration 

with the ‘Farms.com’ family 

including Agri-Ville.com, TopManagers.ca, 

AgVisionTV. 

Workshops, Seminars, Conferences 

— Direct access to face-to-face 

and online networking opportunities as 

well as information training sessions 

for various agribusiness management 

topics, in collaboration with industry 

partners and organizations. 

The AgriBusiness eCampus provides 

a solid foundation for farm business 

management growth and development 

for the agricultural community, 

said Heather Watson, Program Coordinator 

for the eCampus, adding “As the 

partnership network continues to 

expand, new opportunities for the 

eCampus are constantly being realized. 

“A coordinated resource centre for 

education and information, giving 

Agri-Food Businesses - farmers 

and producers, the knowledge 

and skills they require.” 

This has resulted in a number of spinoff 

projects. We have recently received 

funding from Inukshuk Wireless Inc. (a 

partnership between Bell & Rogers) for 

the development of a web-based Agri- 

Food Tech Transfer eNetwork to accelerate 

the pace of research uptake, 

increase the frequency of its integration 

into agricultural practice and commercialization, 

and ultimately stimulate 

rural economic development.” 

The “Agri-Food Technology Transfer 

eNetwork” will create an innovative 

learning environment - an online network 

/ infrastructure to convert and 

disseminate existing research findings 

into a variety of interactive, multimedia-based 

formats, making the information 

more accessible and understandable. 

Researchers, practitioners, 

academics, students, producer associations, 

government and non-government 

organizations and their communities, 

can use the eNetwork to develop 

an open and inclusive environment 

for information sharing, knowledge 

exchange, and collaboration. A 

Research Gallery and Researcher Profiles 

will provide users with easy access 

to both researcher and their research. 

MacNeil concluded her address, 

stating “I look forward to seeing 

the impact of this project. I also 

look forward to OMAFRA’s 

continued involvement through 

staff contributing their business 

management expertise to the 

ongoing development and continuous 

improvement of the 

learning opportunities available 

through the AgriBusiness eCampus 

over the years ahead.” 

The AgriBusiness eCampus is 

in direct response to the increased complexities 

facing the Agriculture Industry, 

recognizing the need for farmers, 

producers, and industry stakeholders to 

embrace best practices in farm business 

management. Web-based learning and 

communication are becoming more and 

more prevalent, and can be leveraged as 

a critical enabler for the Agriculture 

Industry in Canada and around the 

world. Visit our website at www. 

AgriBusinesseCampus.com. 

For more information on AgriBusiness 

eCampus, please contact: 

Teri Devine 


P.O. Box 2003, 830 Prescott St. 

Kemptville, ON, Canada K0G 1J0 

613-258-8336, ext.61377 

tdevine@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

2009 

College Royal 

Committee: 

March 3 to 7 

President: Justin Williams 

Secretary: Matthew English 

Treasurer: Raedeen McEachern 

Advertisement: Roy Hofhuis 

Sponsorship: Mathijs Breteler 

Livestock Show: Marcy MacLeod 

Horse Show: Meagan Strong 

Hockey Tournament: Len Callaghan 

Farmer’s Olympics: Aggie Club 

Kids Activities: Jenny Papworth 

Calf Sale: Rob Nelson & Scott Groniger 

Power & Equipment Games: Scott Smith 

King & Queen contest: Meagan Strong 

Student Milking: Len Callaghan 

Banquet Organizers: Lauren Smith 

& Stephanie King 

Photographer: Kalina Rutledge 

Staff Advisors: 

Theo Hunter & 

Tim Rennie 

2009 CR Logo 

by Roy Hofhuis 

• 48 •

RESEARCH 

Research and Innovation at Kemptville Campus 

With thanks to Heather Watson 

Kemptville Campus recognizes 

the dynamic nature of the agricultural 

industry, and acknowledges 

the need to anticipate and respond 

to the emerging opportunities to maintain 

its commitment to education 

and research. Accordingly, 

Kemptville’s research aims 

to support and strengthen agrifood 

and allied industries, with 

a particular focus in Eastern 

and Northern Ontario. 

The campus is undergoing a 

resurgence of research capability 

with an increased number of 

scientists with specializations 

in dairy science, animal science 

- equine, crops, food science 

and land resource management. 

Following is a sample of some of the 

research and innovation currently taking 

place at Kemptville Campus 

focused on environmental and energy 

savings, cattle nutrition, management 

and behaviour, and equine health and 

reproduction. 

Environmental 

& Energy Savings: 

The Effect of the Ethanol 

Industry on 

the Cost of 

Feeding Cattle 

in Canada 

Researchers: Jim 

Fisher, Dr. Glenn 

Fox, Dr. Getu Hailu 

and Dr. Andreas 

Boecker, MSc candidate 

Alex 

Jim Fisher DeJong 

In light of the recent and ongoing 

fuel vs. food debate, Kemptville 

researchers are studying the effects 

of ethanol production on the cost of 

feeding cattle in Canada. More specifically, 

they are determining how increases 

in ethanol production impact the 

regional supply of fed cattle across 

North America by measuring the 

demand for corn by ethanol plants relative 

to that required for cattle feed. 

This research offers insight into the 

complicated relationship between the 

commodity price of corn, fossil fuels, 

and ethanol production on the one hand, 

and on the other, policy 

changes resulting from supporting 

alternative energy 

production such as ethanol. 

Next Steps 

In the fall of 2008 and 

2009, research focuses on 

farm level and regional 

impacts of ethanol production 

on the cow-calf and 

feeder cattle markets. 

Demand for feeder cattle 

is derived from the 

demand for fed cattle, and this in turn 

affects the demand for beef. 

Heather Watson 

Environmental, Economic 

and Time Savings Using 

Reverse Osmosis Technology 

in Maple Syrup Production 

• 49 • 

Researchers: Simon Lachance, Tim 

Chajkowski and Dr. Tim Rennie 

It typically takes 40 litres of maple sap 

to produce one litre of maple syrup; a 

process requiring significant energy 

from burning wood, 

fuel oil, or natural 

gas. The burning of 

fossil fuels, however, 

is a major contributor 

to environmental 

and economic 

concerns. Kemptville 

Campus operates 

a demonstrative 

maple production 

facility compro- 

Tim Chajkowski 

mised of 1200 taps in 800 maple trees 

using an oil-fired evaporator. 

Researchers at Kemptville Campus have 

been looking for ways to minimize both 

the environmental and economic costs of 

maple production. 

Before maple sap is evaporated, 

Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology 

removes a large portion of water from 

the sap, thus reducing boiling time in the 

evaporator and the energy requirements 

for the evaporation process. On average, 

the RO unit at Kemptville reduce the 

amount of liquid running into the evaporator 

by 73%, leading to the following 

savings during the 2007 sugaring season 

at Kemptville Campus (see chart below). 

While the preliminary research is in 

maple syrup production, environmental 

and energy savings as a result of RO 

technology are applicable to other processing 

industries. 

Next Steps 

Looking ahead, researchers will be 

investigating the use of bio-oil as an 

alternative energy source in oil-fired 

evaporators. Successful implementation 

will result in maple syrup production 

with overall lower green house gas 

(GHG) emissions and reduced reliance 

on petroleum-based fuels. The bio-oil 

will be produced through fast pyrolysis 

of wood residues (waste products). 

Biomass Production on 

Marginal Lands for 

Industrial Purposes 

Researchers: Dr. Ashraf Tubeileh, Dr. 

Tim Rennie 

Kemptville Campus, in partnership 

with Performance Plants 

Inc., the Sustainable Bioeconomy 

Centre (SBC) at Queen’s University 

Savings 

Evaporator and operator running time costs 287.1 hrs. 

Litres of Oil Used 

> 4,000 litres saved 

Oil Consumption Costs* 

$2,440 (at $.60/L) 

Reduction of CO 2 emissions > 10 tonnes of C0 2 

*Since 2007, oil costs have increased dramatically. Therefore savings would be 

significantly larger now and will likely increase in the future, as oil costs continue to rise.

RESEARCH 

and the Lafarge cement plant in Bath, 

Ontario are investigating the feasibility 

of growing non-food crops such as miscanthus 

and switchgrass as sustainable 

energy sources that could lead to drastic 

reductions in greenhouse emissions. 

Miscanthus and switchgrass are 

among the most promising biofuel 

species, due to lower management and 

input requirements and higher biomass 

production compared to other biofuel and 

food crops, such as grain corn, soybean, 

and canola. These fast-growing, large biomass 

grasses can prosper on poorly 

drained land, making this project wellsuited 

to Eastern and Northern Ontario, 

where poor-quality lands are abundant. 

Energy output will be determined 

for different crop species, evaluating 

the full economic and environmental 

impact of using renewable energy crops 

including their “carbon footprint” and 

“net energy balance”. 

Next Steps 

Small replicated plots will be laid out 

according to randomized design to study 

the establishment, survival, and yields of 

the different species under experimental 

management conditions over the next 

four years, as well as investigating fertility 

and weed management. 

Cattle: 

Researcher: Dr. Trevor DeVries 

Learning and Management 

of Dietary 

Selection in 

Dairy Cattle: 

The most common 

feeding practice 

for dairy cows 

is to feed a total 

mixed ration, which 

contains a mixture 

of various feed 

components that 

Dr. Trevor deVries 

are balanced to 

meet the nutrient requirements of the 

cows. Despite providing a fairly homogenous 

mixture, cows typically preferentially 

select (sort) highly fermentable, 

grain concentrate particles over longer 

forage particles. Sorting can lead to 

cows eating a very different ration than 

what the nutritionist initially formulated, 

and increase the risk of metabolic problems 

(e.g. ruminal acidosis). Furthermore, 

early research shows that this sorting 

is linked to early learned behaviour. 

As such, researchers at Kemptville are 

currently working on several research 

projects that are aimed at understanding 

what factors, including early learning, 

management, and housing, influence 

sorting behaviour. Researchers hope that 

results will show how to best manage 

the feeding of cattle to improve efficiency, 

growth, health and welfare. 

Relationship between 

Lying Behaviour and 

Mastitis in Dairy Cattle 

Subclinical mastitis is recognized 

worldwide as one of the most prevalent 

health problems for the dairy industry, 

and one of the major sources of infection 

is the lying area (bedding) of dairy 

cattle. Kemptville researchers are currently 

conducting a multi-farm study, 

as part of the Canadian Bovine Mastitis 

Research Network National Cohort 

of Dairy Farms Study, to evaluate how 

standing/ lying behaviour relates to the 

udder health of lactating dairy cows. 

The presence of fresh feed around 

milking time is thought to stimulate 

cows to feed rather than to lie down, 

thereby potentially reducing the risk of 

mastitis by providing more time for the 

teat canals to close before they contact 

the stall surface. 

Equine: 

Researcher: Dr. Katrina Merkies 

Cryopreservation Media for 

Stallion Semen 

Sperm preservation is important in 

studies concerning sperm function, cell 

membrane dynamics, and assisted reproductive 

techniques. However, long term 

preservation of stallion semen has limited 

success with no standard protocol. 

Artificial insemination using cryopreserved 

semen in equine is becoming 

more extensive, 

fostering breeding 

of genetically 

superior animals 

and preservation 

of rare breeds 

worldwide. 

This research 

project investigates 

various approaches 

to preserving 

stallion 

semen for long 

Dr. Katrina Merkies 

term use to elucidate biochemical 

membrane parameters and function. 

Welfare of Horses Used in 

Programs for ‘At-Risk’ Youth 

Research assistant: MSc. candidate 

Natasha Yates 

While various types of therapy for 

the physically and mentally handicapped 

are often criticized for their 

potential to impact negatively on horse 

welfare, very little information is available 

on the impact of “at-risk” youth 

programs on horse welfare. 

Researchers at Kemptville are 

assessing stress levels of horses when 

used in therapy programs for “at-risk” 

youth compared to stress levels when 

the same horses are handled and ridden 

by trained or experienced riders. 

Discrimination and Selection 

by Horses of Different 

Flavours in Water 

Research assistant: Intern student from 

Rennes Agrocampus Justine Danel, 

MSc. candidate Michelle Visneski 

As horses are moved between locations, 

particularly for shows or races, 

water consumption can often become a 

serious concern as local constituents 

may change palatability and horses 

may refuse to drink, leading to dehydration 

and other negative effects. Similarly, 

drinking water provides an alternative 

pathway for administering oral 

medication to horses that violently 

www.kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

• 50 •

RESEARCH 

object to a mouth syringe or selectively 

reject it from feed. 

To encourage horses to drink, commercial 

products are available to flavour water 

and mask discrepancies. However, none of 

these additives have been scientifically 

tested. 

This research project aims to determine 

which flavours are preferred by horses, and 

if preferred flavours can mask the taste of 

unpalatable flavours. 

Two-Step Weaning in Foals 

Research Assistant: Intern student from 

Rennes Agrocampus Justine Danel, Dr. 

Derek Haley 

Studies in cattle have shown that a twostage 

weaning method greatly reduces the 

stress placed on both dam and offspring, 

resulting in a more successful breeding program. 

In contrast, weaning practices in horses 

commonly involve an abrupt separation. 

Researchers from Kemptville Campus 

are working in collaboration with Dr. 

Derek Haley from the University of 

Alberta to study the behavioural and 

physiological effects of a two-step weaning 

program in horses for both the mare 

and foal using a nutritional separation 

device to prevent nursing followed by 

physical separation. 

For more information on research at 

Kemptville Campus, please visit our website 

www.kemptvillecampus.ca or call 613- 

258-8336, x61242. 

Kemptville Research 

Facility enhancement 


Kemptville Campus is proud to 

announce plans to build a 

State-of-the-Art Dairy Education and 

Demonstration Facility, the preliminary 

stage of a multi-phase redevelopment 

for the Campus. The new dairy 

facility will include the renovation of 

a former bull test station into a freestall 

operation equipped with a volunteer 

milking system with an electronic 

data transfer and storage capacity. 

See related articles on pages 3 and 4. 

The KC agronomy team planting Miscanthus on experimental plots. 

Kemptville Campus teams with PPI-Lafarge 

in innovative Clean Energy Biofuel Initiative 

Kemptville Campus of the University 

of Guelph is playing a 

key role in a clean energy 

biofuels initiative recently announced 

at the Lafarge plant in 

Bath, Ontario. 

Lafarge Canada Inc., 

the largest diversified 

supplier of construction 

materials in Canada, 

will be working with the 


Kemptville Campus to 

develop optimized biofuel 

crops that will not 

only lower the carbon 

footprint of the Bath, 

Ontario operation, but also develop a 

model for growing and using sustainable 

non-food crops as renewable 

stock for coal and other industrial 

fuel replacement for other 

Industry sectors. 

“The future of the environment, 

our business and the communities we 

serve depends on reducing the need 

for fossil fuels to run our operations,” 

said Robert Cumming, environmental 

and public affairs manager for the 

Lafarge Bath Cement Plant. 

Lafarge’s commitment to grow 

Lafarge Canada 

Inc. to establish 

own ‘energy 

farm’ to use 

renewable 

biofuel in Bath 

cement plant 

dedicated energy crops makes this 

project the first of its kind in Canada, 

and perhaps the world. 

Over the next four years, 

researchers at Kemptville 

Campus will 

investigate the feasibility, 

yield, and energy 

outputs of non-food 

crops such as Miscanthus 

and Switchgrass as 

sustainable energy 

sources for positive 

environmental impact. 

Commenting on the 

positive impact of this 

initiative on Kemptville 

Campus, Dr. Timothy Rennie 

explains, “This project puts Kemptville 

Campus at the forefront of the 

development of biomass crops that 

have the potential to drastically 

reduce greenhouse emissions.” Dr. 

Rennie continues, “This project will 

allow our students to witness the 

development of this new market for 

crops. As the future leaders in the 

agriculture industry, it is important 

for our students to be involved in 

environmentally beneficial initiatives 

such as this one.” 

• 51 •

RESEARCH 

Leading the project for Kemptville 

Campus is professor of Agronomy and 

fellow researcher, Ashraf Tubeileh. 

The program provides Kemptville 

Campus’ team of scientists and 

researchers with an outstanding opportunity 

to evaluate the survival, biomass 

production and energy output of these 

fast growing, large biomass grasses. 

On Lafarge-owned farmland in 

Bath, Kemptville researchers and Performance 

Plants Inc. will jointly conduct 

field trials to determine the production 

potential of various grass 

species on a commercial scale. “We are 

trying to produce biomass on a poorly 

drained land that has below-average 

production,” says Dr. Tubeileh. “This 

project can be a pilot site for biomass 

production in Eastern and Northern 

Ontario, where poor-quality lands are 

abundant and opportunity cost is low, so 

we will not be competing for fertile 

lands usually cropped to corn and soybean”, 

he adds. Miscanthus and switchgrass 

are among the most promising 

biofuel species, as they have lower 

management and input requirements 

and higher biomass production than 

other biofuel and food crops currently in 

use (grain corn, soybean, and canola). 

The farmer perspective is also taken 

into consideration in this project. The land 

will be managed by Bath resident and 

local farmer Mike MacKinnon, while the 

management recommendations as well as 

readings on agronomic parameters - plant 

height, biomass production, flowering 

date, etc., will be conducted by the 

Kemptville team. “Having a farmer to 

manage the land, discuss field management 

and provide feedback is the best way 

to ensure that the research we are doing 

here responds to farmer concerns and 

needs, which means farmers will be prepared 

to plant these crops when market 

opportunities arise”, adds Dr. Tubeileh. 

The results of this trial will provide 

important guidance for more scientifically-controlled 

field trials conducted at 

the Kemptville Campus research station. 

Small replicated plots will be laid out 

according to randomized design to study 

the establishment, survival, and yields of 

the different species under experimental 

management conditions. Energy output 

will also be calculated for the different 

crop species, evaluating the full economic 

and environmental impact of 

Dr. Tim Rennie Dr. Ashraf Tubeileh 

using renewable energy crops including 

their “carbon footprint” (measure of the 

amount of greenhouse gases produced) 

and “net energy balance” (the difference 

between the energy produced and the 

energy it takes to produce it). 

Over the next four years, Kemptville 

Campus will work with the Sustainable 

Bioeconomy Centre (SBC) at Queen’s 

University to monitor the growth and 

development of the “energy farm” to 

ensure that the crops yield the maximum 

amount of carbon and therefore 

have the greatest fuel potential. 

The research team at Kemptville 

Campus anticipates several challenges, 

“There is a lot of research that needs to 

go into finding the best agronomic 

practices, as well as the harvesting and 

handling of these crops” explains Dr. 

Rennie, “as some of the crops to be 

grown are currently not commercially 

grown here in Eastern Ontario.” 

The biomass crops identified for 

optimal biofuel conversion thrive on 

marginal land and are more beneficial 

to the environment in terms of causing 

reductions in soil erosion and greenhouse 

gas emissions since they require 

less tillage, fertilization and general 

agronomic maintenance. 

“We need energy crops that do not 

compete with society’s need to feed 

people,” explains Peter Matthewman, 

President of Performance Plants, 

adding, “We need energy crops that can 

be grown on marginal land that’s ensuring 

that high-producing soils are kept 

for food production.” Large areas of 

“suboptimal” land for food production 

make Eastern Ontario an ideal location 

for this project, says Matthewman. 

Starting in the fall of 2009, the Bath 

plant plans to replace about 10 per cent 

of its current coal use with biomass 

fuels, which will decrease the plant’s use 

of fossil fuels by 30 per cent. According 

to Mr. Cumming of Lafarge, the 

Bath plant currently uses between 

100,000 and 120,000 tonnes of fossil 

fuels each year. He estimates that 

replacing just 30 per cent of its fossil 

fuel use with these biofuels will reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 

taking 13,000 cars off the road. 

“We believe this project will establish 

a new benchmark for how agriculture 

and manufacturing industries will 

work together ... and we hope it will 

inspire dialogue on clean-energy alternatives 

for Canada,” said Matthewman. 

He maintains that the emerging bioenergy 

sector will revitalize the rural 

economy by getting farmers, producers 

and others involved in the production 

and processing of biofuels. 

The development of cheaper energy 

sources will increase the competitiveness 

for high energy-demanding sectors 

such as greenhouses and cement factories 

and will ultimately translate into 

more labour opportunities, less transportation 

costs and will therefore be 

beneficial for the overall economy. 

Established in 1917, Kemptville 

Campus is one of Ontario’s oldest colleges 

and is committed to specialized 

quality education and academic excellence. 

The Kemptville Campus is a 

highly specialized school offering 

unique programs comparable to no 

other community college. All programs 

are integrated with high-tech facilities, 

computerized machinery and laboratory 

equipment. The Campus has built a 

strong foundation with a network of 

solid support from Canadian industries. 

For more information on the Clean 

Energy BioFuel initiative, contact: 

Dr. Timothy Rennie, 

Parish Building 

UoG Kemptville Campus, 

830 Prescott St., P.O. Box 2003 

Kemptville, ON, K0G 1J0 

613-258-8336, x 61286 

TRennie@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

— OR — 

Dr. Ashraf Tubeileh 

Parish Building, 

UoG Kemptville Campus 

830 Prescott St., P.O. Box 2003 

Kemptville, ON, K0G 1J0 

613-258-8336, x 61403 

ATubeile@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

• 52 •

KEMPTVILLE COLLEGE FOUNDATION 

Your Foundation: 

Who we are 

The Foundation is a registered 

non-profit charitable 

corporation established 

in 2000. We are dedicated 

to increasing the profile, 

enhancing the financial stability 

and ensuring the longevity 

of Kemptville Campus as a 

leading provincial education 

and training institution. 

During the past year and 

continuing in 2009, the Foundation 

is supporting the new Dairy Barn 

Initiative by participating in a fundraising 

committee with the Kemptville 

Campus, the Alumni Association, the 

OAC and the U of G and by actively 

fundraising from its members and community 

partners. 

At the 9th Annual General Meeting 

of the Foundation on February 23, the 

Board of Directors, after ensuring the 

Foundation scholarships are fully funded 

for the next two 

years, announced that 

general funds received 

in 2008 and 2009, 

unless otherwise specified 

by the donor, would 

be used to support the new Dairy and 

Research Facility. The goal established 

for the Foundation in fundraising for the 

robotic milker has been set at $50,000. 

The Board pledged $20,000 from funds 

raised in 2008 to the Campus as an initial 

step toward its goal. To date, the 

Foundation has raised over $350,000 in 

cash and equipment donations in support 

of the Campus and our scholarships. 

The Board of Directors, elected at the 

Annual General Meeting, include 

Wendy Asbil, Norm Blodgett, Terry Butler, 

Don Cameron, Ian Carley, Colin 

Carson, Bill Curnoe, John Fraser, Elizabeth 

Holmes, Kathy Hardy, Graham 

Hudson, John Joynt, Paul Jansen, Maureen 

Leeson, Len MacGregor, David 

Morrow, Gib Patterson, Pat Remillard, 

Mark Roberts and Tom Van Dusen. The 

Board has re-elected Colin Carson as 

President and Bill Curnoe as Vice-President. 

Maureen Leeson was re-appointed 

Secretary. Wendy Brooks was appointed 

Treasurer as Kathy Hardy withdrew due 

KC Foundation Executive: Maureen Leeson, Bill 

Curnoe, Colin Carson and Wendy Brooks. 

to other commitments. Kathy has served 

as Treasurer and as a member of the 

Executive Committee for nine years, 

and her contributions have been significant 

in the growth of the Foundation. 

The Board thanks her for the time and 

effort she dedicated in her position as 

Treasurer. Kathy remains on the Board 

as a Director and continues to play an 

active role in Foundation activities. 

The Foundation participated at the 

College Royal by donating 

three prizes for the 

Overall Showperson 

and by hosting our 

annual Pancake Breakfast. 

We raised over 

$1,700 and thank Syngenta Crop Protection 

Services, the Bank of Nova Scotia, 

BASF Canada Inc, DUPONT Canada 

Inc and Chartwell Food Services for 

their support of this event. The College 

Royal Committee elected to support the 

Foundation’s efforts in fundraising for 

the Dairy Barn by donating $1,600 from 

the proceeds of their calf sale. Our 

thanks and congratulations to the Royal 

KCF chefs serve pancakes. 

Committee and all the participants 

for a very successful event. 

The Aggie Club continued the 

students’ generous support of the 

Foundation by donating $1,000 

for the Dairy Barn Project. 

Special Thanks 

The Foundation offers a 

special acknowledgement 

to the Ottawa Valley Seed 

Growers Association for its 

pledge of $100,000 in support of 

the Foundation’s efforts to raise 

funds for the Dairy Barn Initiative. 

The Kemptville College 

Foundation has always appreciated the 

generosity demonstrated by the 

OVSGA in support of the Foundation’s 

objectives to provide scholarships and 

equipment to the Kemptville Campus of 

the University of Guelph. This pledge 

brings us one large step closer to reaching 

the goal of $360,000 and acquiring 

the equipment. We graciously accept 

this pledge and thank our partners for 

their continued and generous support. 

Jessie receiving congratulations from 

Colin. 

Paul Adam Memorial 

Scholarship 

This annual scholarship of $500 

has been established by an 

endowment of funds raised by the 

family and friends in memory of Paul 

Adam. This year’s recipient of the award 

was Jessie Hubbs, who, of all the applicants, 

ranked highest in the eligibility 

criteria of academics and agriculture 

related school and community activities. 

• 53 •


Justin receiving congratulations from 

Colin. 

Carl Fraser Memorial 

Scholarship 

Donations from the Fraser family 

have enabled the Foundation to 

establish an endowment to fund 

this annual scholarship of $1,000. This 

year’s recipient was Justin Brennan, 

when entering his third semester in 

Agriculture with a concentration in 

Dairy (now a graduate). The selection 

is based on academic performance as 

well as participation in related extracurricular 

activities such as College Royal. 

Scholarships 

KCF has awarded its scholarships 

for the 2008/2009 academic 

year. The recipients are: Jessie 

Hubbs, Agriculture 

Diploma Program; 

Neacolette Pope, 

Equine Diploma 

Program; Elyse Germain, BBRM; and 

Daniel Caron, Power and Equipment 

Certificate Program. 

In Memoriam 

Kemptville College Foundation, 

as a registered charitable organization, 

can accept donations 

made in memory of a departed relative 

or friend. The donations will be used to 

support the objectives of the Foundation. 

Tax receipts will be issued for all 

donations over $10. 

Harvest Fest a success 

The fifth edition of the Foundation’s 

Harvest Fest has substantially 

boosted funding for projects 

in support of the College. The dinner, 

dance and silent and live auctions 

resulted in a profit of over $17,000. 

KC Foundation Harvest Fest Auction. 

President Colin Carson said the 

event is the Foundation’s main annual 

fundraising event permitting it to support 

worthy students through scholarships 

and contribute to the Dairy Barn 

Initiative. 

“The Foundation is about encouraging 

financial and moral support for 

Kemptville Campus,” Carson said. 

“About showing it can’t be taken for 

granted, and about ensuring the agricultural 

and rural community continues to 

rally behind this valuable asset.” 

Thank you to college alumni, staff, 

community and farm leaders, and other 

concerned stakeholders from across 

Eastern Ontario for enthusiastically 

supporting the event and, as a result, 

the efforts of the Foundation. 

A special word of thanks is directed 

to the auction item donors and purchasers 

and to the KCF volunteers 

whose devotion of time and effort 

ensured the success of this event. 

Scholarship winners Daniel Caron, Neacolette Pope and Jessie 

Hubbs with KCF President Colin Carson. Inset, Elyse Germain. 

Harvest Fest 2009-hold that date 

The Foundation is hosting its dinner, dance and 

silent and live auctions at the W.B. George Centre 

at Kemptville Campus on Oct. 24th at 6 p.m. 

There will be a draw for the Allis-Chalmers Tractor. 

Music will be provided by the band No Assembly 

Required. The net proceeds will be targeted to the Foundation’s 

support of the Dairy Barn. Tickets are $40 per 

person and are available from Foundation directors and 

the Kemptville Campus Administration office, 613-258- 

8336, ext. 61242. If you would like to donate an item for 

the auction, please contact Ian Carley at 613-269-4256. 

• 54 •


Dr. George and Mrs. Norma Fisher 

dancing at the KC Foundation 

Fundraiser. 

Newsletter 

KCF has developed and published 

a newsletter for 

members. It is distributed 

in July/August and contains articles 

on our projects and programs. If 

you are interested in supporting the 

Foundation and joining its growing 

number of members, please contact 

our office. A lifetime membership 

is $10. 

Acknowledgement 

The Kemptville College Foundation 

acknowledges the 

support of the Alumni Association 

and is grateful for its 

donation of this space in CON- 

TACT II. 

Cheryl Wightman (left) and Allan Smith 

(right) with tractor restoration students. 

Tractor Raffle 

Ayear ago, Campus Technician, 

Allan Smith, thought that the 

1953 Allis-Chalmers Model G 

tractor, found in several pieces in a 

Campus tool shed, would make a good 

restoration project for the Junior Aggie 

Students in the Farm Machinery and 

Maintenance Course. They agreed and, under Allan’s guidance and with the 

help of students in the Power and Equipment (P&E) courses, they completed the 

project. The tractor was donated to the Foundation to be used as the prize in a 

raffle supporting the Foundation’s fundraising for the Dairy Barn. 

The tractor and raffle were unveiled during Royal Week and it was a hit at 

the Ottawa Valley Farm Show two weeks later. Over 40% of the 2,000 tickets 

have been sold. Tickets (1 for $5 or 5 for $20) are available from Foundation 

Directors, at P&E and at Administration on Campus. The draw will take place 

on October 24, 2009 at the Foundation’s Harvest Fest. 

The Foundation would like to offer a special thanks to Allan, the three project 

leaders (Jessie Hubbs, Melissa Sager and Chantel Lasalle) and all the students 

who participated in the tractor project. 

Kemptville Campus Graduation Day 

Friday, May 22nd, 2009 

Staff & Faculty of Kemptville Campus congratulate all graduates 

of the Class of 2009 

• 55 •

IN MEMORIAM 

Bertrand, Roland ’42 of Sarsfield 

Ont. on December 24, 2008 at age 87. 

Beloved husband of Geneviève Nolan. 

Dear father of Carl (Aline), Marilyn 

(Lubos Mahovsky), Janet (John Paul), 

Claude (Lynne), Richard (Louise), Jack 

(Anne-Marie) and Guy. Brother of 

Simone (late Georges Simoneau), 

Madeleine (late Darcy Rancourt), 

Gilberte (late Gerry Brulé), Pauline 

(Goe Zito), Claire and Léo (Christine). 

Predeceased by one sister Annette (late 

Louise Perrault). Loving grandfather of 

9 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. 

Funeral service held at St-Margaret 

Mary Church, Cumberland, Ont. 

on December 30th, with donations to the 

Ottawa Cancer Centreappreciated. 

Brown, Dorothy (Tummon) ’42, 

funeral held May 29, 2009 in Belleville, 

Ont. Dorothy’s father was a veterinarian, 

and she married a veterinarian to settle 

down in Selby, Ont. Both Dorothy 

and her sister, Eleanor (deceased in 

2000) graduated from KAS in 1942. 

Young, Frances E. (nee Wallbridge) 

’42, funeral held March 30, 2009. Frannie 

was a 1942 graduate of KAS in the 

two-year Home Economics course. Frannie 

and her husband Elmer operated a 

successful Antique Business at RR 1 

Ameliasburg, Ont. For a number of years 

Frannie has resided at the Picton Manor 

Nursing Home, Picton, Ont. 

Allen, Herbert Ross ’43 peacefully at 

the Broadview Nursing Centre, Smiths 

Falls on December 2, 2008 in his 89th 

year. Beloved husband of the late Shirley 

Nesbitt. Fiancé and long time companion 

of Rita Shields. Dear father of the late 

David Allen. Step-father of Judy (Brian) 

Kelly of Lombardy, Sharon (Bill) Stilwell 

of Smiths Falls and Cheryl Ann 

(Jack) McConnell of Jasper. Brother-inlaw 

of Jean O’Connor of Kingston. Survived 

by four grandchildren and numerous 

nieces and nephews. Funeral Service 

held in the chapel of Blair & Son Funeral 

Home on December 5, 2008. Interment 

Hillcrest Cemetery, Smiths Falls. Donations 

appreciated to the Alzheimer Society 

or the Heart & Stroke Foundation. 

Stewart, J. Alex ’46 peacefully at 

Almonte Country Haven on July 5, 2008 

in his 88th year. Beloved husband of the 

late Evelyn Neilson and predeceased by 

his first wife Della Ireton. Brother of 

Neil and Mac Stewart and the late Douglas 

Stewart. Survived by several nieces 

and nephews. Funeral Service held in 

Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, Carleton 

Place on July 8, 2008. Interment 

Boyd’s Cemetery, Ferguson Falls. Donations 

appreciated to Almonte Country 

Haven or Zion Memorial United Church. 

Fergusson, Donald Alexander ’47 

peacefully at Smiths Falls District Hospital 

on January 2, 2009 age 84 years. 

Beloved husband of the late Norma Fergusson 

(nee Andrews). Loving father of 

Ross Fergusson of Smiths Falls. Funeral 

Service at the Lannin Funeral Home, 

Smiths Falls January 5, 2009. Interment 

Hillcrest Cemetery, Smiths Falls, Ont. 

Kemp, Orville Gamble ’47, Carp, 

Ont. on November 13, 2008 in his 83rd 

year. Beloved husband of Faye and predeceased 

by his first wife Helen (nee 

Conley). Loving father of James (Anna), 

Gordon (Carol) and Noreen (Mark 

Lavender). Cherished grandfather of 

Angie, Stephen, Colin, Kathleen, Jason 

(Amy), Jennifer (Fred Olmstead), 

Leslie, Alison (Henry Hobbs) and 

Owen. Great grandfather of Kaylie 

Olmstead. Dear brother of Edith Todd 

(the late Melvin), Robert (Maureen) and 

the late Doris Barrett (Fred). Funeral 

Service on November 17 at St. Paul’s 

United Church, Carp, Ont. Donations 

appreciated in lieu of flowers to St. 

Paul’s United Church. [His face was 

number 12 in last year’s 1947 class 

composite in the 2008 Contact II.] 

McNaughton, Alex ’47 in September 

of 2007 in Bainesville. 

Barrie, Ken ’48 on September 8, 

2008 in Bayfield, Ont. 

Briscoe, Thomas Emerson ’50. It 

was with deepest sorrow that Mary (nee 

McCavour) announced that Tom, her 

beloved husband and friend for more than 

56 years, died peacefully at Renfrew Victoria 

Hospital on August 13, 2008 after a 

well fought fight with COPD. He is survived 

by his three loving sons; Peter (Pat), 

Thomas (Darlene) and Lorne (Theresa). 

Tom will be sorely missed by his grandsons 

Jamie (Tawnya), T. J., Ken and 

Bobby, and his great-granddaughter 

Leila. Fondly remembered by many 

nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his 

parents Emerson and Luella Briscoe and 

• 56 • 

his sisters Francis Perrin and Mary 

Holmes. Funeral held in Northcote United 

Church. Interment Rosebank Cemetery. 

For those wishing, donations may be 

made to the Renfrew Victoria Hospital 

CT Fund or the Northcote United Church. 

Moore, Kenneth Andrew David ’52 

on February 13, 2008 in Tuckersmith, 

Ont. Dearly loved husband of Lois 

(Jones) Moore of Harpurhey. Cherished 

father of Brian (Lyn) of London, Barry 

(Laura) of Calgary and Darlene (Phil) 

Menary of Milverton. Loving grandfather 

of twelve: Michael, Caroline, Julie, 

Lydia, paige, Celine, Jack, Grace, Riley, 

Alex, Jarrett and Evelyn. Fondly remembered 

by sister Margaret Beuermann of 

Seaforth. Also loved by several nieces 

and nephews. Funeral service on Februray 

20, 2008 in Egmondville United 

Church. Interment in Egmondville 

Cemetery, Egmondville, Ont. 

Paddle, Bruce ’59 on October 23, 

2008 after a long and lingering illness. 

Dear husband of Connie Paddle. 

MacMillan, Ian ’70 on November 

28, 2008. He is survived by three children 

and three grandchildren. Ian was 

working as a carpenter living in Brayside, 

Ont. 

John Lacroix 

Lacroix, John Larry Anthony ’08 

of Beachburg, Ont. as the result of an 

accident, surrounded by his friends, on 

April 11, 2009 at age 19. Beloved son of 

Larry and Connie (Gilchrist). Much 

loved brother of Carmen 

Reckzin, Cobden, 

Jeanette Forrestall 

(Scott), Christopher 

(Kristal) and 

Katherine - all of 

Pembroke and Daniel 

at home. Dearest 

uncle of Evan and 

Avery Reckzin, Elizabeth 

and Braden 

Forrestall and Dakota 

Lacroix. Loving grandson of M. J. 

Lacroix and the late Theresa Lacroix 

and Vivian Gilchrist and the late John 

Gilchrist. John will be sadly missed by 

Reta Hawthorne and all extended family. 

Funeral Mass celebrated on April 17 

in Our lady of Mount Carmel Church, 

Lapasse with spring Interment in the 

Parish Cemetery. Donations appreciated 

to CHEO.

ALUMNI NOTES 

Alumni President’s Message 

Ihave accepted the President position for the 2008-09 

year only – usually it is a two-year term – with Tony 

Desnoo, YR. ’91, assuming the Vice-President’s role. 

At our AGM during Reunion Weekend this year we were 

successful in recruiting many new faces. Norm Blodgett, 

YR ’52, Hans Vink, YR ’68, Ron Burgess, YR ’68, Mac 

Johnston, YR ’68, Sue Johnston YR ’69, Tony Desnoo, 

YR ’91 and Cathy Baldwin, YR ’87. Thank you all for 

volunteering. This is very exciting for the existing Board 

members to have new Alumni bringing innovative ideas 

to our meeting table. 

Recently retired Director Mike Goss had an ambitious 

goal to fundraise and build a state-of-the-art Robotic 

Milking Research Training Centre to replace the present 

dairy barn. The new dairy barn location will be the renovated 

Barn #16 building which was formerly used as the 

ROP bull test station years ago. This has been a topic for 

many years, but Director Goss is determined to make it a 

reality. Mac Johnston and Robert Byvelds YR ’88 are the 

Alumni representatives to assist this project. 

A strategic planning week end in March 2008 provided 

the opportunity to set goals for the coming years. We will 

first establish a Memorandum of Understanding between 

the Kemptville Campus Director/University of Guelph 

Administration and the KC Alumni Board. This Memorandum 

defines responsibilities of the Campus and the Alumni 

Board to each other for their mutual benefit. This agreement 

shadows the OAC and University of Guelph initiative. 

Beginning in September 2008, all first year students 

pay an Alumni Levy at registration. The levy will replace 

Alumni 5-Year and Life membership dues. Students are 

automatically Alumni members upon graduation. This 

incentive was approved in 2008 by the Kemptville Campus 

Administration, KC Student Council and by the AGM 

at Reunion Weekend. 

All alumni memberships – past and future – help to 

pay the over $8,000 for publication and mailing of our 

successful Contact II magazine. 

The Working Groups have been changed to include: 

Reunion, Historical, Web page, Contact II and the new 

one, ‘Events’. The events will include the IPM, OVFS, 

KC Royal and Graduation. The Board members sit on one 

or more of these Working Groups. If you have an interest 

in any of these Working Groups please contact a Board 

member listed on our Web page. 

With the absence of a formal Liaison person to our KC 

Alumni Board three staff members have offered their time – 

Heather Stewart, Liz Forbes and Pat Scissons. Sue Johnston 

will be working with Pat to update our Web page and collect 

information for Contact II from grads. Pat will organize 

our data base of addresses with IT from the U of Guelph. 

Send your updates to kcrecord@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca. 

Please send your information of Alumni activities to Sue at 

suejohnston@rogers.com. She can send it to Heather for 

Contact II and/or include it on our KC Alumni Web page. 

The Reunion Working Group has improved the registration 

process with their linkage to our website 

www.kcalumni.ca and in Contact II. You can purchase 

your weekend by Package A, B, C, etc. whichever suits 

you. The Year Reps. have a great deal of input into their 

week end so it is actually “customized” to the Honour 

years’ wishes. Great job Kim and Cathy! 

The Historical Working Group asks that if you have 

any KAS, KCAT or Kemptville College memorabilia you 

would like to donate please contact Doug Dulmage at 

ddulmage@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca or bring it to your 

next Honour Year Alumni Weekend. We have a locked 

display case in the Parish building in which we would be 

happy to show it with pride. 

The KC Alumni Board continues to reserve Room 63 

at the Ottawa Valley Farm Show on the Wednesday of the 

Farm Show from 2-4 pm. Come by to say hi. Lots of 

friends are always there. 

A new initiative of your KC Alumni Board is the sale 

of our crested, black vests. These are available at all the 

above listed events for $40. 

I would like to express a hearty thank you to all my 

Board members for being so faithful to your College, for 

attending all the meetings, taking part in our lively discussions 

and just simply giving your precious time. I truly 

appreciate you all. 

In closing, please be the messenger to your community 

to share what a great education centre we have at 

Kemptville Campus. You can be the best advocate for 

recruitment. You have lived some of the best years of your 

life on the Kemptville Campus and have benefitted from 

your education, so please share this. 

Stephanie Hill-Nicholls, YR ’69 

President 

Kemptville College Alumni Board 

In Memoriam 

Continued from previous page 

Wren, Kathy — beloved wife of 

retired staff member, Basil Wren, suddenly 

on December 6, 2008. Funeral 

held at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic 

Church, Laurier Ave., Ottawa. 

Beattie, David: Past Director, Kemptville 

Campus on January 24, 2009 at 

home with his family after a short battle 

with cancer. Beloved husband of Lynda 

Beattie and missed by many. Funeral on 

January 29, 2009 at Families First Funeral 

Home and Tribute Centre, Windsor, 

Ont. He was a good friend to Kemptville 

Campus before, during and after his 

tenure as Director from 1994 to 1997. 

• 57 •

ALUMNI NOTES 

Kemptville Alumni Board 2008-09 

Front Row, from left: Past President Stephanie Hill-Nicholls ’69, Isabel Kinnear ’69, Co- 

Chairs Alumni Weekend Group Cathy Baldwin ’87 and Kim Link ’69. Middle Row, from left: 

Norm Blodgett ’52, Treasurer Doug Dulmage ’74, Mac Johnston ’68, Sue Johnston ’68 and 

Secretary Sharon Blanchard ’69. Back Row, from left: Ron Burgess ’68, Brian Hudson ’83, 

Hans Vink ’68, President Sam Treverton ’05. Missing: Vice President Tony Desnoo ’90 and 

Ford Patterson ’59. 

Award-winning Alumni 

Randy Bullock ’96, with his 

wife, Tara, won the 2009 Ontario 

Dairy Youth Award of East-Central 

Ontario. The Bullock family, now 

with daughter Lily and sons Aidan 

and Liam, milk a combination of 55 

Holstein and Jersey cattle on their 

dairy farm outside Lakefield, Ont. 

Randy and Tara (niece of Ron and 

Heather Stewart, Kemptville) were 

profiled in the Spring 2004 edition of 

Contact II being awarded as ‘runners-up’ 

in the Ontario Outstanding 

Young Farmer (OYF) competition. 

Their goal then, as now, is to continue 

to increase and develop a Master 

Breeder’s herd. 

The 2008 Dundas Innovative 

Farmer Award was won by Gary and 

Pat Derks, who cash crop 1,900 acres 

with their son Marty and two 

employees. Marty Derks is a 2008 

graduate from Kemptville Campus 

and was always a contributor to our 

Kemptville Alumni baskets at the 

Campus Royal. 

New 

Alumni 

Crest 

Kemptville College Alumni, from Don and Isabel Kinnear, present a trophy to the 

College Royal King and Queen each year in memory of 2002 graduate Rhonda 

Kinnear. The King and Queen play an active role in all the activities at the College 

Royal which is held each year in March. From left: Kemptville Alumni President 

Steph Hill-Nicholls, Don Kinnear, Queen Kaylin Burns, King Len Callaghan, 

Isabel Kinnear and College Royal committee member Meagan Strong 

As alumnus and initiator, Mac 

Johnston, expresses: “Love it, 

it’s great. We’d like it used in all 

instances now to represent the Alumni. 

The phrase ‘Kemptville Alumni’ resonates 

with us because it is inclusive of 

all those who graduated, whether from 

Kemptville Agricultural School, 

Kemptville College of Agricultural 

Technology, Kemptville College or 

Kemptville Campus. We would like to 

use it in all visual representations going 

forward.” 

• 58 •

ALUMNI NOTES 

Year Representatives 

for 2009 Alumni 

Weekend 

’49 Don Chambers, 705-745-7018 

’54 Arthur & Maureen Gillan, 613-832-2317 

gillanfarm@sympatico.ca 

’59 Marie Crawford, 613-838-4747 

’59 Ford Patterson, 613-821-1230 

cap@storm.ca 

’64 Tallya Moore, 905-985-8370 

tallya.moore@sympatico.ca 

’64 Gary Jeffrey 905-263-8734 

gjeffrey@xplornet.com 

’69 Kim Link, 613-774-5543 

classiquebridals@hotmail.com 

’69 John Fraser, 613-838-2889 

jdfraser@magma.ca 

‘69 girls show off the striking new alumni vests, which are available for $40. 

Please contact an Alumni Rep for more information. 

Year ‘69 issues golf challenge 

by Steph Hill-Nicholls YR ‘69 

Dust off your golf clubs for the Great Golf Challenge of Alumni 

Weekend to be held at Rideau Glen Golf Course on Friday, August 

28, 2009 at noon. The teams of Year ‘69 challenge all other years 

for the best low score - honest low score... 

See you at Rideau Glen at noon. Good Luck!! 

’74 Liz Forbes, 613-258-5614 

lforbes@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

’74 Doug Dulmage, 613-258-8336x61281 

ddulmage@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

’79 Barb Maitland, 613-283-7154 

donbar@ripnet.com 

’79 Doug Lang, 450-829-4134 

’84 Lorie Havekes, 613-989-2220 

Hugnkiss64@yahoo.com 

’84 Ed Tobin, 613-395-3342 

tobin86@gmail.com 

’89 Mike Kelly, 613-692-4293 

’94 David Pemberton, 613-448-2226 

2008 

Alumni 

golf 

tourney. 

See 

also 

page 

61 

’99 Jeff Dowdall, 613-341-9367 

Jeff@smithequip.com 

’99 Doug Earl, 613-924-2052 

EARL_127@hotmail.com 

’04 Amber Couturier, 613-258-5446 

Gypsydancer2@hotmail.com 

’04 Bryan Groniger, 613-652-4905 

BGKrispy@hotmail.com 

• 59 •

ALUMNI NOTES 

Class of 1968. 

We Get Letters 

From Chef Deb: 

Deborah Doe ’05 

Hi Heather, 

Just me, Deborah Doe, 2005 KC 

Grad. 

Well I am now a graduate again: 

Chef Deb they say. 

I am 40 + but college is great - not 

finished yet, just taking a break and 

going to work. When I was 17, I wanted 

to go to Kemptville College. Well I 

was 40, but I did it. I went back and 

trained again: this time with the intention 

of owning a home and a French 

restaurant on the water. My goal-setting 

is within five years once I have a 

Red Seal, as I now have four apprentices. 

Thanks for your encouragements 

while I attended Kemptville College. 

Alumni 

Weekend 

’68: 

Wayne 

Bourne, Joe 

Allison, 

Jim Brown, 

Lynne 

Bourne. 

From Stephen J. Beckley ’42 

Dear Heather, 

Let me congratulate you on the last 

edition of Contact II. You have done an 

excellent job. My wife and I pick up 

the last issue frequently and browse 

through it. The “College” certainly 

appears to be once again forging ahead. 

Western hospitality 

Don and Isabel Kinnear ’69 visited with Lisa and Blair Dow - at Lakeland College 

in Vermilion, Alberta. Blair is a former staff member and alumni liaison rep at 

Kemptville and is now a faculty member at Lakeland. Lakeland has 2692 full-time 

and 4175 part-time students. Lakeland is Canada’s first interprovincial college 

founded by the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan. 

• 60 •

ALUMNI NOTES 

The class of ’69 held their first annual Curling Bonspiel 

March, 2009 at the Ottawa Hunt Club. A good 

time was had by all. It concluded with a potluck dinner 

at the home of Barb and Rob Sproule to celebrate the 

occasion. 

5th Annual Alumni Weekend 

Golf Tournament 

Any level of golfer, Alumni or Non-Alumni 

is welcome at this fun event. Please arrive 

early for shotgun start. Registration begins 

at 11:45. Limited numbers of clubs and carts are 

available for rent. Please call Rideau Glen to book 

clubs or carts. Refreshments are available. Registration 

deadline is August 13 by completing the 

Alumni Weekend Registration form. 

When: Friday, August 28, 2009 

Start Time: 12:00 

Cost: $20.00/person 

Where: Rideau Glen Golf Club 

111 County Road 44, Kemptville, ON 

613-258-4404 

www.ottawagolf.com/rideauglen/ 

Located on Old Highway 16 at the Rideau 

River, 2 minutes north of Kemptville 

For more information please contact 

Doug Earl ‘99, 613-924-2052, 

EARL_127@hotmail.com or 

Jeff Dowdall ‘99, 613-341-9367 

Jeff@smithsequip.com 

2009 Alumni Board Roster 

Telephone at college 

in room 2 

613-258-8336 - 61618 

Stephanie Hill- Nicholls ‘69 

Daytime 1-613-933-3384 

Evenings & Wends 

1-613-764-1509 

11 Albert St., 

Casselman, ON, K0A 1M0 

shill-nicholls@cornwall.ca 

Isabel Kinnear ‘69 

613-673-5900 

1610 Con 10, 

Curran, ON, K0B 1C0 

isabelkinnear@sympatico.ca 

Kim Link ‘69 

613-774-5543 

12261 Link Rd, 

Winchester, ON, K0C 2K0 

classiquebridals@hotmail.com 

Cathy Baldwin ‘87 

613-256-1593 

RR 4, Almonte, ON, K0A 1A0 

cathye.baldwin@gmail.com 

Ron Burgess ‘68 

613-624-5479 

2109 County Rd 29 

RR 2, Pakenham, ON, K0A 2X0 

ronald.burgess@hotmail.com 

Hans Vink ‘68 

705-292-9775 

223 Fife’s Bay Rd, 

RR#2, Peterborough, ON, K9J 6X3 

hvink@persona.ca 

www.thevinks-onthego 

@blogspot.com 

Norm Blodgett 

H- 705-742-0371, 

O-705-743-0290 

250 Wolfe St., Peterborough, ON, 

K9J 2L3 

norm.blodgett@cogeco.ca 

Tony Desnoo ‘91 

H 613-989-4504, O 613-258-5386 

10246 HW #43, 

Mountain, ON, K0E 1S0 

t.desnoo@ripnet.com 

Sue Johnston ‘69 

613-231-3320 

1905-71 Somerset St W, 

Ottawa, ON, K2P 2G2 

suejohnston@rogers.com 

Mac Johnston ‘68 

as above 

macjohnston@rogers.com 

Doug Dulmage ‘74 

613-543-9038 

Box 855, Morrisburg, ON, 

K0C 1X0 

ddulmage@Kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

Ellen Mooney ‘67 

613-591-6253 

50 Kingbird Crt, 

Kanata, ON, K2M 2X7 

bemooney50@gmail.com 

Brian Hudson 

613-839-5564, cell 613-227-5564 

4099 Panmure Rd, 

RR#1, Kinburn, ON, K0A 2H0 

pigfarm@travel-net.com & 

pigfarm@xplornet.com 

Ford Patterson 

613-821-1230, 

cell 613-858-1935 

8777 Cooper Hill Road, 

Edwards, ON, K0A 1V0 

carolp@xplornet.com 

Liz Forbes ‘74 

613-258-8336 ext. 61317 

10 Cranberry Cres., 

RR#5, Kemptville, ON, K0G 1J0 

LForbes@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

Sharon Blanchard ‘69 

613-591-8297 

110 Barrow Cres., 

Kanata, ON, K2L 2J1 

rblan@sympatico.ca 

Pat Scissons, Kemptville Campus 

pscisson@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

Heather Stewart, Kemptville Campus 

hstewart@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca 

613-258-8336, x 61379 

• 61 •

ALUMNI NOTES 

Hello to Year ‘59 Grads: 

50 Years! 

From Marie Crawford 

Our 49th year reunion was a 

great success, held at the home 

of Don and Bonnie Shaver on 

the Rideau River north of Kemptville, 

Ontario. Thursday night was spent at 

“the races & buffet” of Rideau Carleton 

Raceway. Friday was beautiful 

and sunny as we enjoyed scenery, fellowship, 

cards and a delicious buffet 

meal thanks to Bonnie and Don. 

Bruce and Connie Paddle attended 

Thursday evening but were unable to 

come on Friday. Bruce passed away 

October 23, 2008 after a long illness. 

Our deepest sympathy to Connie. 

Graham Harrald, a no-show for 49 

years, attended this time. 

This year of 2009 is our special 50 

Year Reunion. I can’t believe 50 

years! I have some interest shown in a 

Caribbean cruise in February 2010 — 

think about it. We should discuss this 

in August 2009 at the reunion. 

Hope to see you all Friday, August 

28th at Harold and Marie’s home for a 

steak BBQ! 

Class of ’59 

Front, from left: Iain Emslie, Doug Irwin, Bill Beer, Mel Chamberlain, Maurice McArthur. 

Second row, from left: Graham Harrald, Ford Patterson, George Emlaw, Wayne Newman, 

Marie (Watkins) Crawford, Ken Stevens. Third row, from left: Bruce Dempsey, Ron 

McRae, Don Shaver, Don Johnston, Roger Howes, Orval Spearing, Dixon Warren, 

Harold Crawford, Don Hambleton. 

First of 

many 

Alumni 

Board 

presenting a 

cheque for 

the new 

Dairy Barn 

and robotic 

facilities on 

September 

2008 after 

the Alumni 

Weekend. 

The Board 

has made a 

commitment 

of $10,000 

to Kemptville 


• 62 •

ALUMNI NOTES 

At left: 

Ottawa 

Valley 

Farm 

Show 

banner, 

with 

Sue, 

Steph, 

Ellen 

and 

Roy. 

Ottawa 

Valley Farm 

Show - 

A gathering 

place for our 

Alumni 

Ellen, Doug, Sue and Mac. 

Visiting members this year included: 

Garnet Ralph ’47, 

David Morrow ’65 – ’66 

Roy Carver and Richard Fraser of ’66, 

Ellen Mooney ’67, 

Glenn Smith ’67 - ’76 

Mac Johnston, Ross MacDonald ’68; 

The ’69 group of Steph Hill-Nicholls, John Fraser, Bruce 

Mooney and Sue Johnston, 

Elwood Quinn ’70 

Leonard Quinn ’72 

Doug Dulmage ’74 

Herman Akkermans, Barb Maitland and Joanne & Doug 

Lang ’79 

Tasha ’91 and Kevin Sloan ’91 

Angela Field ’00 - ’01 

Vanessa (MacDougall) White ’05 - ’06 

• 63 •

ALUMNI PROFILE 

Volunteering internationally is a rewarding way of ‘Paying It Forward’ 

by Hans Vink ‘68 

Afew months before graduation 

in 1968, I was 

given an application for 

Canadian University Students 

Overseas (CUSO). It intrigued 

me then that to volunteer overseas 

would be an excellent 

opportunity to broaden one’s 

perspective beyond the current 

routine and normal daily life in 

Ontario. Two years later another 

KCAT grad approached me 

to join him on a working world 

travel adventure. Both these 

opportunities, although never 

accomplished (mostly my lack 

of fortitude), continued to 

remind me throughout the succeeding 

35 years that volunteering 

among less fortunate communities 

and cultures would 

have a dramatic impact on my 

view of life. 

Hi, my name is Hans Vink, a 

‘68 grad, husband to Cathy 

since ‘71, by 1978 father of 4 

children, now grandpa to 10, a 

retired dairy farmer since 2006 

and currently a KC Alumni 

board member. My main purpose 

for writing this article is to 

encourage all graduates, but 

particularly recent grads and 

Our farm at Ozd 

(above) had some 

amazing alfalfa 

fields (unlike most 

local farms) cut 

4-5 times each 

season. 

Farm manager Feri Mihaly and wife Ildiko. 

Our home in Ozd, Romania for two months... one of a 

few with indoor plumbing and even a shower! 

• 64 • 

Much of the work is done by horses. 

The dairy 

barn at Ozd, 

Romania. A 

new heifer 

and dry cow 

barn is in 

progress. 

those approaching later years in their careers, to consider all 

opportunities for lending a hand in less developed countries 

than ours. For recent grads I’ve noted my significant life 

dates…it is amazing how in a short timeframe one moves 

through those momentous dates 

to then be tied to the demands 

and necessities of life and 

progress. So sometimes to 

broaden our experience it is necessary 

to jump at opportunities 

or even seek out some novel 

ideas before the normal environment 

captures us. As we grow 

in age and maturity we realize 

how precious life is on this earth 

and, in most circumstances, how 

good it has been to us. For those 

especially in their later years, I 

highly recommend consideration 

to ‘Paying it Forward’ as in 

the movie by that name. I firmly 

believe international experiences bring great insight and 

understanding into one’s life. 

Our ‘delayed journey’ began when the decision was made 

to disperse our dairy herd in the spring of 2006. While we 

already had contemplated the 

international scope, where and 

how hadn’t ‘come out of the 

woodwork’ as yet. Approaching 

the denominational relief agency 

of our church put us in touch 

with a partner in Central Romania. 

This organization, with the 

help of a young volunteer couple 

from Manitoba, developed a 

dairy farm as a profit centre for 

an Alcohol and Drug Rehab 

Centre. With the departure of 

the Manitoban couple the 

request was for a mentor to the 

Romanian farm manager to further 

develop farm profitability.


As this was our first foreign experience 

we reservedly offered ourselves 

for two months in August and 

September to be relieved by a New 

Zealand couple in October. This 

gave the manager opportunity to 

broaden his experience by tapping 

into international expertise at the 

farm and the ability to connect via 

email in the future to solve any arising 

problems after our departures. 

2007 saw us preparing for a project 

in China that Dairy Farmers of 

Canada was facilitating for the Federal 

Government. Unfortunately the 

Government withdrew its support 

and the project was dropped. However, 

through the Canadian International 

Development Agency 

(CIDA), I happened upon the website 

of the Canadian Executive Services 

Organization (CESO), a nongovernmental 

organization funded 

among other donors through CIDA. CESO, www.cesosaco.com 

, collects volunteers from almost any profession 

and receives applications from developing country governments 

and/or businesses - especially small and medium sized 

enterprises and also from native Canadian applicants. Volunteers 

and clients are matched according to profession 

with the client giving final approval to accept the 

volunteer. CESO essentially pays for the transportation 

to and from the client, while the client is responsible 

for the volunteer’s food, lodging and project travel 

as necessary. Projects are usually a minimum of 2 

weeks to a maximum of 3 months. 

In March, 2008, we were matched with a local 

municipality and the San 

Pablo Livestock and 

Dairy Development 

Association (SPLDDA) 

about 450 km north of 

Manila, the Philippines. 

This area is known as 

the rice basket, yet quite 

remote and less developed 

than areas closer to 

and south of Manila. 

Prior to leaving, the 

Canadian Department of 

Foreign Affairs funded 

an excellent 3 day crash 

course on cultural interaction. 

This experience 

teamed us with 15 other 

volunteers headed for 

various parts of the 

world including Russia, 

Africa, Malaysia, India 

and Bangladesh. The 

Discussing dairy agriculture with an 80-year-old 

farmer whose 7 sons had no interest in farming. 

Farmers work hard but little to show for their 

labours. Without the farm they would probably 

starve so young people refuse to follow their parents 

footsteps. 

Although clean, all bottles 

available are used 

for milk...even rum or gin 

bottles. 

interactive experience with a very 

knowledgeable instructor/facilitator 

calmed many fears and apprehensions. 

The SPLDDA application 

showed a 100 member Co-op 

although the membership had dwindled 

to fewer than 30 when we 

arrived. The request was to help 

enhance milk production - predominately 

milking water buffalo, develop 

the existing processing centre 

and expanding dairy product markets…all 

in a proposed 4 weeks. 

This later expanded to 6, and ultimately 

more than 10 weeks, which 

essentially still only ‘scratched the 

surface’ of the project. It truly was 

an ‘eye opener’. Dairy production 

is virtually non-existent in the 

Philippines; 99% of all dairy products 

are imported and generally 

priced out of range - especially for 

the poor; production is approximately 32,000 litres per day 

for an 80 million population! Canada’s daily production is 

over 20 million litres for 35 million people. 

Unfortunately milk production (3-8 litres daily) from water 

buffalo is quite limited and less when milk producing females 

are also used as beasts of 

burden and draft animals; 

although the greatest limiting 

factor is probably the 

lack of good forage and balanced 

nutrition for the animals. 

Farms in the areas are 

predominately subsistence 

or ‘back yard farms’ as 

they are known here. 

Large tracts of land lay 

under utilized yet ideal 

for forage production. 

In the tropical humid 

conditions crops grow 

Milking a carabao 

by hand. This 

farm although not 

in Isabela was the 

first commercial 

dairy operation I 

saw just north of 

Manila where the 

owner had about 

50 upgraded ‘Bulgarian’ 

buffalo, 

milking about 25 

everyday producing 

an average of 

8 litres/cow/day. 

365 days of the year, 

even during the 3-4 

month dry season. We 

attempted to develop 

good farming practices 

through one-on-one discussion 

and 2-day seminars 

on farm business 

management, dairy production 

and forage production. 

Near the end of our 

first stay it became very 

apparent that, while 

some of the older generation 

had limited attrac- 

• 65 •


Our co-workers in San Pablo from March-May, 2008. 

Graduates of a two-day seminar on dairy farm management we 

coordinated with a nearby university. 

tion to milk, the younger generation is quite keen about dairy 

in their diet. The limiting factor often seemed the cost and 

quality…the cost of imported dairy products, the taste of 

imported UHT milk and the quality of a limited domestic 

milk supply. I developed a slogan to encourage an industry 

development ‘Fresh milk everyday for every Filipino at a reasonable 

price’. Upon an invitation to meet with the Governor 

of the Province, I related my experience and the above catchphrase 

suggesting the potential for the development of a new 

and profitable dairy industry. This prompted her to invite our 

return in October to essentially progress our initial steps in 

San Pablo throughout the Province of Isabela. 

In the interceding months, the Department of Trade and 

Industry in the Province of Isabela brought together a group 

of interested individuals to travel to Southern Ontario. We 

hosted them for 10 days in mid-September 

to experience first hand 

Ontario agriculture production, the 

integration of producers, producer 

organizations, government, education, 

as well as Filipino-Canadian assimilation. 

If my first experience in the 

Philippines was an ‘eye opener’ for 

me, to utter a similar expression for 

our visitors of Ontario agriculture 

would have been as much an understatement. 

After visiting dairy farms, 

meeting with dairy farm organizations 

and services as well as the provincial 

and federal departments of agriculture, 

including Kemptville Campus, 

participants were amazed at the workable 

co-operative spirit we have: not without challenges but a 

real desire and drive to make it work. Yes we do live in a 

privileged part of the world. Frequently what we take for 

granted almost daily is very foreign to them, often considered 

unachievable. 

In mid-October we boarded yet another 18 hour flight to 

Manila to volunteer throughout the Province. We were greeted 

with great enthusiasm and a full itinerary to visit and 

assess the potential for dairy production in 10 additional 

municipalities (like counties in Ontario). Everywhere suitable 

fields for forage production were evident but virtually no 

attempts to increase production or quality nor evidence of 

• 66 • 

profitable dairy production. South of Manila we were introduced 

to a few farms that could be somewhat comparable to 

Canadian dairy production. During our travels we also had a 

chance meeting with the region’s chief school nutritionist, 

who made us aware that 17% of grades 1-6 school children in 

Isabela had below normal growth rates, more than double the 

rate in neighbouring provinces, yet where school milk programs 

existed, growth rate increased significantly - clearly 

attributed to milk. 

In developing a fledgling new industry, markets are paramount. 

Noting the poor growth rates in schools, our recommendations 

to the government focused heavily on offering a 

comprehensive school milk program to as many students as 

funds would allow. The school milk market could then determine 

the size of a new dairy industry in the province which 

would then simultaneously explore 

other wholesale and retail markets for 

further expansion. 

With each CESO project, an exit 

conference is held where the Volunteer 

Advisor offers recommendations to 

the client. Although the recommendations 

were well received, we have not 

seen a quick response to our suggestions, 

but it is still our hope that some 

public and private sector initiatives 

will proceed. Financial concerns, even 

in relatively small amounts by Canadian 

comparison, are often difficult 

A milking stall... some did have concrete issues in third world countries. Add to 

under the animal. 

that significant change to cultural 

practises does create even more resistance 

to the unknown. We do hope there may be a request for 

our return in the future to continue this project. 

If you have further interest in our Philippine project feel 

free to explore our basic blog attempt addressed 

www.thevinks-onthego.blogspot.com . There are entries 

from October 10 thru January 12, 2009 and with patience 

they are retrievable. You may also contact us via email 

hvink@persona.ca . 

Cathy and I truly feel privileged to be able to experience 

these projects and look forward to other future opportunities. 

I hope you too will set aside any inhibitions and step into a 

rewarding volunteer environment.


Farming with family: three generations of hard work 

By Joel Wiebe 

Rock music plays 

through the barn 

where some 85 dairy 

cows stand, waiting for 

their afternoon milking. 

Cats nestle in the fresh 

straw unrolled from a big 

round bale down the narrow 

aisle between the two 

rows of Holsteins. 

The term family farm 

gets thrown around a lot, but Karlina 

Farms seems to stand as the 

definition of the term. 

“I came here with nothing,” 

says Karl Heeringa, the patriarch 

of the farm. 

“You have to work for it.” 

Two generations of Heeringas 

have followed in his tracks. 

The family farms 850 acres, 

growing much of their crops to 

sustain their dairy operation. 

“You save money if you can do 

most of the stuff yourself,” says 

Richard Heeringa, a third generation 

farmer who basically runs the 

farm with his sister Janet. 

Their father, Don Heeringa, still 

does a lot of work around the farm, 

especially out working in the 

fields. Ms Heeringa joked that 

even their grandfather Karl has 

trouble retiring -- every day he 

drops by the farm, even if it is just 

to drive through the yard. 

This family defies a farmer 

stereotype by all having post-secondary 

education. Mr. Heeringa 

said his father insisted he go to college 

for something before he could 

join his sister in taking over the 

family farm. Both siblings went to 

school for agriculture, Mr. 

Heeringa to Guelph and Ms 

Heeringa to Kemptville. 

It’s good to get off the farm and 

go to school, says Mr. Heeringa. 

While at college, he learned about 

crop management and how to raise 

Heeringa Farm Family of the Year: 

Peterborough County 

Graduates of Kemptville Campus and the 

University of Guelph: 

Don Heeringa in 1973; while daughter 

Janet graduated in 2003, her brother 

Richard went to U of Guelph. 

other animals like pigs and beef 

cattle. He also learned about veterinary 

work and took business 

courses. 

“It’s always good for someone 

to go to school as a backup,” he 

said. 

Farming is a business, so his 

father believes it to be important 

for him turn over the paperwork 

side of things to his children can 

have a better grasp of the farm’s 

finances. 

“I don’t think dad will fully get 

out of it,” says Ms Heeringa. 

Even the full-time hired man, 

Shawn Park, plays into the family 

farming role. 

“My dad worked here before I 

did,” he says. 

The elder Mr. Heeringa started 

the farm in 1954, and paid only 

$7,500 for it. In 1987, his sons 

Don and John bought the farm 

fromhim. John Heeringa sold his 

share of the farm to his brother in 

2001. 

The farm won Farm Family of 

the Year [2008], an award handed 

out by the Peterborough County 

Federation of Agriculture and the 

Greater Peterborough Chamber of 

Commerce [in October]. They won 

the award because of how well the 

farm is run, the family involvement 

they have and because of their local 

community involvement. 

“They’re very involved in the 

farming community,” said Marg 

Dawson, a representative 

of both organizations. 

One thing Mr. Heeringa 

enjoys about dairy 

farming is the stability. 

While most farmers have 

to compete on a global 

market with fluctuating 

prices, dairy farmers are 

only able to sell in Canada. 

They also have a set 

amount of milk quota that 

they had to buy over the years for 

several million dollars. Having 

such a regulated industry means 

he can count on a regular income 

to pay down the farm mortgage. 

“We pretty much have to keep 

the barn full of milking cows to 

keep up with quota,” said Mr. 

Heeringa. 

It’s important for them to birth 

10 to 15 calves a month to keep 

their herd healthy and producing a 

lot of milk. The cows only produce 

milk once they have given birth 

and can each give out 130 pounds 

of milk per day at their peak. 

Birthing their own stock also helps 

keep out diseases and infections. 

“We haven’t bought an animal 

here in over 40 years,” said Mr. 

Heeringa. 

A downside to dairy farming is 

there are no sick days. Week-long 

vacations don’t exist. What holidays 

they have aren’t usually 

shared with family since someone 

needs to work the farm. 

“We’re never going to take a 

week off,” says Mr. Heeringa. 

Cows still need to be milked, 

fed and cleaned up after on Christmas 

morning. 

“All the ladies pretty much do is 

eat, poop and (produce) milk,” he 

says of the cows. 

Mr. Heeringa and his sister 

alternate who gets which weekend 

off and who has to do the evening 

milking. 

• 67 •


Living on the farm with his girlfriend, 

Kathy Riel, Mr. Heeringa said 

sometimes he doesn’t leave the farm 

for four or five days. The rest of his 

family lives nearby. 

“Working for yourself is nice,” he 

said. 

Though the task brings a lot of 

responsibility, he finds it satisfying 

and considers himself lucky to be 

able to do what he does for a living. 

“It’s a good lifestyle,” he said. 

“It’s nice to be able to live and 

work at the same place.” 

The siblings both enjoy the variety 

of work that comes up on the farm. 

Though there are daily chores like 

milking and feeding the cows, the 

other parts of the day constantly 

change. 

Even Ms Riel, who works full-time 

off the farm at Centennial Place longterm 

care home, has her own role at 

the farm, a big part of which is taking 

care of the chickens. She didn’t grow 

up on a farm, but enjoys the lifestyle 

change. 

“It’s hard work, but you don’t hear 

complaints,” she said. 

Shifting to the farming lifestyle 

has meant more than agriculture to 

her. 

“I have a hunting license,” she 

said. 

It’s the walks through nature that 

she likes, joking that she hasn’t shot a 

grouse yet, which is her favorite thing 

to hunt. 

Mr. Heeringa’s father didn’t need 

try and convince his children to follow 

him into farming and keep the 

family business going. Though the 

two siblings run the farm, it doesn’t 

hurt to have multiple generations 

working together. 

“We’ve still got a lot to learn,” said 

Ms Heeringa. 

— 2008-10-21 

Alternative Energy – Eastern Ontario Farm Powered by Waste 

by Heather Watson 

Michael Fritz Klaesi graduated 

from Kemptville’s Agricultural 

program in 2006 

and looks back on his experiences at 

Kemptville Campus fondly. He 

reflects, “Although I knew how to 

perform many tasks as part of the 

daily farming routine, my time at 

Kemptville helped me understand 

why and how to determine what’s 

best for my current operation. Since 

attending Kemptville, we have 

changed calf raising techniques on 

the farm, and I personally manage 

our nutrient management plan.” 

Michael believes that one of the 

largest issues facing today’s society 

is what to do with all of the waste we, 

as a society, produce and will continue 

to produce in the future. Agriculture 

is no exception, but as Michael’s 

current undertaking proves, agriculture 

can be part of the solution. 

Currently, Michael works alongside 

his father Fritz, and Uncle Paul Klaesi 

on the family farm - Fepro Farms, in 

Foresters Falls, about 100 kilometres 

northwest of Ottawa, Ontario. In 2007, 

the 300 herd operation saw the completion 

of the first anaerobic digester of its 

kind in Canada. 

The Klaesi operation is currently 

digesting enough waste each year to 

Michael Klaesi 

power the dairy facility and 30 homes. 

The waste is exposed to bacteria and 

through a natural process generates a 

biogas mixture containing methane or 

natural gas that is collected and 

burned to power a generator connected 

to the provincial power grid. 

The Klaesi farm is proving anaerobic 

digester power technology is feasible 

on a typical farm. “Since we are a 

pioneer for digester systems on farms 

in Canada,” Michael explains, “we are 

monitored more closely than usual 

because we are seen as a prototype 

that will make the process easier for 

other farmers if they desire to look 

into waste management through 

anaerobic digester power technology.” 

While milk production has been 

the farm’s main source of income, 

the anaerobic digester and associated 

technology are creating new opportunities 

for the farm. 

Fepro Farms welcomes tours and 

prides itself on being a demonstration 

and research facility. “We work 

with many different companies who 

take manure samples, run test 

engines on the farm, monitor pasteurization 

of grease trap waste, etc.” 

For the past 7 months, Michael 

has been working with his father and 

uncle to build a second, larger 

digester that combines manure with 

restaurant grease to boost the amount 

of power produced by the digester. 

The restaurant waste actually contains 

more unused energy than 

manure and should boost the amount 

of power produced. 

When the expansion project is 

finished over the next month, the 

farm will be producing enough electricity 

to power 130 homes. 

Michael’s plans are to continue to 

keep up with progressive farming 

technologies and expand the current 

farm operation’s capacity. 

To learn more about Michael 

Klaesi and his farm, please email 

mklaesi@hotmail.com. 

• 68 •

Kemptville Campus Alumni Weekend Registration Form 

Kemptville College Alumni Registration 

Online Registration Registration Form also available available at: at www.kcalumni.ca 

Grad Year 

Name including maiden 

Your partner’s name 

Mailing Address 

Daytime Phone 

Home Phone 

E-mail Address 

Cell Phone 

Indicate any special meal requirement i.e. diabetic dessert 

Method of Payment: Make cheque payable to Kemptville College Alumni Association 

Late Fee $5.00 per person after August 13, 2009 

August 28 - 30, 2009 One Person Two People Amount Due 

Package A $131.50 $239.00 

• Accommodation Friday &Saturday night 

• Saturday Breakfast 

• Saturday Lunch 

• Saturday Banquet, Auction & Dance 

• Sunday Breakfast 

Package B $88.50 $165.00 

• Saturday Lunch 

• Accommodation Saturday night 



Package C $78.00 $144.00 


• Accommodation Saturday night 


Package D $37.50 $75.00 

• Saturday Banquet & Auction Dance 5:00 PM 

Package E $15.00 $30.00 

• Dance & Auction 7:30 PM 

Golf 9 holes $20.00 $40.00 

Please note: Prices shown include taxes 

Total Owing 

Registration Deadline August 13, 2009 

Mail completed form to Cathy Baldwin, RR 4, Almonte ON K0A 1A0 (613)256-1593 

• 69 • 

CLIP OUT & MAIL CLIP OUT & MAIL

• 70 •

ALUMNI REUNION 2008 

Glenn Wells 

Greetings from 

the Class of 1948 

& Rep Glenn Wells 

May we extend our 

best wishes to the 

Alumni Association 

and especially to the Alumni 

Executive, we offer our sincere 

thanks for an enjoyable 

weekend and for keeping us 

so well informed. Sixty years 

have passed so quickly, but 

we have to realize that life is 

not forever, so make the best 

of it now. 

Please make every effort to 

attend on Saturday, August 29 

or, better still, Friday, August 

28 to Sunday, August 30. 

Will see you there! 

Glenn 

HOW TO CONTACT US 

www.kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca: Click Alumni at top, then click KC Alumni.ca 

There are two email accounts for Kemptville Campus 

Alumni: 

kcrecord@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca is for alumni 

address changes, web indicates to send changes to 

this address; it is automatically forwarded to the alumnirecords@uoguelph.ca 

NOT for general email response, questions, etc. 

Emailing updates to this email account will keep the 

updates in a central account and make it easier to 

manage and will expedite the updates as per the 

automatic forwarding to Guelph. 

KCAlumni@kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca is for contacting 

the alumni — Pat as the liaison person regarding 

questions, etc. Heather Stewart, Liz Forbes and Pat 

Scissons, as KC Alumni Liaisons, all have access to 

this account for checking and responding to emails. 

• 71 •

2009 Kemptville 

Alumni Weekend 

August 28 to 30 

Friday, August 28 

11:45 am Golf - 9 holes Rideau Glen Golf Course 

5:00 to 7:00 pm Registration Bell Hall Lobby 

Set Up Displays 

Bell Hall 

Saturday, August 29 

7:30 to 9:00 am Breakfast Cafeteria 

(advance booking) 

9:30 am to 1:00 pm Registration Bell Hall Lobby 

3:00 to 4:00 pm Registration Bell Hall Lobby 

12:00 to 1:30 pm Lunch Cafeteria 


1:00 pm Wagon Ride Pick up in front of 

Cafeteria 

2:00 to 3:00 pm Annual General Meeting Bell Hall Lobby 

3:00 pm Wagon Ride Pick up in front of 

Bell Hall 

5:00 pm Pick Up Banquet Tickets W.B. George Centre 

5:00 pm Meet and Greet W.B. George Centre 

5:00 to 6:00 pm Silent Auction W.B. George Centre 

5:30 pm Photo Services - W.B. George Centre 

Individuals and Groups 

Please book a time 

6:00 pm Dinner W.B. George Centre 

7:30 pm Live Auction W.B. George Centre 

8:15 to Midnight Dance W.B. George Centre 

Sunday, August 30 

7:30 to 8:45 am Breakfast Cafeteria 


10:00 am Room Check Out Return Keys 

• 72 •

Contact II 2009 - Kemptville Campus - University of Guelph

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