Message from the Minister

B.C. is home to talented and dedicated researchers whose discoveries have resulted in hundreds of patents and spinoff companies that have boosted and diversified our economy, helping us weather global economic difficulties better than many other places in North America.

That’s one of the reasons the Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development has responsibility for research in B.C., which includes the Leading Edge Endowment Fund, created with $56.25 million from the Province.

Beautiful (Rural) British Columbia

There’s no major museum in Chetwynd. Bella Coola doesn’t have a planetarium. The BC Lions don’t play football in Smithers. And you won’t find a zoo in Kaslo. These are the kinds of attractions that bring people and dollars to BC’s major cities. Lacking them, our smaller cities, towns, villages and rural areas would seem to be out of luck.  “Not so,” says Dr. Nicole Vaugeois. In 2008, she was appointed BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism & Sustainable Rural Development at Vancouver Island University. She’s full of ideas about how they can sustainably attract tourists and broaden their economic base. She comes by her interest naturally. She grew up in rural Alberta and now lives on an organic farm near Nanaimo. (more…)

Getting down to earth …from space

For over 50 years, scientists and engineers have employed novel materials, systems and technologies in spaceflight and exploration. Many of these have then been spun-off or adapted for applications here on Earth. Hyperspectral remote sensing is one such example. It became prominent when robotic rovers and planetary orbiters began exploring and mapping the Martian surface. In fact, some of the most compelling evidence of water on Mars in the past came via this technology. Hyperspectral remote sensing is now also being used for terrestrial applications. A leader in this initiative is Dr. Benoit Rivard.

At home on the range

BC’s beef-cattle industry contributes about $2 billion a year to the Canadian economy. This includes everything from the sale of cattle and calves to meat processing and distribution. As with other BC economic sectors, this industry faces significant challenges. These include the rising cost of land, feed and fuel; climate change; the threat of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“mad cow disease”); increased environmental and health regulations; and the difficulty of attracting young people to ranching. Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops lies in the heart of BC cattle country. So it’s the appropriate setting for a new BC Regional Innovation Chair in Cattle Industry Sustainability. Dr. John Church is the newly appointed incumbent. (more…)