A commitment to innovation for a greener economy is strengthened thanks to a $100,000 gift from Vancouver-based Glacier Media Inc. to the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) at the University of Guelph. The funds will support the development of Phase 2 of the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC) and the University's BetterPlanet Project.

"This donation is a pledge of support for the bright minds and products coming out of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College. These are the people and ideas that will help society to become more environmentally sustainable," says Jonathon Kennedy, president and CEO of Glacier Media Inc.

Opened in 2008, the BDDC is an interdisciplinary centre where plant scientists, chemists and engineers converge to develop and commercialize biomaterials for car parts, packaging, furniture and building materials.

"The Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre is an exciting new part of the University of Guelph and is creating new opportunities for Canadian agriculture that we have not seen before. Supporting this initiative is an investment in Canadian agriculture's bright future," says Kennedy.

After acquiring Canada’s Outdoor Shows (parent company of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and Canada’s Outdoor Equine Expo) in October 2011, Glacier Media Inc. made the donation in memory of Ginty Jocius, an agriculture business leader who created the nation’s largest agricultural trade show in 1994. The gift was formally presented to Rob Gordon, dean of OAC, on January 20 at the Student Federation of OAC’s annual Good Times Banquet at Country Heritage Park in Milton, Ontario.

"We are extremely grateful that Glacier Media Inc. has reached across Canada to support OAC, invest in a world-leading innovation centre at the University of Guelph and play a key role in creating a sustainable future," says Gordon. "This gift will help the BDDC team develop products and uses for more complex manufacturing applications and higher value green products, and provide more opportunities for teaching, research and enhancing important agricultural value chains."

Glacier Media Inc. owns numerous business and trade publications, websites and community newspapers across Canada and entered the agricultural publishing market in 2002 with the acquisition of Western Producer Publications.

Established in 1874, OAC is a founding college of the renowned University of Guelph, and is Canada’s largest and most comprehensive institution for education and research in the environment, agriculture, food and rural communities.