Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

REACH Grand Opening Gala and Open House

This past week I was fortunate enough to participate in two events at the new Regional Equine & Agricultural Centre of Huron. The first was the "black tie" Gala for invited guests in the new Riding Arena on Thursday night. A great list of sponsors made it a fabulous entertaining night that people will be talking about for quite a while. Not very often something like this happens in Huron County. The REACH staff made sure everything was as close to perfect as possible. It was also quite evident on who was paying for the night - OLG. (Ontario Lottery & Gaming). Well maybe not the whole night but they contributed a lot.
Before the meal the MC stated they had a surprise for us after dinner (note: the stage was set up for a band). During the meal we were entertained with a Dressage demonstration and the guy who sang the commercial "Good things Grow in Ontario".
After the meal Richard Harding, CAO for Central Huron, listed the band's accomplishments - toured North Amercia, Grammy nominees for various awards, Juno and CMA Award winners. Not bad. and then The Wilkinsons walked on stage!!!
What a way to cap off the night.
Today, Saturday, was the big public Open House. We got there around 11AM and there was a lineup of cars. When we left at 2PM cars were still coming. No idea on numbers yet but the Huron County Dairy Producers sold (scooped out) 200 Kawartha Lakes Ice Cream cones before 12 noon. The Huron County Pork Producers were also there selling sausage on a bun. One comment from a former steer wrestler was "this place will be packed" making reference to the point that there is nothing else like it in Ontario.
As a non-horse guy I was impressed. Everyone who has horses was excited. I spoke with a couple from Hanover who came just for the Open House. A big day for Central Huron (Clinton) and a sign of great expectations and rejuvenation.
Congratulations to the REACH staff and Central Huron Council.
(since I forgot my camera each time, I am hoping my contacts will send photos my way from each event to post here).

Views: 86

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Wayne Black on September 14, 2009 at 2:09pm
Thanks Joe for adding this. One thing I forgot was the website for REACH - reachhuron.ca Within the website you will see programming that they are currently offering and also a spot to sign up for email updates when they add new programs. One that my wife is wanting to sign up for is a photography day with the horses (and a teacher, lunch et al). Their plans sound exciting. I found out yesterday they are currently discussing with the appropriate businesses (wedding planners, travel agents, etc) to offer weddings on site along with a honeymoon package included.
Comment by Joe Dales on September 14, 2009 at 9:25am
RIDGETOWN CAMPUS TO DELIVER HORSE HANDLING TRAINING IN CLINTON

09/10/09
From a Release - The University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus is excited to announce that it will be partnering with the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) to deliver a new Performance Horse Handler Certificate at the REACH facilities in Clinton.

The new two-semester Performance Horse Handler Certificate was developed with significant input from the equine industry and the campus is looking forward to starting the student recruitment process. The recruitment process will target grade 12 students with a high school diploma or mature students looking to work in the performance horse industry, including thoroughbred, quarter horse or standardbred racing, dressage, show jumping, breeding and other stables. The first class is scheduled to begin in September 2010, with graduates receiving a University of Guelph certificate.

“REACH has a fantastic teaching facility located in Huron County and we’re excited about the opportunity to be the training deliverer for a new horse industry certificate,” said Ken McEwan, Acting Director, Ridgetown Campus.

“The University of Guelph and its Ridgetown Campus have a great reputation in education and we’re very excited to be working with Ridgetown staff in this training partnership. Ridgetown has almost 60 years of education experience and, like us, is keenly interested in supporting the equine and agricultural industries in Ontario,” says Richard Harding, Executive Director, REACH.

Ridgetown Campus will be hosting two fall Red Carpet Day Open House events at REACH in Clinton this fall. For more information, check out the Ridgetown Campus website to pre-register.

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Alberta Beef Producers hosts Producer Town Hall on Traceability

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) hosted a Producer Town Hall on Traceability on March 2, ahead of its Annual General Meeting, bringing together industry representatives and cattle producers to share perspectives on one of the most pressing issues currently facing the beef sector.  “Traceability has become one of the most talked-about issues in the Canadian beef industry in recent weeks,” says Doug Roxburgh, Chair of ABP.  “ABP is in a listening phase and is committed to hearing directly from Alberta cattle producers and representing their best interests as discussions move forward. The purpose of this Town Hall was to provide additional time and space for producers to share their perspectives, which will help inform ABP’s approach on this issue.”  Alberta cattle producers were invited to attend in person or virtually. The event took place at the Sheraton Cavalier Calgary and was broadcast live to online registrants via Direct Livestock Marketing Systems (DLMS).  The event began with op

Alberta Beef Producers objects to proposed traceability changes; announces intent to form traceability working group 

Following extensive producer engagement, including 15 Producer Meetings and a dedicated Town Hall, ABP delegates passed a resolution at the 2026 Annual General Meeting directing the creation of a traceability working group. ABP, alongside governments and other cattle organizations, will work to address deficiencies and producer confidence in the current model before further changes can be considered. Effective disease readiness and trade access require a traceability system that works in practice, not just in policy. It must be supported by proven technology, reflect the realities of cattle production, and limit undue costs or administrative burden. Without that foundation, the system will not achieve full producer participation and will?not work as intended.??? The?proposed amendments to Part XV of the?Health of Animals Regulations?(Identification and Traceability), as advanced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), create significant challenges for beef producers and ABP

Farmer Funding to Drive Innovation and Strengthen Canola Production under Canola Agronomic Research Program in 2026

The three Prairie provincial canola grower associations have evaluated and selected 11 canola research projects to receive funding under the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP) in 2026. This investment includes over $2.4 million from Alberta Canola, SaskOilseeds and Manitoba Canola Growers, as well as over $495,000 from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and over $1 million from Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), bringing the total investment to $4 million. Driven by grower associations and supported by a robust, collaborative research priority development and proposal review system, CARP enables the funding of projects that are key to advancing canola productivity and mitigating production threats. The funded projects regularly provide new strategies for managing pests and diseases, addressing emerging threats such as weeds and viral infections, and supporting a more resilient canola crop. Grower associations are pleased to collaborate with the RDAR and WGRF,

University of Saskatchewan finalists named for McCall MacBain Scholarship

Established with a $200-million gift in 2019, the McCall MacBain Scholarships are Canada’s largest leadership-based scholarships for master’s and professional studies. More than 700 Canadians applied, and 151 advanced to a first round of interviews in November. The top 53 Canadians will attend the final round of interviews in Montreal, joined by 38 finalists from other countries. “It is inspiring to make it this far. I’m thankful to know that my hard work in and out of university has led me to this point, and I have to credit the people who have helped me along the way,” said Zentner. “I feel a little bit lucky, and blessed beyond measure.” Zentner is a graduate of the College of Kinesiology. He is the executive director of the Kinesiology Association of Saskatchewan, leading efforts to advance the field of kinesiology across the province. He was promoted to executive director after first volunteering with the association for a year. “More than anything, university taught me to beli

New Sprott Awards support Indigenous graduate students

The new Sprott awards recognize resilience, leadership and academic potential for Indigenous graduate students studying at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources (AgBio) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). These financial awards help remove barriers to success for Indigenous students. The Sprott Indigenous Graduate Scholar Award is awarded to a new student entering a thesis-based graduate program. It is a renewable award valued at $25,000/year for a MSc student and $30,000/year for a PhD student. This year’s recipients are Taya Fedorchuk and Kim Lebel. The Sprott Indigenous Graduate Achievement Award is valued at $5,000 and is awarded to a current student in a thesis-based graduate program. This year’s recipients are Bella Amyotte, Jolynn Amyotte, Morgan Fleming and Jeremy Irvine. The award recipients’ graduate research showcases the innovation and range of research in AgBio! Taya Fedorchuk Research project: Growing horticulture crops in northern climates in hydroponic gr

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service