Faculty

Exploring the power of research at the 2025 Lister Science Chats

admin — Tue, 20 May 2025 13:23:28 +0000

On May 2, 2025, over 60 people gathered in the John Abbott College Library for the Lister Science Chats, where four Macdonald Campus graduate students presented their research and shared how past events as well as the discoveries, sometimes unintentional, and techniques of previous scientists made their work possible.

CN’s use of glyphosate sparks health and safety concerns—comments from David Wees

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:40:17 +0000

Some residents in Montreal’s Mercier-Est neighbourhood were caught off guard after Canadian National (CN) Railway sprayed a herbicide near their homes this week, CTV News reports.

Glyphosate is a powerful weedkiller banned in Montreal since 2021, as part of the city’s precautionary approach to protecting human health and the environment. But CN operates under federal jurisdiction, which means it isn’t subject to municipal rules.

Eleven new or renewed Canada Research Chairs awarded to ��

admin — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 19:08:29 +0000

On March 13, the Government of Canada, announced more than $308 million to advance science and research across the country. More than $153 million will support 179 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 38 research institutions.

Sacrifice Zones: Life along the fenceline between the land and industry

admin — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:21:51 +0000

In a recent article exploring the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution on Indigenous fenceline communities in Canada—residential areas that sit next to facilities that emit pollutants like noise, light, odours, chemicals, and even traffic—Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) spoke to Kanien’kehá:ka environmental advocate Lynn Jacobs about how plastic waste and industrial pollution have turned Indigenous homelands into “sacrifice zones.” Jacobs, who is pursuing a Ph.D.

Provost honours 31 �� professors for exceptional research achievements

admin — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:23:55 +0000

�� announces 2025 cohort of Distinguished James �� Professors, James �� Professors and William Dawson Scholars
Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi has named 31 �� professors as Distinguished James �� Professors, James �� Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.

Pascal Thériault on U.S. tariffs impact on Canada's dairy industry

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:24:33 +0000

In a recent article, CBC News spoke to several experts who say U.S. tariffs on Canadian dairy products would have little effect on Canada's protectionist system.

The director of ��'s Farm Management and Technology Program agrees that these tariffs would have a "somewhat limited" impact on industry.

Professor Michael Ngadi calls for enhanced capacity of smallholder farmers in Nigeria

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:59:53 +0000

�� Bioresource Engineering Professor Michael Ngadi called for urgent action to address the challenges facing stallholder farmers in Nigeria at a recent public lecture at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU).

A specialist in developing advanced emerging technologies for monitoring and controlling agrifood processing systems, he discussed the critical role that smallholder farmers and processors play in global food systems, particularly in developing and transition countries.

Rendering: The devil is in the details

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:06:51 +0000

A Sanimax animal rendering plant in Montreal's east end has drawn complaints from residents for years, largely centering on odors coming from the facility. Recently, an agreement reached between the company and the City of Montreal to address the issue by retrofitting the factory seems to have fallen apart.

Consumers are increasingly using boycotts, but do they actually work?

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:39:27 +0000

While there are plenty of examples to the contrary, the general academic consensus is that boycotts don’t work for a sustained period, as consumers eventually disengage and reprioritize brand loyalties or price. According to a recent poll, however, the Globe and Mail reports that the Buy Canadian movement shows no signs of slowing down.

Rising mercury levels in Arctic wildlife—Prof. Nil Basu comments on new Aarhus University study

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:11:42 +0000

A new study, led by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, suggests that levels of mercury in Arctic wildlife could continue to rise significantly even as countries curb their emissions. The researchers' analysis indicates that ocean currents are distributing large, century-old stores of mercury through marine ecosystems in the Arctic.

Large predators end up ingesting the most mercury through their diet of contaminated prey. This poses a serious problem for communities that hunt marine mammals with high concentrations of mercury, like seals.

Quebec wine sales surge after U.S alcohol boycott—comments from Pascal Thériault

admin — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 17:41:55 +0000

Quebec wine sales have gone up since the removal of American alcohol products from the shelves of the SAQ last March and local producers are working hard to fill demand.

Agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault, Director of ��'s Farm Management and Technology Program, told CTV News that producers shouldn’t bank on this boycott for long.

Macdonald Campus welcomes new leadership

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 15:24:55 +0000

As we welcome the Fall semester, the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is pleased to announce the following appointments:

Sebastien Faucher Associate Dean (Research)

Dr. Faucher obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Université de Montréal in 2007 and joined our Faculty in July 2011. He has previously served as Acting Associate Dean (Research) in 2020.

Dairy tariffs—Pascal Thériault weighs in

admin — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:39:10 +0000

US President Donald Trump says Canada has been imposing sky-high tariffs on imported American dairy products. Agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault, Director of the Farm Management and Technology Program at ��, spoke to CBC and Global News to give key context on this issue in their reporting:

IGA and Metro slow to comply with new price display law—comments from Pascal Thériault

admin — Tue, 27 May 2025 19:59:37 +0000

In the IGA and Metro grocery stores visited this week by Le Journal de Montréal, the price per pound of discounted products appeared on signage, but the regular price per pound was still not indicated, contrary to a new regulation that came into effect on May 7 which requires that grocers to "indicate a single unit of measurement for all goods of the same type." This rule aims to allow consumers to easily compare prices.

Natural Resource Sciences postdoc wins prestigious Banting Fellowship

admin — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 16:28:02 +0000

Anaïs Médieu, a �� postdoctoral researcher working in Natural Resource Sciences Professor Kyle Elliott's lab, has been awarded a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship for her project on the interactive effects of climate change and plastic contamination on Arctic seabirds.