It was a good week for the coffers of two Olds College programs.On April 28, the school announced its turfgrass research program was awarded a $2.3-million grant over five years through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.The grant will allow for the expansion of research in areas such as the reduction of winter injury to turf, biotic stress management in sod, recreational turf and lawns, species/biotype selection for alternative turf uses and water quality and conservation, a college media release states.Now that the grant has been awarded, the release states, “one of the first tasks will be to begin a search for scientific staff that includes a lead scientist and a research associate.”“Both positions will require individuals that have considerable knowledge of the challenges faced by growers in Western Canada. They will join instructors, Dr. Darrell Tompkins, Dr. Ken Fry, Jason Pick and Research Manager, Jim Ross, as part of the research team. This group is charged with the responsibility of integrating student research projects into the turfgrass curriculum at Olds College.”According to the release, the Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI), which oversees the turfgrass program, submitted a proposal entitled “Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Canadian Prairie Provinces” for the cash as part of the Community College Innovation Program Grant along with program stakeholders including the Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation, Eagle Lake Turf Farms Ltd., the Alberta Golf Superintendents Association, the City of Lethbridge, the Alberta Turfgrass Research Foundation, Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association Retail Operators Commodity Group, Manderley Turf Products and the Glendale Golf and Country Club.Five days after the grant announcement for the turfgrass program, federal Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification Michelle Rempel pledged $2,986,500 to support the college's Calgary-based Apparel Innovation Centre.According to a ministry media release, the cash “will enable the College, in collaboration with Alberta Garment Manufacturing Ltd., to establish Western Canada's first open-access apparel research and development facility.”“Once completed, Canadian-based companies and entrepreneurs will have access to a full suite of product testing and development equipment, as well as research services to create advanced textile-based products such as fire and chemical resistant safety gear for the energy, mining and manufacturing industries.”The release also states the federal money “will be used to acquire a broad spectrum of product testing and prototype development equipment ranging from thermal comfort, hot liquid and steam protection research testing equipment to various garment-related sewing and cutting machines, as well as garment design hardware and software.”“By helping manufacturing businesses streamline production processes and expand product lines, this project may lead to increased sales and export activities in Western Canada.”
