Northern Ontario Advisory Committee : Bioenterprise

About the Committee

The Northern Ontario Advisory Committee is comprised of knowledgeable and experienced stakeholders from across the region who provide input on direction and programming to help drive food and agri-tech innovation in the North. Committee members also bring their key industry connections to the project and help increase visibility and profile for the Northern hub regionally and nationally.

Contact Us

Interested in getting involved? Contact us and learn more about the committee.

Emily.Nanne@bioenterprise.ca

Alyson MacKay

Ingenuity, Lakehead University Business Incubator

Alyson MacKay is the Manager of Ingenuity, Lakehead University’s Business Incubator. Born and raised in Thunder Bay, she worked in Ottawa after graduating from university and returned to the area six years ago to be closer to her family. In her role at Ingenuity, she supports the development of small business and entrepreneurial culture.

Brent Cadeau

Northwest Beef Co-Op/Beef Farmers of Thunder Bay/Beef Farmers of Ontario

Brent Cadeau is owner of Wolf River Farm, a family owned and operated beef farm in Dorian with 70 head of cattle. The family markets all of its products directly to consumers. Brent is the current president of Northwest Beef Co-op, a not-for profit co-op of farmers who have come together to create a brand built on humanely and sustainably raised cattle. He is a serving member of the Beef Farmers of Ontario provincial Cow-Calf Committee.

Stephanie Vanthof

Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Northeastern Ontario

Stephanie Vanthof is the Northeastern Ontario Member Service Representative for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, supporting farmers and local federations in their initiatives. She previously managed the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA), a non-profit organization that works to advance agriculture in Northern Ontario. Stephanie was raised on a dairy farm in Northern Ontario and received a Master of Science in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Environmental Science in Environment and Business with a diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of Waterloo.

Sean Murray

Nor’wester Maple Company/Canada West Maple Products

Sean Murray is owner of Nor’Wester Maple Company and Canada West Maple Products. He was born and raised in Northern Ontario and grew up fishing, hunting and spending time in his grandfather’s vegetable garden. It was his attachment to Northern Ontario forests and food that led him to create the two maple syrup businesses, located in Municipality of Neebing and Thunder Bay. Creating a syrup business outside of the common maple syrup production regions of Quebec and Central Ontario required a re-thinking of forest management legislation, and Sean has continuous dialogue with various levels of government to ensure forest can be used harmoniously for both forestry and food production.

Kim Jo Bliss

Ontario Crops Research Centre – Emo/University of Guelph

Kim Jo Bliss is the Manager of the Ontario Crops Research Centre in Emo, where she has worked since she started as a summer student in 1988. The Centre does field crop research for the University of Guelph as part of the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance. Kim Jo has lived in the Rainy River District most of her life and fell in love with farming at a young age as she spent most of her time with her grandmother, who was a farmer. Today, she lives on the farm her great grandfather moved to in 1926 from Arnprior, Ontario, and has a herd of 50 beef cows, a small flock of sheep, as well as other livestock including goats, rabbits, and alpaca. She finishes beef and sells all her lambs locally to family and friends. Kim Jo is active in her community, sitting on numerous boards for both agricultural and non-agricultural organizations.

Denis Castonguay

Coopérative régionale Nipissing-Sudbury

Denis Castonguay is the general manager of Cooperative Régionale de Nipissing-Sudbury Limited. Cooperative Régionale has over 4,000 members with services that include selling seed, crop protection and nutrients, grain storage and marketing, feed manufacturing, fuel and propane, and retail sales. Denis was raised in the Sudbury area and holds degrees in computer science and commerce with a specialization in cooperative management from Laurentian University. His career experience includes retail banking, credit management, health care, small business consulting and community development.

Norm Jaehrling

White Lake Limited Partnership, Pic Mobert First Nation Venture

Norman Jaehrling has been the CEO of White Lake Limited Partnership (WLLP) for over five years, leading the business out of a period of uncertainty to become a diversified venture with direct gross revenues of over $2 million annually and over $50 million with its related companies. He is an accomplished community economic development practitioner, entrepreneur and executive with over 30 years of experience in facilitating, developing and financing community and economic development opportunities for Northern Ontario rural and Indigenous communities. Norman also represents WLLP and the community on the boards of directors of numerous related ventures and co-ventures.

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