PAGE 8
News Advertiser insider
NOVEMBER 2, 2016
www.
NewsAdvertiser
.com
left to right areAnnieMcKitrick,JessicaLittlewood,Heather Sweet,TrevorHorne,ShayeAnderson
Joe Machney
Reporter
MLAs Annie McKitrick, Jessica
Littlewood, Heather Sweet, Trevor Horne,
Shaye Anderson all met at the Alberta
Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) site
in Vegreville on Tuesday, October 25 to
tour their facilities.
After a greeting and introduction from
Ross Chow they were given the Plant
Science Tour by Jeff Newman where they
were shown the greenhouses on site, as
well as the growth chambers, and a show
and tell which involved cereal crops, novel
crops including hemp, Jerusalem
Artichoke, and flax. Newman talked at
length about the importance of improving
crop production and diversification. The
flexibility of hemp in its applications and
uses was explained in great detail as well.
Also talked about was blackleg of canola
which is hindering the exporting of the
crop to countries outside of Canada, such
as China.
Pink solar panel energy and how they are
helpful in greenhouses in respects to seek-
ing green light for energy and using the
rest of the sunlight for the plants was
described thoroughly. Newman men-
tioned that the cost of solar panels for
greenhouses is expected to go down in the
near future. “They are getting more popu-
lar in places like Ohio, Southern Ontario,
and Southern Alberta,” he added.
Some of the projects that AITF is work-
ing on are: improving drought tolerance
and nitrogen efficiency in barley and
wheat. They are also exploring freeze tol-
erant canola and barley. He made a point
of saying that AITF is working with USA
and Australia to fight climate change
globally.
After lunch, Byron James brought the
group into the fiber processing facility and
talked at length about the different appli-
cations that hemp can be used for such as
automobile siding and construction blocks
for buildings.
Brian Eaton joined everyone on the bus
as they went to visit the Mesocosm Facility
MLAs visit AITF in Vegreville
tour. Returning back to the main facility
he continued to share his knowledge by
talking about the Environmental
Monitoring Programs, these being ABMI,
Wildlife, AESN, and EAS labs.
As of November 1, Alberta Innovates
Technology Futures will be known as
Innotech Alberta, whose roles will be, to
establish system-wide programs to sup-
port achievement of the innovative targets;
identification and communication of
industry challenges (problem statements)
to the Innovation system; and provide
scientific and technical services to govern-
ment and industry.
Earl Jenson concluded the day tour by
talking about their Bioprocessing pro-
grams that highlighted connections to
municipalities.
As the MLAs left the facility they made
their way to the Egg at Egg Park for a
group photo to conclude their day.
