CEL Group of Companies commits $250K in equipment for Assiniboine’s Prairie Innovation Centre

Assiniboine’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture is welcoming a $250,000 gift in kind from CEL Group of Companies for equipment including a range of plant growth chambers and environmental monitoring and control systems.

“The ideals of the college align with our own. Their mission of educating and training students for roles within the agri-foods industry aligns directly with the needs of our core clientele and corporate purpose,” said John Proven, President and CEO. “Having an opportunity to be involved in such a project within our home province is rewarding to our organization. We were pleased to be approached by Assiniboine and are proud to engage with them in a meaningful way.”

The Prairie Innovation Centre will enable more unique work-integrated learning opportunities, applied research projects and industry innovation. Part of the vision for the Centre is the Applied Research and Education Hub, and CEL’s equipment contribution will be an important piece of this key feature. CEL will continue to engage with the college to custom design and manufacture the best-suited technologies and solutions for the anticipated applications.

“Industry support is crucial to bringing this project to life, and that includes support of this nature, which ensures our planned state-of-the-art learning spaces can offer the quality we need and envision,” said Derrick Turner, Director, Advancement & External Relations. “The Prairie Innovation Centre is going to provide learners, researchers and industry with leading-edge, hands-on learning opportunities. We are fortunate to receive this support from CEL that will help see this vision through.”

Assiniboine’s relationship with the CEL Group of Companies goes back nearly a decade—their Argus control system is what currently operates the existing Sustainable Greenhouse on the North Hill campus, originally constructed in 2013.

“CEL’s equipment has enabled faculty-led research to be integrated with hands-on learning activities with students in Horticultural Production and Sustainable Food Systems programs,” said Tim Hore, Dean, Agriculture & Environment. “We are thrilled to have their quality equipment and support as we look toward the future.”

The Prairie Innovation Centre, which aims to expand seats in agriculture-related programming from 300 to more than 800, will be located at Assiniboine’s North Hill campus in Brandon.

“We are excited about encouraging more students to pursue careers in agriculture, horticulture and plant science,” said Proven. “Our world needs bright energetic minds thinking about the problems of feeding the world, protecting our environment and improving human health—all things plants have a significant role in solving.”