Agri-food research centre gets $800,000 funding

Winnipeg, MB – The federal government is providing $800,000 in funding to the Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM).

The funding will support the development of two new laboratories and the purchase of equipment needed for research of nutraceuticals, functional foods and health products. The enhanced facility will enable CCARM to expand its research program in the linkages between diet and health, increase collaboration and attract and retain the highly qualified personnel needed for the growing nutraceutical research sector in Canada.

CCARM is a partnership between St Boniface General Hospital, the University of Manitoba, and Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. It is located within St Boniface General Hospital Research Centre – a $40 million state-of-the-art medical research facility.

“The Winnipeg Partnership Agreement funding has been essential in completing construction of the final two CCARM labs here at St Boniface Hospital Research Centre. These labs will hold clinical trial research activities and also provide a shared lab where CCARM researchers can collaborate in a more efficient, economical and productive fashion than was previously possible. This allows us to advance our research into nutraceuticals and functional foods in a manner that has not been attempted anywhere else in the world,” said Dr Grant Pierce, executive director of research, St Boniface General Hospital.

The Winnipeg Partnership Agreement represents a five-year, $75 million commitment by the governments of Canada, Manitoba and Winnipeg to strengthen the city’s neighbourhoods, promote economic development and enable Aboriginal citizens to fully enjoy Winnipeg’s economic and social opportunities.