If you’re seeing Ontario Agricultural College jackets online and all over Ontario today, you’re not imagining it. May 2024 marks his 150th anniversary since the opening of Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), one of his three colleges at the University of Guelph. Establish a university.
Starting this month too some upcoming events To celebrate our 150th anniversary, we will carry out a variety of events, projects and activities that reflect our achievements and vision for the future. Events include a history tour around campus, a Canada Food Day celebration, and a June Alumni Weekend Capstone Celebration.
The OAC community, including alumni, is invited to celebrate, and many are wearing OAC jackets and sharing photos online with the hashtag #OAC150.
“The entire University of Guelph community is excited to celebrate this important milestone in our history,” said Dr. Charlotte Yates, U of G President and Vice-Chancellor. “OAC has a proud and rich tradition of developing leaders and fostering innovation in the global agri-food sector.”
The first batch of 28 graduates studied on a 550-acre farm purchased by the state. Since then, OAC has grown to more than 3,300 students at its two campuses in Guelph and Ridgetown, and is now an Ontario-wide research facility owned by the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO). We utilize the center’s network.
OAC was originally named the Ontario Agricultural College and Experimental Farm, but changed its name in 1880 to better reflect “its purposes and ambitions.” In 1874, he became one of the first schools in Canada to integrate scientific research into agricultural practices, contributing to the modernization of agriculture across Canada.
This work continues today as the Ontario Agriculture and Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and U of G.
OAC has been instrumental in several agricultural innovations, discoveries and advances, including the Yukon Gold potato, Guelph Millennium asparagus and Omega-3 eggs. It is also home to the Canadian Institute for Food Safety, Guelph Soil, the Controlled Environmental Systems Research Facility (CESRF), and Regional and Rural Broadband (R2B2).
