Snapping turtle crosses the third hole at Blackhorse Golf & Resort Club during the Georgian Bay Golf Superintendents Association event on July 10th.

From the Editor

Research faculty and staff met for a BBQ lunch earlier this week to plan to the 2008 Summer Research Field Day scheduled for the morning of Thursday, August 21st. The day promises to provide an excellent overview of the turfgrass research activities happening at the GTI this year as well as glimpse into some of the other research activities including the annual and perennial flower trials, landscape ecology and aquatic toxicology programs. We hope you will be able to join us for what will certainly be an interesting and informative day.

 

Guelph Turfgrass Institute Property Update

On July 3, representatives from the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation, the Ontario government (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs and Ministry of Energy & Public Infrastructure Renewal), the City of Guelph and the University of Guelph met to discuss the future of the GTI on its current location.

At the meeting, future research directions arising from the GTI Vision 2027 document were presented. There was significant discussion regarding the future land needs of the GTI and possible locations for the facility. All parties involved remain committed to the GTI but it is clear that there will be future development in the proximity of the GTI. At this stage, the City of Guelph is engaged in the York District Lands planning exercise that includes the GTI property. In the current city planning proposal, the GTI property has been given a "residential mixed use" designation which at first glance would appear to be incompatible with current research and educational use of the site. 

What is not clear is whether the GTI could continue to exist on either its current footprint or perhaps a slightly larger area.  The facility would include public use areas (research sport fields and trails) integrated with the protected green space designation that has been given to the Eramosa River valley which runs along the north and east sides of the currently used area. This would involve approximately 70 acres of the current 280 acre Guelph Research Station site of which the GTI is only a component. A second meeting of this same group along with City of Guelph planning staff is being organized for later this month to further explore the concept of the GTI as an urban research facility that would be integrated with the city's planning and development needs for the area.

Updated Management Reports

OMAFRA Turfgrass Management Report

OMAFRA Nursery & Landscape Report

 

 

Turfgrass Industry Calendar