Our History

G.M. Frost Research and Information Centre

The funds to construct and equip the the G.M. Frost Research and Information Centre were raised by the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation through the support of many associations, companies, and individuals with an interest and understanding of the role turfgrass plays in modern society.

Mac and Beth Frost of Stouffville, Ontario provided the founding donation for construction of the centre in the 1990's. As developers, owners and managers of golf courses, the Frosts had an appreciation and understanding of the importance of turfgrass research and the value of turfgrass in the landscape.

Since 1992, the G.M. Frost Research and Information Centre has been the research, education, and information hub for the Canadian turfgrass industry. The new building, located at 364 College Ave East, officially opened in 2022. The facility includes office space for industry organizations including the Ontario Golf Superintendents Association, Sports Turf Canada and the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation. The facilities include meeting rooms, faculty/graduate student office and a field laboratory equipped to facilitate the research that takes place on the surrounding fields. The G.M. Frost Centre also provides space for conferences, lectures, and meetings

The G.M. Frost Research and Information Centre is an extraordinary example of progress that can be made through the cooperation of various agencies. The private sector, through the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation, provided funding for the new building and continues to support research projects undertaken at the facility. The University of Guelph provides ongoing research and management expertise. The Ontario government, through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs historically provided the land, and site development support. The Agricultural Research Innovation Office was a key partner in facilitating the move from the historical property to the current location on the University of Guelph campus. 

The move allowed for the construction of a new state-of-the-art research and teaching facility. The total physical area of the new grounds is approximately 17 acres. There are 14 new research plots, which include different combinations of turfgrass cultivars, mowing heights, and soil types. 

The Guelph Turfgrass Institute and the University of Guelph continue to support and foster a strong Canadian turfgrass science program, offering degrees ranging from Associate Diploma to Ph.D. The research grounds, laboratories, diagnostics clinic, and study space continue to attract new generations of academics interested in studying turfgrass science here in Canada. 

GTI Relocation Fundraising (2017– present)

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the companies, individuals, and organizations who supported the fundraising effort to establish the new facility of the Guelph Turfgrass Institute

  • The Ontario Agricultural College
  • The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
  • The Chyc family
  • OAC Class of 1971 and Class of 1972
  • Landscape Ontario
  • Greenhorizons Sod Farms
  • The Schiedel family
  • Vanden Bussche Irrigation & Equipment
  • Ron Craig
  • BASF Canada Inc
  • Syngenta Canada
  • Bayer CropScience Inc.
  • Plant Products Inc.
  • Ontario Seed Company Limited
  • The DeCorso Family, Victoria Park East and Victoria Park Valley
  • Neudorff North America
  • Corrie Almack

G.M. Frost Centre Capital Original Donors (1987–1992)

Zander Sod Co.
W.R. Hucheson Sand & Mixes
W.L.(Bill) Campbell & Dorthy I. Campbell
Turf Management System Inc.
Turf Drain Inc
Turf Care Products Canada
The Nursery Sod Growers Association of Ontario
The Greenhorizons Group of Farms
Speare seeds
Sheridan nurseries
Schouten Sod Supply
Pickseed Canada Inc
Oseco Seed Inc.
Ontario Golf Superintendents association
Ontario Golf Association
Nu-Gro Corporation
Monsanto Canada Inc
Manderly Sod
M. Smilsky Ltd.
Landscape Ontario
John Vanderwoude Sod
ISK Biotech Limited
Hoechst Canada Inc.
Green Cross
Georgian Bay Golf Superintendents Association
G.C. "Clint" Duke
Evergreen Sod
DowElanco Canada Inc.
Dol Brothers Sod
David H. Cutten
Bruce S. Evans Ltd.
Brouwer Sod Farms
Brayford Sod Farms
Beth & Mac Frost
Arther D. Latornell & Fairlawn Sod Nursery Limited
A Grateful Sod Grower
Whitevale Golf Club
Westview Golf Club
Vigoro Industries Inc.
United Agri Products
Uniroyal Chemical Ltd.
The Toronto Golf Club
The National Golf Club of Canada
The Mad River Golf Club
The De Corso Family
Sports Turf Association
Seneca College G.C.T. Alumni Association
Scarboro Golf & Country Club
R.F. Moote
Paul Dermott
O.M. Scott & Sons Co.
Mississauga Golf & Country Club
Maple City Country Club
London Hunt & Country Club
Lambton Golf & Country Club
James, Frances & David Wyllie
Jack Eggens
Isobel & Bob Moote
In Memory Of Scott Richmond
H.K. Bergmann
Gordon Witteveen
Gladys & Bob Sheard
Fairlawn Sod (Ottawa) LTD.
F & K Mfg, Co. Limited
Edmond G. Odette
Douglas Wood
Dorthy & Clay Switzer
Donalda Club
Diamond River Golf Limited
Cyanamid Canada
Cutten Club
CIBA - Geigy Canada
Canadian Golf Superintendents association
Burlington Golf & Country Club
Aquamaster Irrigation Products
Wright Lawn Care Service John & Ruth Wright
White Rose Crafts & Nursery Sales
Westmount Golf & Country Club
Western Ontario Golf Superintendents Association
Weed Man East Coast Dealers
St. Thomas Golf & Country Club
Sarnia Golf & Curling Club
Rothwell Seeds Limited
Robert Brewster
Repart Manufacturing
Professional Lawn Care association of Ontario
Pelino Scenna
Ottawa Valley Turfgrass Association
Ontario Turf Equipment Co. LTD
Nursery Sod Growers Assoc.- 40th anniversary J.L. Eggens, R.W. Sheard, C.M. Switzer
Newcastle Golf Course
Mr. and Mrs. R.D. McCollum
Mike Mayne
Lipani & Lipani Sod Supply
Keith Nisbet
Jeff McMaster
In Memory Of Ralph Goodwin-Wilson OAC Year 38'
Hamilton Golf & Country Club
David Dick
Daniel Uzelac
Cushman Inc.
Canadian Ornamental Plant Foundation
Brouwer Turf Equipment
Bill Fach & Michael Geluch
Beverly Turf Farms
Bayview Contry Club
Allturf Ltd.
William Bowen
Wilbur Ellis Co. Of Canada
Weston Golf & Country Club
Weed Man Dealers - Saskatchewan
Weed Man Dealers - Quebec
Weed Man Dealers - P.E.I.
Weed Man Dealers - Ontario
Weed Man Dealers - Nova Scotia
Weed Man Dealers - Newfoundland
Weed Man Dealers - New Brunswick
Weed Man Dealers - Manitoba
Weed Man Dealers - British Columbia
Weed Man Dealers - Alberta
Weed Man - Kirkland Lake
Weed man – Guelph - Paul Proulx
Vic Palmer Enterprises
Vander Bussche Irrigation Equipment
Twenty Valley Golf Club
Turf Managers' Short Course'99 Mark K. Sears
Turf Managers' Short Course, 2001 Clayton M Switzer OAC'51, 50th anniversary
Turf Managers' Short Course, 2000 Jack L. Eggens
Turf Managers' Short Course I - 1998 Ursula Rodriges
Turf Managers' Short Course I - 1998 Cheryl Fitzgibbions
Turf Managers' Short Course '98 II Chris Hall
Turf Managers' Short Course - 2003
Turf Managers class of '93
Turf Managers Class of '92
Turf Managers Class of '91
Turf Managers Class of 1997
Thom & Cindi Charters
The Guelph Country Club
Teri Yamada
Suppliers Dart Tournament
Summit Golf & Country Club
Seneca College Golf Course Technician Class of 1996
Ruth & Jack Purdy
Rhod Trainor
Renfrew Golf Club
Ransomes Inc.
Ralph Hyslop Chippewa Creek Golf & Country Club
Phobe Haas Foundation
Oshawa Golf Club
Ontario Vegetation management Association
Ontario Professional Women in Horticulture
Ontario parks association
Oakville Golf Club
North Halton Golf & Country Club
Norman McCollum
Norman E McCollum Turf Managers' Short Course '04
Nigel Rennie
Nashville Sod Supply
Nashville Hydro - Seeding
Nancy & Tom Sawyer
Milliken Chemical
Micheal J. Bladon
Lookout Point Golf & Country Club
Kent - Essex Green keepers Society
John D. Pickard
John Bennett
John & Katherine Millman Norman McCollum
Jim Watson
Jack L. Eggens Turf Managers '94 II 25th anniversary
J. Chris Hall.
J. Bruce Stone
In Memory of Ruthie Tucker - Pat Tucker
In Memory of Matthew Kyle Newton July 31, 1970 - August 20, 1997 Glen Abbey Golf Club Royal Canadian Golf Association
In Memory of John Bennett
In Memory of Joan (Ellerington) Tanner - Mac '57
Highland Country Club
Haliburton Highlands Golf
Greg, Jeff & George Robinson
Greenspace Service Bill Black
Golf Equipment Technicians association
Giant - Vac Inc.
Gary N. Davis, O.A.C'66A Jack L. Eggens Scholarship 1998
Galt Country Club
Fire fighters Rolling hills Golf Club
Dr. Tom Hsiang Turf Managers '96
Dennis Murr
Dee Cashen Weed Man Uxbridge
Dean & Marianne Baker O.A.C. 85A
Dalewood Golf & Curling Club
Cherry Hill Club Ltd.
Canadian Society Of Club Managers South Western Ontario Branch
Canadian Irrigation association
Brooklea Golf & Country Club
Brian Allen Hill Oct. 12, 1975-Nov. 24, 1996 In Loving Memory Bev And Shirly Hill
Brantford Golf & Country Club
Braeheid Sod Supply
Beach Grove Golf and Country Club
Airport Golfland
AG-Turf Chemicals