Canola Takes Centre Stage at the Royal

Canadian canola growers are planning to boost canola awareness at this year’s Royal Winter Fair. Organizers say an all out effort is being made to bring the story of agriculture and canola to consumers.

The Royal attracts over 300,000 visitors, including 35,000 school children, from 53 countries. "It’s a prime opportunity to make a lasting connection with a large number of consumers about where their food comes from and what part canola has to play," says Joan Heath, Extension Co-ordinator with the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SCDC) and co-ordinator of the canola booth.

"We have a great booth filled with fun activities and learning tools for students, free resources for consumers, examples of canola based food products, a story of canola display, farmers to answer questions, and loads more. And we’ve got a special cooking show that will be a definite crowd pleaser," declares Heath.

She adds that the booth is a collaborative effort of Canadian canola grower organizations--Alberta Canola Development Commission (ACPC), SCDC, Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA), and the Ontario Canola Growers Association (OCGA)--and the Canola Council of Canada.

One of the hands-on activities for young and old is the crushing of canola seed to see how canola oil is produced. "We have live canola plants at different growth stages and easy-to-follow details on the growing of canola," says Heath.

A wide range of free publications will be available from kids’ activity booklets to recipe sheets, to detailed information on the excellent heath qualities of canola.

The booth is decorated with canola pictures, plants and food products from around the world which feature canola oil. At the end of day, Heath says, the growers will have achieved their objectives if Royal visitors have gained a greater appreciation of where their food comes from and what part canola plays in a healthy diet.

The Canola Cooks cooking show will be held November 9 and 10 at 2:00 pm. The one-hour show will feature meal-in-one turkey tortilla soup, easy bruschetta, and gift-giving flavoured oils. Consumers are invited to sample the recipes and learn how to recreate them at home. Both recipes will be prepared with garlic flavoured canola oil, which the show host will also prepare.

This year’s Royal will also see two of Canada’s best know "fathers" of canola inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame on November 10, 2002. Portraits of the two inductees, Dr. Keith Downey and the late Dr. Baldur Stefansson, will be unveiled at a special dinner.

"We’re all set to make canola centre stage at this year’s Royal," says Heath.

For more information, contact:

Joan Heath (306) 827-2289
Simone Demers Collins, Industry Development Officer, ACPC (780) 469-0002
Ellen Pruden, Education and Promotion Co-ordinator, MCGA (204) 745-2178
Linda Piper, Administrative Secretary, OCGA (519) 291-4811