John Wise Former Minister of Agriculture and Dairy Farmer Dies at the Age of 77

Jan 11, 2013

Former Ag Minister Will Be Remembered for His Contributions to Agriculture

John Wise, former federal Minister of Agriculture and dairy farmer was remembered on Monday for the contributions that he has made to Canadian agriculture.

Wise was a fifth-generation dairy farmer prior to his run for politics and was an advocate for supply management while helping to introduce his government’s free trade policies.

Wise first began his career in politics as a local politician and served as a Township Councillor and Deputy Reeve of Yarmouth from 1966 to 1967. He also served as the Warden of Elgin County in 1969. Wise dove into Federal politics when he ran in the 1972 general election in the riding of Elgin, where he defeated Liberal incumbent MP Harold Stafford. Wise was re-elected four times before he retired in 1998 after serving in opposition and the government – he served as the minister of agriculture under Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney.

Wise was heavily involved in his community and served on a number of agricultural boards such as serving as Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Livestock Exporters Association and Canadian Embryo Exporters Association, and was the honorary founder and President of the Soil Conservation Canada.

Wise died on January 9, 2013 at the age of 77 in London, Ontario.

Funeral service details:

A funeral service is set for 1 p.m. Monday at Knox Presbyterian Church, St. Thomas. Visitation at the church begins at 11 a.m. Monday.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.