Rory Francis third Islander to be named into Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame
Seven of Canada’s accomplished agricultural champions will take the stage on November 4 as the 2023 inductees into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. CEO of the PEI BioAlliance Rory Francis was named as one of the inductees and is only the third Prince Edward Island resident to have received this recognition alongside Premier Walter Jones (1962) and Premier Walter Shaw (1980). Other 2023 inductees include Garnet Altwasser, John Bragg, Marcel Groleau, Ron Helwer, Robert Irving and Ray Robertson.
“This year’s inductees come from across the country and across a wide array of sectors of the Canadian agricultural landscape, and we are so excited to welcome them into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame,” says President Ted Menzies. “These Canadian agricultural ambassadors have made lifelong contributions at the farm, regional, national and international level that support the long-term sustainability and success of our industry.”
Rory Francis has dedicated his career to the agriculture and life science sector in Canada with a particular passion for island agriculture. His work and vision as a dedicated public servant and business founder have changed the commercial landscape of PEI, where he is CEO of PEI BioAlliance.
Rory is the Founder and Board Chair of the Eastern Canada Oilseed Development Alliance which has facilitated over 50 multi-year agricultural research projects valued at over $20 million connecting industry partners from Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic provinces with researchers from Saskatchewan to the Maritime provinces. He was a Board Member of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute from 2010-2019 and a Board Member of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre from 2013-2019. Rory has been a long-standing Board Member, and current Chair of the Advisory Board for the National Research Council of Canada’s Aquatics and Crop Resource Development Centres. He is also the founder in 2007 of VetHealth Global, one of the leading international veterinary business conferences.
Rory Francis was nominated by the PEI Department of Agriculture and Land, and Byron Beeler. The 2023 induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 4 in Charlottetown, PEI.