Univ of Guelph receives $20 million donation from Arrell Family Foundation

The Univ of Guelph has received a $20-million gift that will be matched by the university to create a new food institute. The donation was made by the Arrell Family Foundation, founded in 1999 by U of G alumni Tony and Anne Arrell. The Arrell Food Institute will assemble cutting-edge research, agricultural expertise, big data and environmental science with business and civil society to turn knowledge and discoveries into applications and insight. The donation (the university’s largest) and matching funds, when combined with other investments including a $77-million award last year from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund brings U of G’s agri-food investment total over the past 12 months to more than $150 million. Dr Tony Arrell is chairman and CEO of Burgundy Asset Management Ltd, a Toronto-based investment management firm for private clients, foundations, endowments, pensions and family offices.