Construction has begun on the Ontario Poultry Research Centre in Elora, a CA$24 million facility funded by the Ontario government and poultry industry boards that will provide chicken, turkey, and egg farmers with research on animal welfare, disease prevention, nutrition, and farm efficiency when it opens in summer 2028.
- The Ontario Poultry Research Centre will serve more than 2,000 chicken, turkey, and egg farmers in the province
- Ontario government committed CA$24 million to the project through Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario, with an additional CA$10.5 million announced in 2025
- The facility is expected to be completed by summer 2028 and will support over 220 construction jobs
- Research areas will focus on animal nutrition, biosecurity, health, welfare, meat quality, food safety, and sustainability
- The project is a partnership between four poultry feather boards, the Ontario government, and the University of Guelph
Construction is underway on a new poultry research center in Elora, Ontario, that will give the province's chicken, turkey and egg farmers access to research on animal welfare, disease prevention, nutrition, food safety and on-farm efficiency.
The Ontario government and the province's four poultry feather boards marked the groundbreaking of the Ontario Poultry Research Centre, which is expected to be completed by summer 2028. The facility will serve more than 1,500 chicken and turkey producers and 500 egg and pullet farmers, according to a press release from the provincial government.
The province has committed CA$24 million (US$16.8 million) to the project through Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO), a provincial agency. That total includes an additional CA$10.5 million announced in 2025, according to the feather boards. The boards are also funding the project, and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership provided CA$250,000 for part of the design phase.
“We’re delivering on our commitment to protect Ontario’s poultry farmers by supporting the Ontario Poultry Research Centre, which will equip more than 2,000 chicken, turkey and egg farmers with the tools they need to address real-world challenges and seize new opportunities,” said Sam Oosterhoff, Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and agribusiness.
Oosterhoff also framed the project in the context of trade pressure on the sector. “In the face of unprovoked tariffs, investments like this will help strengthen Ontario’s food security, sovereignty and self-sufficiency while supporting a more competitive and resilient agri-food sector,” he said.
A partnership years in the making
The four feather boards — Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO), Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO), Turkey Farmers of Ontario (TFO) and the Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg and Chick Commission (OBHECC) — formalized an agreement in 2023 with the province, through ARIO, and the University of Guelph to develop the facility.
“This groundbreaking is an exciting milestone for Ontario’s poultry sector and the result of years of collaboration and shared commitment,” said Murray Opsteen, chair of CFO. “This new facility will give farmers and researchers access to world-class research right here in Ontario, helping us manage risk, prevent disease and improve on-farm efficiency.”
The boards credited Ontario’s supply management system, under which all four operate, with giving farmers the stability and predictability to make long-term investments in research, innovation and continuous improvement.
“Together, this collaboration drives the innovation and research necessary to strengthen the future of the Ontario poultry industry,” said William Bearss, OBHECC chair.
What the center will study
The facility will include dedicated research areas for layers and pullets, broilers and hatcheries, along with specialized and commercial research wings. Planned research spans animal nutrition, behavior, genetics, reproduction, biosecurity, health and welfare, as well as meat quality, food safety, production costs, productivity and sustainability.
Construction is expected to support more than 220 jobs.
James Schlegel, TFO chair, said the work will translate directly to farms. “By advancing work in flock health, animal welfare, sustainability and emerging technologies, the facility will help farmers adapt to new challenges, enhance how we raise turkeys and continue providing safe, high-quality turkey products for Ontario families,” he said.
Scott Helps, chair of EFO, said the boards intend to steer the center’s research agenda toward industry priorities.
“Together with the four feather boards, we look forward to having a facility that, alongside academia, we can pursue research that is strategically aligned with our vision for continuous improvement, adopting new technologies and science-based best practices,” Helps said. “This research is critical to ensuring food security for Ontarians.”
Expanding Ontario’s research network
University of Guelph President Rene Van Acker said the center will connect academic work to producers’ needs.
“The Ontario Poultry Research Centre will bring researchers, producers and industry together to turn research into practical solutions that strengthen productivity and resilience, support greater food security and self-reliance, and help secure Ontario’s food future and sovereignty,” Van Acker said.
ARIO owns the province’s network of agri-food research infrastructure: 14 research station properties covering 5,600 acres and more than 200 buildings. The University of Guelph operates 13 of those through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a partnership with the agriculture ministry and ARIO. Vineland Research and Innovation Centre manages the other.
“The Ontario Poultry Research Centre will expand Ontario’s research capacity and help advance new knowledge, technologies and practices that support an innovative and resilient poultry sector,” said Nevin McDougall, chair of ARIO.
The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which funded part of the design work, is a five-year, CA$3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments running from 2023 to 2028.
The groundbreaking coincides with Ontario’s 28th annual Agriculture Week, held Oct. 5-11.
