McCann, Peter

Peter McCann, 1993.

Regina Leader-Post

Originally from Bolton, England, Peter McCann attended University in Edinburgh, Scotland, graduating with majors in biochemistry and microbiology. He worked in a variety of management positions in the food and beverage processing industries in England, Scotland, Sweden, and Malta. He continued his efforts in Newfoundland, Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan after he arrived in Canada in 1971. In Saskatchewan, McCann served as president of Prairie Malt Ltd. in Biggar, and was the founder and first president of the Great Western Brewing Company in Saskatoon. In 1994, he founded and became the first president of the BioProducts Centre, based at Innovation Place research park, and in 1995 he led the formation of the Canadian Value Added Cereals Consortium and then the Saskatchewan Nutraceuticals Network. In January 1997, he was appointed president of Ag-West Biotech Inc. During his tenure he was involved in the start-up of eight life sciences companies, was instrumental in assisting several multi-national life sciences companies to establish in Saskatchewan, and was frequently called upon to provide input to federal and provincial life sciences policy development and in regulatory affairs. While in Saskatoon, Peter McCann sat on the Boards of numerous Canadian ag-biotech organizations, including several private companies as well as National Research Council Plant Biotechnology Institute, Genome Prairie, Bioproducts Canada, BioCap Foundation, Biotechnology Human Resources Canada, and Canadian Agri-Food Marketing Council (CAMC). He was also active in the local community, serving as an elected alderman on Saskatoon City Council from 1982 to 2003. McCann semi-retired in 2003 and moved to Belleville, Ontario, but continues to act as a consultant for industry and government.

Camille D. Ryan