Plant breeding in Canada officially began in the 1880s when the House of Commons passed “An Act Respecting Experimental Farm Stations.” At this time, five experimental farms were set up across the country in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories (present day Saskatchewan), and British Columbia to begin to develop new plant varieties.
“For here… the very ethos of botanical art
is being expressed through its combination
with that other altruistic pursuit, plant breeding.”
—Mark Flanagan
Royal Botanical Gardens
