TOGETHER WITH
Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue:
Shift Browser launches built-in blocker
Open Ocean Robotics signs maritime defence MOU
UVic tops Canada for research impact
Now, on to today’s briefing.
-Emily, [email protected]
By the way, if you're not already subscribed, you can fix that here.
Canada bets $50 million on domestic food innovation
Photo: Unsplash
Originally published in the Vancouver Tech Journal.
The federal government has announced a $50 million investment in the Canadian Food Innovation Network through the Strategic Response Fund and Canada’s National Food Security Strategy, with the goal of helping food and beverage companies — particularly small and medium-sized enterprises — adopt advanced technologies and strengthen domestic processing capacity.
CFIN is an industry-led not-for-profit that connects food and beverage companies with expertise, partners, and technologies. The new funding falls under what the organization calls Food 4.0 — its initiative to accelerate technology adoption across the food manufacturing and processing sector.
“Canada’s food processors are working hard to keep prices in check, but many are doing it with equipment and systems that haven’t kept pace with their global competitors,” said Dana McCauley, CEO of CFIN. “With the Government of Canada’s support, we can help our food sector produce more here at home and compete with the best in the world.”
With the investment, CFIN expects to support more than 200 SMEs, expand its national network to 20,000 members, facilitate up to $200 million in follow-on investment, and create approximately 300 new jobs. Since its founding in 2021, the organization has supported more than 104 projects valued at approximately $43.4 million and facilitated over $140 million in follow-on investment.
The announcement is part of Canada’s National Food Security Strategy, launched in June 2026 and backed by $3.2 billion over ten years. The strategy aims to strengthen domestic food production, reduce reliance on imports, and make the food system more resilient and competitive — with innovation and advanced technology adoption as central pillars.
SPONSORED BY PHS COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY
Help build the future of food security.
Every day, PHS prepares and delivers more than 3,900 nutritious meals for thousands of supportive housing and shelter residents across Vancouver. Yet our Food Program continues to operate from a kitchen designed for just 200 meals per day.
To meet growing demand, we're raising $2.1 million to relocate and expand our Food Program into a dedicated commercial production facility. The project includes critical seismic, building, mechanical, and electrical upgrades that will increase production capacity, improve food safety, and strengthen long-term program sustainability.
For people experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and complex health challenges, access to PHS's nutritious, ready-made meals provides stability, dignity, and a foundation for improved health.
Please consider making a donation today! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/146462
📰 More Victoria innovation news
🌐 Under my thumb: Victoria’s Shift Browser launched Blocker, a built-in ad and tracker blocking tool that requires no extension, giving users control over what gets blocked by site or page — with video ad blocking available on Shift Advanced.
🚢 We will rock you: Victoria’s Open Ocean Robotics signed an MOU with ENVGO to integrate their respective solar-powered and high-speed hydrofoiling uncrewed surface vessels under a single command-and-control platform, advancing Canadian sovereign maritime capabilities.
🎓 We are the champions: UVic ranked first in Canada for research impact and second overall among mid-sized universities in the Maclean’s University Rankings 2027, also placing second for medical-science grants and scholarships and bursaries.
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🕴️ Tech jobs of the week
Find your next career:
Business analyst at the City of Victoria
Electronics technician at Rainhouse Manufacturing
Sales development representative at Waterworth
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🗓️ Upcoming events
October 29 | Victoria Tech Nachos
A casual, no-frills monthly gathering for Victoria’s tech community — no speakers, no sponsors, just good conversation and shared nachos at Swans Pub. Show up, meet people, split the bill.
November 5 | ProductHub Victoria - Fall Event
We are a small, trusted room of Island product makers. Come see how your peers really build, test and ship product, and leave with ideas you can actually put to work. In this first meeting we will be hearing from the people behind Harvey AI, which is an internal tool used by PwC. We will learn how this tool combines domain expertise, enterprise controls and frontier AI models.
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