Two colleges from Canada’s top wine and agricultural regions have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand access to world-class wine education and encourage further collaboration in food, agriculture, and tourism training.
As part of the memorandum, Okanagan College and Niagara College signed an agreement allowing Okanagan College to deliver Niagara College’s Winery and Viticulture Technician curriculum in a format tailored to the Okanagan region. The curriculum will prepare students for careers in Canada’s growing wine industry.
“This partnership brings together two colleges with a shared commitment to academic excellence,” said Okanagan College provost and vice-president, academic, Samantha Lenci. “By collaborating with Niagara College, we are strengthening learning opportunities for students and delivering programs that reflect the needs of our communities and local industry. These industries are critical to our region, and we’re excited to expand our support of the Okanagan and Shuswap through relevant, applied programming.”
Launched in 2000, Niagara College’s Winery and Viticulture Technician program was the first program of its kind in Canada, housed in Canada’s first and only commercial teaching winery, which produces a broad range of award-winning wines each year. Located at Niagara College’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., the program is part of Niagara College’s School of Wine, Beer and Spirits, which also includes programs in brewing and distilling, supported by an on-campus teaching brewery and teaching distillery.
These industries are critical to our region, and we’re excited to expand our support of the Okanagan and Shuswap through relevant, applied programming.
Samantha Lenci, Okanagan College
“At Niagara College, we are proud of our reputation as a pioneer in wine education since we launched our trailblazing Winery and Viticulture Technician program 25 years ago, along with Canada’s first commercial teaching winery,” said Niagara College vice-president, academic, Fay Lim-Lambie. “Sharing our gold-standard curriculum with Okanagan College is a testament to the quality of our programming and entrepreneurial spirit and expands the availability of wine education to Canada’s top two wine regions.”
The agreement marks an important step in a partnership that offers additional opportunities for collaboration. Future activities may include credit transfer between the two colleges, student and faculty exchanges, joint or collaborative research, events and other academic pursuits.
“As a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, our region is uniquely positioned to lead at the intersection of food, wine and place,” said Joe Baker, dean of the Hall School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Okanagan College. “By offering an established, world‑class curriculum, the Hall School of Business and Entrepreneurship – through our new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism – is building an academic foundation that will educate future leaders in viticulture, winemaking and winery management. This partnership ensures the Okanagan Valley not only sustains its global reputation, but also shapes the future of wine, tourism and culinary excellence far beyond our borders.”
The new curriculum is expected to be available through Okanagan College’s new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism starting in fall 2027.
The centre is currently under construction at Okanagan College’s Kelowna, B.C. campus. It will house food, beverage, and tourism programs, a new restaurant, programming delivered by the Hall School of Business and Entrepreneurship and other Okanagan College programs.
