0865894 B.C. LTD.
Formerly | Element Art Designs Ltd. (2009–2021) |
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| Private (Benefit Corp.) | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | |
| Founded 📆 | November 9, 2009 |
| Founders 👔 |
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| Headquarters 🏙️ | , , |
Area served 🗺️ | Canada |
Key people |
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| Products 📟 |
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| Services | |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| 🌐 Website | agritech-north |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
AgriTech North is a Canadian controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) equipment, service, crop, and retail business based in Dryden, Ontario, where a brick-and-mortar storefront is publicly accessible during operating hours. AgriTech North is an Indigenous-, 2SLGBTQIA-, and Differently-Abled-owned-and-operated social enterprise benefit corporation.[1][2]
History
The company was incorporated in British Columbia on November 9, 2009 as Element Art Designs Ltd.[3] On April 2, 2021, it filed a change of name to 0865894 B.C. LTD.[4] It then began operating in 2022 under the name AgriTech North in Dryden, Ontario, with a local reporter describing its focus on year-round indoor farming.[5][6]
In 2022, AgriTech North was reported as the inaugural season winner of The Bears’ Lair, the first Internationally-televised Indigenous business competition, associated with a $100,000 cash prize.[6][7]
In October 2023, AgriTech North was named as an industry partner on a Collège Boréal–led team also consisting of Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) and Truly Northern Farms, that received a $1 million financial contribution through the Weston Family Foundation’s Homegrown Innovation Challenge to develop and test, among other initiatives, AgriTech North's inventions for commercially viable, year-round berry production in freezing Canadian climates.[8][9] Reporting on the project described planned evaluation of stacked hydroponic grow racks, water-cooled programmable lighting, integrated pest management (IPM), an “innovative, new-to-Canada greenhouse envelope” and thermal-harvesting systems intended to capture and use sustainable and waste heat.[8] The grant covered an approximately 18-month research period reported as running from April 2023 to October 2024.[8]
In the years following the grant, AgriTech North led the development and commercialization of CEA technologies geared towards passive energy harvesting and low-tech energy transformation. In 2025, a patent application titled “Thermal-harvesting greenhouse envelope structure and system” and listing AgriTech North as the applicant was published as WO2025086016A1, describing greenhouse envelope technology designed for freezing climate conditions that reduces heating requirements by over 70% when compared to single-pane glass.[10]
A separate patent application for hydronic microclimate control systems has been disclosed under application number 3,299,383, describing a new invention that provides water-based heating, air conditioning, and dehumidification at 71% less energy than refrigerant-based alternatives, eliminating refrigerants and associated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) with global warming potential (GWP). The elimination of refrigerants also eliminated reliance on Red Seal Program Tradespersons such as Refrigerant Technicians, enabling Right to Repair.[11]
Between 2023 and 2025 the company also received non-repayable contributions and other funding from multiple government programs, including a Clean Technology Investment program award from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in 2022,[12] a Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) award to support community and agricultural development in Dryden in 2024,[13] and a FedNor Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) grant recorded for 2024–25.[14]
In 2026, AgriTech North was listed as part of The Fireweed Institute's 2026 Fireweed Venture Accelerator cohort. The program is described as a 12-month, Indigenous-led accelerator aimed at investment readiness, and includes a culminating pitch night with aligned investors; Export Navigator listed the 2026 program as running from February 2, 2026 to January 29, 2027.[15][16][17]
See also
- Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA), Greenhouse, Vertical Farm
- Olericulture, Hydroponics, Aeroponics
- Métis, Indigenous
References
- ↑ "This Indigenous founder moved back home to Northern Ontario to help solve food insecurity — here's how he's doing it". Future of Good. 2022-07-12. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "AgriTech North". Red River Métis Business Directory (Louis Riel Capital Corporation). Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Corporate Registry Notices – November 12, 2009". bclaws.gov.bc.ca. King's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Corporate Registry Notices – April 8, 2021". bclaws.gov.bc.ca. King's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Dryden's AgriTech North Winner Of Bears Lair". CKDR. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "AgriTech North wins APTN's The Bears' Lair". Bioenterprise Canada. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Dryden indoor farmers win national pitch competition". Northern Ontario Business. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Researchers land $1M to grow berries year-round". Northern Ontario Business. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Weston Family Foundation contributes $1 million to Collège Boréal to help address food sustainability in Canada's remote regions". Collège Boréal. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "WO2025086016A1 – Thermal-harvesting greenhouse envelope structure and system". Google Patents. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Canadian patent application no. 3,299,383 (publication pending)". Canadian Intellectual Property Office. 2026-02-11. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "The Government of Canada invests in clean technology to support sustainable farming practices". Government of Canada. 2022-02-22. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Ontario supporting community and agricultural development projects in Dryden". NOHFC. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "FedNor funding record 200-2024-2025-Q2-00001". Government of Canada Open Grants and Contributions. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Cohort Hub". The Fireweed Institute. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
- ↑ "Accelerator". The Fireweed Institute. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
External links
- AgriTech North – official website
- The Fireweed Institute
- Homegrown Innovation Challenge
- Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN)
- Truly Northern Farms
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