‘Grape doctor’ among the 5 inducted into Ontario ag hall of fame

This year’s class of Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees has five members, including Helen Fisher, who was also known as the Grape Doctor. ~ University of Guelph photo

By Luke Edwards

An icon in the Ontario grape and wine industry will be honoured by the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame later this year.

Helen Fisher, who was known by many as the “Grape Doctor,” is one of five 2026 inductees to the hall of fame. British born, Fisher grew up in St. Catharines and would be in the thick of it as Ontario transitioned to vinifera vines. Her induction to the hall of fame comes alongside Canadian Senator Rob Black, Scott Graham, Percy Hodgetts, and Brian O’Connor.

“Helen was passionate about the grape and wine industry and this passion was exemplified in her applied research projects,” said Wendy McFadden-Smith, who nominated Fisher alongside Arthur and Marlene Moyer, and Ronald Moyer Ltd.

“Her extensive list of protegees, several of whom hold lofty positions in academia and the grape and wine industry, is her true legacy. She was a true character and my friend and my colleague and I miss her dearly.”

Fisher was a researcher at the Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario and later associate professor at the University of Guelph.

“Her achievements in applied research provided growers with practical, science-based solutions for critical challenges,” said a release announcing this year’s winners. Those achievements include the use of wind machines to mitigate cold injury, the development of trellising systems to enhance yields, and expertise in rootstock selection.

As an educator she helped develop many future winemakers and vineyard managers, supporting many of today’s grape and wine leaders.

She was also the first woman appointed to Ontario’s provincial agricultural field advisory service.

During her career, Fisher released two grape varieties, a semi-seedless table grape called Vanessa and a white wine grape called Vivant.

Fisher died last spring, just after her 77th birthday. An obituary written by McFadden-Smith described her as being more interested in conducting field research and helping growers than she was in publishing papers.

“She was happier in the bottom of a soil pit, explaining the different horizons, or striding through a vineyard looking at vines, than she ever was doing paperwork,” McFadden-Smith wrote.

However, her work received widespread acclaim. She received the Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Award of Merit in 2009, the American Society of Enology and Viticulture Eastern Section’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 and the VQA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Jennifer Wilhelm included a chapter on Fisher in her book Sharing a Glass: Inspirational Memoirs & Memories of the Women Who Shaped Ontario’s Grape & Wine Industry.

McFadden-Smith described her as “a feminist without the bra-burning” and that as a female pioneer in a male-dominated field she “was an inspiration to many young women pursuing careers in agriculture.”

As a teacher, she was tough but fair and invested in her students, McFadden-Smith said.

“Helen’s joy of knowledge was contagious and inspired her many students. Who else could make ‘dirt’ interesting?” she said.

Fisher isn’t the only inductee with Niagara ties. Hodgetts was known as the “father of Ontario’s modern fruit industry” and helped establish the Horticultural Experimental Station in Vineland.

He advanced cooperative marketing, standardized box packing, cold-storage infrastructure and the “Big O” brand.

Hodgetts launched demonstration trains, packing schools and field programs to extend knowledge directly to growers.

He died in 1966.

Here are the other three inductees for 2026:

Rob Black - A senator since 2018, Black is known for his advocacy of Canadian agriculture. He’s chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and helped establish Food Day in Canada and led a major soil study called “Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human, and Social Health.”

Black’s also been involved with 4-H, Rural Ontario Institute and the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program.

Scott Graham - Well known in the egg sector, Graham is a former chair of the Egg Farmers of Ontario. He played a significant role in the Quota Transfer System and helped with the creation of the Consumer Choice Program, a forerunner to the Egg Quality Assurance program.

He’s also a supporter of innovations like the Hyper-eye project.

Graham has helped address global food insecurity issues by building sustainable poultry operations in Africa and helping to create the Food Bank Egg Donation program.

He’s been a staunch support of the supply management system.

Brian O’Connor - The founding general manager of EastGen is known for his work in advancing cattle genetics. He also played a key leadership role during the BSE crisis, establishing Gencor Foods meat plant and spearheading the revival of Thornloe Cheese, actions that safeguarded vital processing capacity and local jobs.

He’s been an advocate for the next generation, founding the Canadian Intercollegiate Judging Competition during his own university days. It’s a competition now over 40 years old. O’Connor also enhanced EastGen youth events.

The 2026 induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, June 14 at the Grand Way Event Centre in Elora. Tickets are on sale, and can be purchased by going to oahf.on.ca.