The Governator pumps up MaRS

The Governator @ MaRS

There are celebrities – and then there are celebrities. Not an original thought by any means, but one that dashed through my mind yesterday morning as I watched hundreds of MaRS Centre tenants hang over the bridges and crane their necks to catch a glimpse of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Visiting Toronto as part of a lightning trip across Canada, the Governor — joined by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty — touched down at MaRS to draw attention to the fundamental importance of stem cell research. The Premier’s remarks carried extra weight — to the tune of a $30 million investment to support the new Cancer Stem Cell Consortium. The Consortium will be led by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, one of North America’s leading cancer research centres.

With hundreds of spectators glued to their remarks, the Premier and the Governor paid special attention to two distinguished scientists in the audience: Dr. James Till and Dr. Ernest McCulloch, the pioneering researchers whose work led to the discovery of stem cells over 40 years ago.

Fast forward to yesterday morning, and it’s clear that stem cell research is just one of the areas linking the province and the state. And with the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership starting to get off the ground, future collaborations look increasingly likely — and increasingly valuable.

More resources:

• Photos of the visit to MaRS on Flickr

• Photo press release from the Office of Governor Schwartenegger
• Podcast download: Learn more about doing business and partnership opportunities in California. CanadExport talks to experts including a Canadian entrepreneur who shares advice on getting noticed in a big market and the head of the University of California who shares his perspective on R&D advantages.
  California: a golden state of opportunity (mp3)

McGuinty and Schwarzenegger team up to curb climate change