ABOUT US
The truffle industrie is still in its infancy in Canada. Our country is not one associated with the truffle in the public imagination. We do not have a long tradition of truffle cultivation or an expertise developed over generations. We have passionate amateurs, innovators and entrepreneurs. The challenge to make Canada an household name in truffle is enormous. Our competitors have been at it for centuries.
To bridge that gap, we need to disseminate knowledge. That is the goal of the Canada Truffle Association, which is a not-for-profit organization, to serve as educational hub for producers and consumers alike in Canada. It will provide a national platform for those who wish to learn about, exchange and share their knowledge of the truffle industry, both amongst canadians and the broader world.
Through these efforts we hope to build a strong base on which we can construct a bright future for the canadian truffle industry.
THE TEAM
Mario Desforges
PRESIDENT
His interest for agriculture, business and judo have modelled Mario Des Forges’s life.
Born in Montreal in 1964, he was introduced to the world of business at a young age, by first working with members of his family, which led him to specialize in business development for about forty years, eighteen of which were devoted to the agri-food business.
His spouse’s career path took him to the Arctic where he spent about twenty years, during which he founded not-for-profit organizations devoted to amateur sport, Judo Nunavut and the NWT Judo Association, in addition to collaborating with not-for-profit organizations having a social vocation, including the John Howard Society of Nunavut and of the Northwest Territories, and the Native Women’s Association.
In 2013, he purchased a property in Ontario for the purpose of operating an agri-food business under the name of Puck’s Garden when the arctic adventure comes to an end. In 2020, Mario Des Forges founded Ontario Truffles Inc. with Jérôme Quirion and Marc-André Coulombe, to develop truffle-growing in Ontario.
Vincent Desforges
VICE-PRESIDENT
Vincent Desforges holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Victoria in Political Science and Greco-Roman Studies, as well as a professional master's degree in urban planning from Queens University in Kingston. He is in his first year of doctoral studies at the University of Montreal, in history and urban planning. He has worked for several years in the community sector and non-profit organizations in the far north, having worked for the Economic Development Council of the Northwest Territories, the Judo Association of the Northwest Territories, the 'Aquilon and Radio Taiga; Finally, he was coordinator of JeunesseTNO on behalf of the Fédération Franco-Ténoise. He brings his knowledge in the field of NPOs, administration and communications.
Dr. Shannon Berch
DIRECTOR, EDUCATION
Shannon Berch graduated from the University of Waterloo in Biology and then she completed a MSc with Bryce Kendrick on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of ferns in Southern Ontario, She then obtained a PhD under the mentorship of J.-Andre Fortin at Laval University. Shannon then moved to Corvallis, OR, where she did a two-year post-doctoral studies with Jim Trappe. She then accepted a faculty position in the Soil Science Department at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Eight years later she moved to Victoria and joined the Research Branch of the BC Ministry of Forests.
A few years ago, Shannon retired from her research scientist position with the BC Ministry of Environment. Shannon is currently an Associate Member of the Department of Botany at UCB, Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC, and Emerita Research Scientist with the Conservation Science Section of the BC Ministry of Environment.
Shannon is a founding member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society, as well as the Truffle Association of BC.
Shannon's interests and expertise include documenting the diversity of native truffles, assisting growers with questions about truffle cultivation, and educating growers and the interested the public about mycorrhizas, macrofungi and truffles.
She remains actively engaged in research on truffle cultivation, native truffles, native macrofungi, and ectomycorrhizal fungi.
Marc-Andre Coulombe
Christine Gagnon
TREASURER
Marc-André possesses a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sherbrooke. Marc-André Coulombe has been active in the field of leadership for over 16 years. His passion for business development, project management and research and development have made him travel through Canada, the United States, Australia, Germany, Peru and Panama.
Intuitive and an autodidact, Marc-André creates business plans and proposals that nets tens of thousands of dollars annually, has restructured departments, oversees marketing projects, acts as representative and sales director for clients, and his always looking for new national and international markets. Marc-André has his own business, Gestion Développement 360 inc. and has offered his support to the Canada Truffle Association to put in place new and ambitious projects to make Canada a major player in the world of truffles.
Marc-André is recognized for his organized, dynamic and witty personality. His approach for the development of the industry is one based in methodical research and adapted to the reality of the market to promote strong growth in the truffle industry and build strong relations with potential national and international partners.
SECRETARY
Christine Gsgnon obtained a law degree from the University of Montreal in 1986. She is now retired, and she devotes her time to the Association on a voluntary basis as Secretary. During her career, she has served on the boards of directors of non-profit organizations, she has been a member of several committees and participated in numerous working groups. She taught law at O'Sullivan College in Montreal in the Paralegal Studies program for seven years. She has worked with the Judicial Institute, as well as the Canadian Bar Association to deliver continuing education programs, and she also provides continuing legal education to justices of the peace in the Northwest Territories.
She brings to the Board of Directors her legal expertise, her experience of committees and associations, as well as her taste for education and training.
Jerome Quirion
EXPERT
Jérome Quirion holds a baccalaureate of science in Biology from the University of Sherbrooke with a specialization in soil macrobiology. His interest for arboriculture is not new - Jérome has been working for over 15 years in his field and has garnered a wealth of experience in research both on the field and in the lab with some of the foremost specialists in ectomycorrhizae. He is also co-owner of the family business les Jardins des Pommes, an agroforestry business in Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, a few minutes from Sherbrooke.