An Insider’s Toronto: Manufacturing Icon Dr. Carolyn Moorlag

Toronto’s food industry is embracing intelligent manufacturing

Much of Carolyn’s research centre work is linked to partnerships—with businesses such as Rex Power Magnetics, Mircom and Vision Automation, to name a few—to help each company directly address their unique challenges. Carolyn points to Toronto’s food and beverage industry in particular which is incorporating intelligent manufacturing into their business models. 

Local chocolatier ChocoSol Traders, for example, needed to automate their cocoa-bean shelling. “They were sourcing a type of drought-resistant bean that was a challenge to shell, due to the brittleness of the interior,” Carolyn says. “We looked at automating the shelling, because if they had stuck with the manual process, they were never going to be able to expand their production.” And with Toronto Fresh Foods, which makes meat products, Carolyn and her team focused on AI: implementing sensors for quality control and processing data to predict shelf life.

Working with food manufacturers is one of her favourite parts of the job. “The food is amazing,” Carolyn says. “Toronto is such a fertile ground for new ideas and the variety you find here is amazing—of food, of entertainment, of experiences.” Here, she shares her top spots—eateries and otherwise. Because as any Torontonian knows, the city is manufactured for enjoyment.

Explore the city on two wheels

“I'm pretty outdoorsy,” Carolyn says. “I spend a lot of time on the Toronto bike trails, including the Martin Goodman Trail. It’s great exercise. I’ll go with my family, right from Humber Bay and into downtown and we’ll stop for lunch at the Harbourfront.” Another top bike ride is Etobicoke Creek, which goes from the waterfront to Pearson Airport. “You can bike there year-round, depending on the weather,” she says. “My family and I went for a bike ride there on New Year’s Eve and it was lovely.” She loves the waterfront, too—for the beach or sailing. “I find the Toronto Islands a very special spot, where you can get away from the city, and yet be still so close to it.”

Carolyn and her family are avid skiers, too—both cross-country and downhill—heading to Blue Mountain and Mount St. Louis Moonstone outside the city when they have a chance. They also enjoy watching Raptors 905, the Greater Toronto Area’s G League basketball team. Carolyn also goes to a yoga class at Resilience Yoga a couple of times a week. “I think it’s great for my posture,” she says.

Discover the world-class arts and culture scene

In addition to Carolyn’s extensive research work in the advanced manufacturing industry, she is an avid amateur artist, painting with acrylics as well as glassblowing. “I was inspired by an amazing Dale Chihuly glass exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum a few years ago,” she says. “It’s amazing how many exhibitions there are in Toronto and what you can be exposed to in the city.” She takes classes at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, a community arts hub. 

Carolyn also enjoys the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), especially the Canadian Collection and the Photography Gallery. “I like the different shows the AGO mounts every year. The Infinity Mirrored Room [by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama] has returned for another showing.”