Latest news with #RegionalFoodDistributionAssociation
CBC
25-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Province pitches in $2 million for food warehouse expansion in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Sat inside the wooden shell of the expanded warehouse, Volker Kromm points to where a living plant wall will be. "There will be a lot of knowledge sharing here and where we're sitting right now actually, there's gonna be a ceremonial circle," he said. "A much better, much improved space that really reflects the vibrancy and the nature of northwestern Ontario." The warehouse expansion project at the Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) in Thunder Bay, Ont., has been a long time coming. The $6.9 million-project was announced in January, and will see a new 5,200 square-foot addition to the facility on Syndicate Avenue. The organization provides food to 37 partner organizations and 47 First Nations across the region. The new space will allow for more food storage, job training, and food education programming in a community kitchen. On Wednesday, the provincial government announced $2 million for the expansion through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, was joined by Kevin Holland, MPP of Thunder Bay—Atikokan as well as Thunder Bay's mayor Ken Boshcoff to announce the funding. "There's more families that need help than ever before, and having these facilities built — and having the government support the needs of citizens — certainly helps to fill that gap," said Pirie. "These types of facilities are critically important to ensure that we continue to build healthy communities." A family of four in the Thunder Bay district spends more than $1,200 a month on basic food items, according to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. Meanwhile, demands for food banks and meal programs keep going up. A much better, much improved space that really reflects the vibrancy and the nature of northwestern Ontario. - Volker Kromm, executive director of the Regional Food Distribution Association "The need is growing," Kromm said. "What's happening politically, we are bracing ourselves, tying up our belts and saying, 'All right, prepare for the worst.'" Teaching people about how to prepare healthy food is a key priority of the warehouse expansion project, he said. "There will be so many schools through here coming from right across the region," Kromm said. Our goal is to be able to have education go right across northwestern Ontario all the way to Hudson's Bay." 'Everybody needs help' Even with the funding boost from the province, the RFDA still needs to raise $1.5 million for the project. Bruno Niederer, chair of the RFDA's capital fundraising campaign, said it's been hard seeking support when community members are contending with the rising cost of living. "There is a lot of need out in the community. We are not just alone; everybody has a project. Everybody needs help," Niederer said. "People are worried, OK, with the tariffs and what's going on today in the world. It's not like it used to be." While Thunder Bay is a generous community, he said, organizations are still competing for fundraising dollars in order to meet their goals. Addressing the crowd in the warehouse while construction continued outside, Pirie shared the story of how his mother experienced poverty during the Great Depression. He described how she lived in an abandoned bunkhouse insulated with moss, with bare floors, no running water and little heat. "I asked my mother, 'What was it like? How did they survive?' And her answer was because that whole community worked together, helped each other," Pirie said. "When they had extra food, they shared it, and that's how we survived. And in fact, that's what this facility represents — people working together to help those in need throughout the community." Meal prepping with locally-grown foods Although it may be ambitious, Kromm said the hope is to complete construction by the end of August and hold a grand opening ceremony in the fall. In the meantime, "we're going to be more and more dependent on volunteers because we really want to move into healthier foods," he said. That's where the education piece comes in, he said. For example, people in northern communities may be unfamiliar with ingredients such as lentils, chickpeas and kale, but he wants the RFDA to help teach them about the benefits of making meals from bulk foods. "I think we need to go back a couple of steps, grow our own food, raise [our] own protein, and that has to be brought into the classrooms, the universities and high schools," Kromm said. "That'll also bode well with the local farmers and local production, so it's a big move to change what's been happening, reversing the tide."
CBC
15-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Facing a $6.5 million-deficit, Confederation College takes heat over suspension of culinary program
Social Sharing Eve Roy says she was drawn to Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., by the smaller class sizes and supportive learning environment. That's why the first-year culinary management student says she was surprised when the school announced the program is one of 11 being suspended in the fall. "The teachers are amazing — they're really cool. They teach a lot. They're really professional and they're down to earth. My classmates are amazing," said Roy, who came to the northwestern Ontario city from Ottawa. Roy was one of about 80 people who packed the college's Dibaajimogamig lecture hall on Monday night. The name translates to "the place where stories are told." The session was scheduled to last an hour, but lasted nearly two hours, with more than a dozen people posing questions to senior college staff. Graduates of the program shared what they went on to do in the industry. Former teachers talked about the impact of giving back. Prominent members of the restaurant and hotel industries expressed concerns about staffing shortages. Meanwhile, a Grade 11 student shared she had been planning to enrol in the program since the seventh grade. A member of one of the college's own advisory committees said they learned about the program suspension through the media, while another person questioned the lack of consultation with Indigenous people over the decision. "On the positive side, it is incredible to see this amount of support come out of the woodwork. For us to come in here and talk on a Monday night about this and really push the boundaries of what we thought we could do is amazing," said Pete Middaugh, executive chef at the city's Valhalla Hotel. WATCH | Thunder Bay's food industry concerned about suspension of culinary management program at Confederation College Thunder Bay's food industry concerned about suspension of culinary management program at Confederation College 7 days ago Duration 5:04 Confederation College recently announced it is suspending 11 of its programs, including culinary management. The decision has left the Thunder Bay, Ont., food industry worried. Bianca Garofalo, restaurant owner and Tanner Harris, food service manager for the Regional Food Distribution Association, joined the CBC's Mary-Jean Cormier in studio to share their concerns. Middaugh is behind an online petition aimed at keeping the culinary management program open. It has more than 2,200 signatures. "The fact that we saw 2,200 [signatures] in a relatively short period of time really speaks to how important this program is to the community at large and to its businesses and its people that live here," he said. While several people pushed back against the reasoning behind the college's decision — a decline in domestic enrolment and international study permits — the school committed to exploring options for keeping culinary education in place, even if that means in alternative formats. The teachers are amazing — they're really cool. They teach a lot. They're really professional and they're down to earth. My classmates are amazing. The college says no staff layoffs have been announced in connection with the program suspensions. However, it has seen a 50 per cent uptake on its voluntary retirement incentive plan. There's also been a hiring pause and vacancies are being held, senior staff shared during a presentation at the town hall. "I'm hoping to engage with an even broader group of people beyond just the program advisory committee," said Richard Gemmill, the dean for the school of business, hospitality and media arts at the college. "Hoping to get more voices to that table to help inform us as to what that community need is and how we can respond to that need in a meaningful way that is financially viable for the institution." Growing deficit, declining enrolment Confederation College is facing a $6.5 million-deficit, said Aaron Skillen, vice president academic. Meanwhile, the culinary management program saw more than $330,000 in losses last year. There were 52 students in the program in 2024. Of those, 28 were international students. WATCH | How the foreign student caps affect universities' finances Colleges and universities ring financial alarm over foreign student caps 5 months ago Duration 2:09 Post-secondary institutions say they are projected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars with new international student caps they warn jobs and student programs could be at risk if governments don't boost funding. Now, with the federal government capping the number of international study permits across the country, Confederation College is expecting 40 per cent fewer international students this fall compared to 2023. Domestic enrolment has declined by 30 per cent over the last decade, according to Skillen. "We're in a set of circumstances where we are greatly impacted by some federal policy, certainly the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) decisions throughout 2024 have created a new reality in the post-secondary sector across the country, and certainly here in Ontario," said Skillen. The IRCC has also introduced new post-graduate work permit eligibility, which only 27 of the college's programs qualify for; the culinary management program isn't one of them. Alternative options, advocacy Pushed by participants of the town hall, Gemmill committed to look into what a different culinary diploma program might look like in the future, but couldn't make any promises as far as timelines. "I think we're at the point now where we need to look at what type of program is required and how can we build that up, from the ground up, to respond to that need," he said. "I'm optimistic that we can do that with the proper consultation with the proper community members." For Middaugh, the answer lies with the people in the industries most affected. "I would like to see them make an announcement that they're gonna continue the program, but they're gonna take more recommendation[s] from the culinary community at large, and that the program is going to maybe be evolved to make sense for all shareholders," he said. "It's got to make sense to the college. It's got to make sense to the restaurants and everything else that goes into it, it's not just one party." In the meantime, the college is looking into offering more cook apprenticeships, contract and corporate training, and micro-credentials to help support the food industry. As the federal election approaches, Skillen said the college is continuing to advocate to both the provincial and federal governments for more support, especially when it comes to meeting the community's labour needs. Ultimately, he said the town hall's high turnout "signals to me exactly how we feel about the program as being a high-quality one, one that's met a labour market need in the past."
