44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 23, 2022
- 04:32:38 p.m.
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Good afternoon.
Thanks very much for inviting me to appear before the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food today. It's my honour and pleasure.
Bill S-227 seeks to designate the Saturday before the first Monday in August as Food Day in Canada.
As we know, food is at the heart of our homes, our communities, and our economy, and I think one positive thing that has emerged from the pandemic is that many Canadians, especially those outside of rural and agricultural communities, have become more interested in learning about where and how their food is grown.
It's important for our future generations to understand that our farmers, producers, processors and agri-food retailers work hard to produce good food. Canadians young and old need to see for themselves that our agricultural communities care about the land, the commodities they grow and animals they raise.
Having a nationally recognized Food Day in Canada can help them understand that there is so much to learn about agriculture and food production in our country and will, hopefully, increase public trust in our food supply systems. As rates of food insecurity rise, not only in Canada but around the world, I believe it's paramount that we work to support our systems and trust that it can provide us with healthy, safe and affordable food.
When we talk about local food production, we are talking about people in our everyday lives. We are talking about the farmers who grow the crops we drive by as we travel Canada, about the agri-businesses that produce the food we see on the shelves, about the restauranteurs and chefs who feed us and the vintners and brewers who produce the wine, beer and spirits that we enjoy. Local food is about much more than just what we eat; it is about Canadians.
We heard about these Canadians during the many speeches in your chamber from the members for Perth—Wellington, Wellington—Halton Hills, Guelph, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford and Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou. They all presented compelling accounts of how agriculture has impacted their communities and Canada at large. I am confident that most, if not all, parliamentarians could do so. Agriculture truly touches us all.
As you know, Canada is one of the largest producers and exporters of agricultural products in the world. In 2021, the agriculture and agri-food system employed 2.1 million people, provided one in nine jobs in Canada and generated $134.9 billion, which is approximately 6.8% of Canada's gross domestic product. Passing the Food Day in Canada act is another way that we can acknowledge the important role that agriculture and local food plays in Canada.
In fact, many provinces already celebrate local food with special days throughout the year. For example, here in Ontario, the province passed legislation to proclaim Food Day Canada in Ontario in June 2021. While provincial celebrations are wonderful, I am a firm believer that there should be one day nationally when the entire country can come together in honour of this important sector. Bill S-227 would give Canadians a reason to celebrate agriculture and agri-food from coast to coast to coast together every summer.
Some of you may recall that a previous bill, Bill C-281, which was originated in your chamber by a former member of Parliament, sought to designate the Friday before Thanksgiving each year as national local food day. While the ideas may appear very similar, and I wholeheartedly support the call to celebrate agriculture any time, Bill S-227 is based on an existing celebration that began as an industry-led initiative. I believe it's important that we involve industry as much as possible in the organization of this event. It is important, and the industry agrees that the day should fall in the summer, at the height of the growing season, as opposed to the fall, when agriculture is slowing down before the start of winter.
If established, this annual celebration would not only see Canadians join together in celebration of our food from our farms to our forks and the people who make it happen but also encourage Canadians to continue learning about our agricultural and agri-food industries. It's a chance to highlight and appreciate the diverse and nutritious food products we have access to each and every day. Agriculture and agri-food are critical industries that contribute not only to the whole of our nation, but to countries around the world.
I also want at this time pay to tribute to a great advocate: Anita Stewart, the founder of Food Day Canada. As many of you will know, the first Food Day Canada was born from Anita’s concern for beef farmers during the 2003 bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis, the BSE crisis.
Anita was a trailblazer who made a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of the Canadian food system. Her spirit and passion for Canadian cuisine from coast to coast to coast and the people who grew, harvested, and cooked it were unrivalled.
She is missed by all her knew her. Her memory lives on in the legacy of her recipes, her family and of course in Food Day Canada.
Thanks very much again for inviting me to join you today. I would also like to send my thanks to many of you and to many other members of Parliament who spoke in your chamber on Bill S-227.
I look forward to answering any questions you might have, and I look forward to hearing what our second witness has to say.
Thanks in advance for your support of celebrating Canadian food regardless of the outcome of this bill.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwetch.
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- 04:47:35 p.m.
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Thanks very much, Mr. Barlow, for your question.
With respect to the date, Food Day in Canada that Anita Stewart started was, in Ontario, the August long weekend, and that has, to this date 19 years later, always been the August long weekend in Ontario, but we know that the August long weekend isn't a long weekend across Canada in some other provinces.
When we went to the legal team and the clerks on our end, we had to make it so that it's the last Saturday before the first Monday in August so that it is always that weekend of the long weekend. That is the one and only reason.
The previous bill, as you referred to, was the Friday before the Thanksgiving weekend. When it came to the Senate chamber, we did make an amendment that would bring it to, we said, the August long weekend date. That was an error on our drafting team's part at that time, but it died in the Senate chamber anyway. It is, in fact, on the August long weekend that Anita always had it in the past. I might point out that 2023 is the 20th anniversary of that very first world's largest barbecue in Elora, which she started, and which was a precursor to Food Day Canada.
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- 04:50:33 p.m.
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Perhaps I could add to that a little bit.
In terms of the group that oversees Food Day Canada, there's a small group of Anita's friends seized with—
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- 04:50:59 p.m.
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I will just say that the small group of Anita's friends involved in Food Day Canada are seized with this education piece going forward.
Thanks.
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- 04:52:11 p.m.
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From my perspective, I'd like to see us acknowledge and recognize the continuum from farmer to plate. Whether it's your plate and what you've cooked on a barbeque or whether it's us enjoying something at a restaurant, the legacy of food and cuisine in Canada would be my desire.
I remember having a discussion with Anita on her back deck not long before she passed. Her desire was to see a food day in Canada nationally. Those were almost her words, so I would just echo that.
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- 04:57:04 p.m.
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Sure.
Very quickly, she was a food laureate at the University of Guelph, and they have not filled that position yet because it takes a special person to do that. She put her heart and soul into that role of food laureate. Her cookbooks are all Canadian, and each of them tells a story.
I remember reading and hearing her talk about travelling the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, catching fish and then cooking them locally. She always ate local. Her idea was that Canadian cuisine has a story to tell. That's what she wanted to see done.
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- 04:58:44 p.m.
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I can.
Bill C-281 did come to the Senate and was referred to the agriculture committee. There was an amendment that changed the date to August. It came back to the Senate and did not pass there before Parliament was prorogued.
That's the only reason.
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- 05:01:05 p.m.
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From my perspective, as I noted in my notes, there are a number of provincial days, a number of special days. We have Local Food Week in Ontario, just ahead of Thanksgiving. Other provinces have other days.
I think it's complementary, and I think any day that we can celebrate food, Canadian cuisine and local food is an important one. This day is one day across Canada that we can stop and call a national day.
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- 05:02:48 p.m.
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As I noted, there is a small group of friends of Anita Stewart who have carried on this day and who are driving this thing. I participate in some of their meetings, and I can share with you that the group has many things they have planned for the future.
As Mr. Nater noted, a number of sites across Canada were lit up in red and white, and that list is growing and has grown over the last five or six years, so they're working on that. Social media are significant on the days leading up to, and on the day of, Food Day Canada.
I anticipate greater things moving forward. I am excited to share with you that I think we've just begun. We, the small group, have just begun to make this a bigger thing across Canada on that Saturday in August.
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- 05:07:03 p.m.
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I will just add that Anita Stewart's stories—and I have heard many of them—all talk about the localness of the food. I have seen pictures of her out on boats salmon fishing or in the north on a dogsled going somewhere. I will point out that her celebration of life, which was held on September 24 of this year, included a dinner afterwards that was a bounty of cross-Canada food served family style to 150 people. There was a bounty from the Pacific Ocean. I will share that two of her sons live on the west coast, so it was close to her.
I also want to point out that there is a website that we should have mentioned earlier. It's a place where all chefs from across Canada can participate. When they are doing that, they are also talking about local food, whether it's the bounty from the ocean, from the north or from central Canada. They share recipes of local food. They highlight local food from their area and regions. We can't forget about that.
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- 05:13:00 p.m.
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Thank you very much.
I'll again share with you that I sit with the small group that is involved in this. Partnerships are a big piece of what they do. They bring their various networks together. They are partnered with provincial agriculture organizations across Canada and with industry. They already have that in place, but it's the smaller places, the local food.... I'm happy to share with them any suggestions you might have. Feel free to contact me.
Food security is an issue that the Stewart brothers are keen on. They felt that last year they would keep Food Day Canada moving forward. I can share with you without going into any detail that food security and food insecurity issues will be high on their list in the years to come.
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- 05:14:24 p.m.
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I think it's important. All aspects of food preparation are part of this bill, whether I prepare the food in my home or chefs prepare it in a restaurant.
Food safety and food security are big pieces of the work that this group of friends are thinking about as they move forward. Food safety has to be at the top of our list. As we come to know food and know where and how our food is prepared, I think it's important that it be top of mind, as well.
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- 05:15:08 p.m.
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The committee—the small group that's involved in this—works through the restaurant association, which filters out information. I am well aware that many restaurants in many of our cities across this country get involved on the day, preparing Food Day Canada-type meals. When I was here in Ottawa two years ago, four restaurants prepared specific Food Day Canada meals. I made it to two of them.
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- 05:24:40 p.m.
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From my perspective, I believe it's clear as it is. I think when individuals and communities and people in Canada delve into Food Day in Canada—the day—they'll quickly realize that in all respects it's local, it's food cuisine, it's food culture and it's how you prepare your food.
I think it's fine as it is. That's my personal opinion.
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