Although the majority of headlines from the past week were largely plagued by partisan takes on the status of grocery store shelves and truckers’ vaccine protests, the Canadian news week still managed to produce its share of interesting food-related stories.
From P.E.I. farmers sending truckloads of potatoes to food banks across Canada to Montreal’s Chinatown being granted a long-overdue heritage status, to how Alberta cattle farmers are coping with the current feeding crisis, here are five stories from the world of food news that you might have missed this week.
PEI potatoes distributed to food banks
With the temporary suspension of the fresh potato trade still firmly in place, the P.E.I. Potato Board recently struck a deal with longtime co-collaborator Second Harvest to help mitigate the financial loss incurred to growers, while helping to feed food insecure Canadians across the country.
Get the full story from CBC News.
Montreal’s Chinatown granted heritage status
The province of Quebec recently signed an official notice of intent to grant heritage status to the institutional core of Montreal’s Chinatown, which has been suffering from excessive development and gentrification for years.
According to Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, Chinatown becoming “the very first identified historic site in Montreal” will send a signal to developers that they need to respect the area’s heritage.
Check out Global News for more.
Alberta cattle feed shortage
In response to low hay and grain yields caused by last summer’s extreme drought in Western Canada, many Alberta cattle producers were forced to import large quantities of corn from the U.S. to feed their livestock.
Now, the combination of extreme cold weather, labour shortages, and supply chain issues has left many producers without enough food to feed their cattle. Although producers have been collaborating to find creative solutions to the shortage, industry groups believe the shortage has already escalated into a crisis situation.
Visit CBC News for the full story.
Edmonton waste diversion program reports successful first year
The City of Edmonton recently reported that its new waste sorting and cart collection program has been an overwhelming success in its first year of operation. Early estimates show that 98 per cent of Edmonton residents are properly utilizing the program, which has led to 30 per cent of single-unit residential waste having successfully been diverted from landfills.
Head to Global News for more.
Freshii partners with 7-Eleven
Toronto-based chain Freshii recently announced that it has finalized a deal with 7-Eleven that will see its health-conscious grab-and-go snacks stocked in roughly 600 locations across Canada.
Although the current deal will only introduce one product to the convenience store chain, Freshii says the partnership is open-ended.
Find the full breakdown at Global News.
