This week, nearly all pandemic restrictions were lifted in Alberta, leaving restaurants to once again adapt, but this time to normal. Speaking of normal, there is nothing predictable about Calgary Stampede's lineup of new midway foods which people can get a taste of starting Thursday, July 8.
Across the country, a queer institution in Winnipeg calls on the community for support to keep its doors open. Leaders in Indigenous cuisine across the country are working together to rebuild their connections with traditional food that have been severed by colonization.
Here are five notable food news stories that you might have missed over the past week.
Alberta restaurants resume normal operations as restrictions end
With COVID-19 restrictions coming to an end in Alberta, restaurants are working to rebuild for a summer at full capacity.
However, there are still barriers for returning to service as normal, such as staffing shortages and uncertainty surrounding a lack of AHS-guided safety procedures. In towns like Banff which rely heavily on the tourism and hospitality industries, these challenges are even more apparent.
Read the full article in The Globe and Mail.
Winnipeg's 2SLGBTQ+ community rallies to save local club
Winnipeg's longstanding queer venue Club 200 has been closed since May due to public health restrictions and as a result, Winnipeg's 2SLGBTQ+ community has spent months without a local gathering space.
The club is struggling to recover from the pandemic, and its patrons are worried that its closure could leave the queer community without a safe space to connect. A group of drag performers have rallied together and started a campaign in an effort to save the beloved establishment, which has raised thousands of dollars so far.
Visit CBC News for the story.
Leaders in Indigenous cuisine work to restore the relationship with traditional food
It should come as no surprise that colonization has severely damaged Indigenous people's relationship with food through assimilation, barring access to land, and withholding proper nutrition from children in residential schools over the decades.
Now, Indigenous people in Canada are finding ways to reconnect with their ancestors through food, from "resistance cuisine" dinners in Ontario to foraging for traditional food in B.C.
Read more about this movement and reconnection on CBC News.
Canadian restaurant industry looking for solutions to plastic waste
The amount of food packaging waste has dramatically escalated during the pandemic, and it's clear that the current reliance on single-use packaging is not sustainable. Plastic takeout packaging comes with a high price for both restaurants and for the environment.
Some business are looking for solutions to the problem. Opting for compostable plastics or reusable takeout containers are two simple options some foodservice operators have opted for, but as a country, we've got a long way to go.
Visit the Vancouver Sun for the story.
Calgary Stampede announces 2021 midway foods
The Calgary Stampede has announced its lineup of new food and drinks for the 2021 midway and there's a lot of eyebrow-raising items that have people talking.
The list includes a variety of quirky and unique creations, from Louisiana Gator Bites and Flaming Hot Cheetos Mini Donuts to Pickle Lemonade and Cool Ranch Doritos Corn Dogs. Yum?
Find out more at Global News.
