Join us for our June meeting at a special location and time! We will be having a 1-hour condensed meeting so that we can participate in the ‘Right to Food in Canada’ event hosted by the BC Civil Liberties Association.

Wednesday, June 24

5:45-6:45 – 1-hour council meeting at Woodward’s Building (Hastings @ Abbott) 5th Floor (take main elevators up to 5th floor)

*note that we are starting 15 minutes early*

AGENDA

5:45-6:00 – Introductions & Updates

6:00-6:45 – Vancouver Food Strategy Updates and the role of the VFPC in moving it forward

6:45-7:00 – Travel to Carnegie Centre

7:00-9:00 – ‘A Right to Food in Canada’

On June 24th, join us as we explore what it means to have a “right to food” in Canada.  Come and learn about the BC Civil Liberties Association’s right to food project and our research on how Canadian law can be used to enforce the right to food.  You’ll also hear from a panel of Vancouver experts about what communities are doing in the absence of a rights-based national food strategy and the ways they are working towards food justice and an end to poverty.

Laura Track, BCCLA lawyer and Right to Food project lead will join in conversation with:

Paul Taylor, Executive Director, Gordon Neighbourhood House
Doris Chow, Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables Project
Gil Aguilar, BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and Migrant Workers Dignity Association
Graham Riches, UBC Professor Emeritus

Light refreshments will be provided.

This event will take place June 24th, 7-9pm at Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main St. Vancouver.  Click here to visit our Facebook event page.  Click here to download an event poster in PDF format: Vancouver-Right-to-Food-poster.pdf

Event website: https://bccla.org/events/2015/06/a-right-to-food-in-canada/

The Vancouver Food Policy Council is back in action. Join us for our first meeting of the term on April 15 from 6-8:30 PM in the Town Hall Room, City Hall. Social to follow at Original Joe’s (upstairs on the north west corner of Cambie and Broadway).

See the proposed agenda>>

The list of new (and returning) members including liaisons is below. How does the VFPC get selected? As one of many of the City of Vancouver’s citizen advisory committees VFPC voting members are appointed by a committee of Vancouver’s City Council. With over 80 applicants this time for the VFPC alone, City Council had lots of talent to choose from. Read more about the VFPC on the City of Vancouver website here.

2015-2017 Vancouver Food Policy Council

Veronik Campbell

Anna Cavouras

Andrew Christie

Larry Copeland

Rebecca Cuttler

Caitlin Dorward

Zsuzsi Fodor (Chair)

Antonietta Gesualdi

Dirk Gibbs

Chashma Heinze

Kimberly Hodgson

Will Jung

Gabrielle Kissinger

Ilana Labow

Emme Lee

Pat McCarthy

Tara Moreau (Chair)

Nicholas Scapillati

David Speight

Colin Stansfield

Liaisons

City Council: Councillor Adriane Carr

City Council: Councillor Heather Deal

Park Board: Commissioner Michael Wiebe

School Board: Trustee Janet Fraser

City staff: Mary Clare Zak, Social Policy

City staff: James O’Neill, Social Policy

Ministry of Agriculture: Orlando Schmidt

Metro Vancouver: Theresa Duynstee

Vancouver Coastal Health: Corinne Eisler

The Vancouver Park Board is proposing a new policy for urban agriculture to better reflect agricultural activities now taking place in urban parks.

The proposed Urban Agricultural Policy will replace the current Community Gardens Policy and guide existing and new food-focused projects in Vancouver parks.

Please visit our website to review the new policy:  http://vancouver.ca/people-programs/urban-agriculture-policy.aspx.  Make sure to click on the “Share Your Views” blue button on the right panel to submit your feedback (the direct link to the survey is here:http://vancouver.fluidsurveys.com/s/Urban-agriculture-policy/) – the deadline for submissions is January 18, 2015.

Want to join the Vancouver Food Policy Council? Applications are now open! We are looking for a diverse group of new members to fill our vacancies.

• Deadline to apply is 5 PM January 30th
• Term length is 2 years

Learn more about the vacancies, eligibility criteria, and apply here. Learn more about the VFPC here.

Vancouver is proud to be home to Canada’s 2nd YOUTH Food Policy Council! Applications are now open and being accepted here. Deadline to apply is February 21, 2015.

The current term of the Vancouver Food Policy Council is coming to an end as we will be dissolving on December 7. It is up to the new Mayor and City Council to decide whether the VFPC and all the City’s other advisory committees will be reformed or not. If we are, stay tuned for details of how to apply to join us on the VFPC as we will have several vacancies in the new year!

It will be a very special meeting as we take the time to reflect, celebrate, envision the future, say thank you, and enjoy each others’ company over the extra food we will be splurging on. We will have our “formal” meeting from 6-7:40 PM followed by a social in the Town Hall Room until 8:30. As usual, this is a public meeting members of the community at large are very welcome to.

A Very Special Final Meeting – VFPC End of Term

November 26, 6-8:30 PM, Town Hall Room, Vancouver City Hall

See the proposed meeting agenda here>>

We would be delighted to see you there.

A few weeks ago we circulated a questionnaire to all candidates including those for Mayor, City Council, Parks Board, and the School Board with questions developed by the Vancouver Food Policy Council and community members. We started this work in June and are now delighted to share the responses we received from candidates. Have a read and consider what candidates have committed to doing for a more just and sustainable food system if they are elected on November 15.

Jane Bouey

Adriane Carr

Diana Day

Janet Fraser

Pete Fry

Gwen Giesbrecht

Tim Louis

Stuart Mackinnon

Mischa Oak

Ian Robertson

Colin Shandler

Ludvik Skalicky

Michael Wiebe

Are you a candidate in the upcoming election and would like to fill out our questionnaire? You can access it here. We will continue posting responses as we receive them.

As part of our efforts leading up to the November 15 election, the VFPC has been working on developing a questionnaire for municipal candidates for Mayor, City Council, Parks Board, and School Board to address how they will incorporate food system issues into their work if elected.

The questionnaire is live and ready for candidates to complete. You can access it here.

Responses will be posted right back here on our blog as we receive them as well as at our October 15 Town Hall meeting.

Join the Vancouver Food Policy Council for a fun, participatory evening of dialogue with candidates running in the 2014 City of Vancouver election as we get food issues on the agenda.

Moderated by Trish Kelly, the VFPC’s longest standing member, and featuring candidates from all levels of muncipal politics. Bring your questions!

Part of the Sustenance Festival, a city-wide festival with local food-inspired workshops, exhibitions, talks, walks, dances and more – all taking place in community centres and public spaces throughout Vancouver.

Finger food and beverages available.

October 15, 6-8:30 PM | Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre

Register Here