Kootenay School Food Gathering
Date: Monday, April 7th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Creston Room at the Creston Community Complex
(312 19 Ave N, Creston)
Cost: Free
Register Now!
Join Us!
We invite you to the inaugural Kootenay School Food Gathering, a dynamic event bringing together school food advocates and stakeholders from across the region. This is an opportunity to collaborate, exchange ideas, and shape the future of sustainable and impactful school food programs in the Kootenays.
Expect a full day of facilitated discussions, engaging presentations, and knowledge sharing. All fuelled by refreshments and a nourishing meal—because what’s a school food gathering without great food?
Let’s come together to grow the movement for stronger school food programs in the Kootenays! Register now.
Who Should Attend?
This gathering is open to school food champions of all kinds, including:
- ✅ School District decision-makers
- ✅ Community food groups
- ✅ BC-based food producers, processors, and distributors
- ✅ Educators and school staff
- ✅ Public health professionals
If you are passionate about school food and its role in fostering food literacy, sustainability, and stronger communities, we want you there!
Agenda
- 9:00 am – Registration Opens
- 9:30 am – Welcome
- 10:00 am – Keynote and Q&A: Matthew Kemshaw, Flourish School Meal Society
- 11:00 am – Kootenay Presentation Series & Discussion Panel
- Tanya Wall, Kootenay Farms Food Innovation Hub
- Sophie Larsen, Community Connections of Southeast BC
- Mitchell Hemphill, Lucerne Primary Secondary School, New Denver
- Sue-Anne Banks, Farm to Cafeteria Canada
- 12:00 pm – LOCAL LUNCH
- 1:00 pm – Small-group facilitated workshops
- 3:00 pm – Wrap-up
Keynote Speaker
Matthew Kemshaw, Executive Director of Flourish School Food Society, will lead a keynote presentation on how his team developed sustainable school meal programs by working collaboratively with schools, food producers and others. Flourish School Food Society helps feed over 3,000 students across 30 schools every day.
Small-Group Facilitated Workshops
In the afternoon we will split into small group facilitated working sessions to brainstorm and collaboratively work through school meal program development activities together. Through facilitated discussion, the intent is for everyone to gain a better understanding of how a meal program could come together in different Kootenay communities, and ultimately carry that work and momentum towards implementation of a new program.
Travel Bursary – Supporting Your Journey
We want to make it easier for you to attend! A limited number of travel bursaries are available on a first-come, first-served basis for attendees travelling more than 50 km round trip to Creston, BC.
Bursary Details:
- Reimbursement Rate: $0.65/km (round trip)
- Maximum Reimbursement: $250 per attendee
- Additional Costs: If your travel exceeds $250, the remaining amount will be at your own expense.
To apply for a bursary, simply opt-in on the registration form. If selected, we’ll follow up with details. Reimbursements will be processed within two weeks after the event.
Presented by
This event is made possible through the collaboration of:
We can’t wait to come together for this inaugural gathering—register now!
Registration
|
