Eat West Coast (EWC), is a CBT initiative that supports food security and sovereignty on the west coast. EWC bridges the biosphere and community foundation mandates by supporting local community-based responses to food system challenges. If you'd like to build capacity, find funding, get help with program planning, develop policies, or partnerships, don't hesitate to get in touch with our Eat West Coast Lead, Erika Goldt, at erika@clayoquotbiosphere.org!
Coastal Foods Roundtable
The Coastal Foods Roundtable allows those working in food production, distribution, and the food system across the west coast to gather twice a year to explore solutions to local food issues. The last meeting, on October 28th, focused on the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District’s emergency planning recommendations.
If you are interested in the Roundtable, contact the Tofino Community Food Initiative Coordinator, Katie Miles, at katie@tofinocommunityfoodinitiative.com.
SMILE: Support Meals Improving Lives of Elders
Eat West Coast, the District of Tofino, and the Better at Home Program through the Pacific Rim Hospice Society, provide meals prepared by local chefs and delivered to seniors at home or at the weekly Wednesday gatherings at the Tofino Community Hall. The pilot program is running in Tofino, but looking to expand to other communities too, so if you are interested for yourself, family, friends, or your community, don't hesitate to reach out!
District of Tofino SMILE program: recreation@tofino.ca
Better at Home program and meal distribution: betterathome@pacificrimhospice.ca
Eat West Coast regional connections: erika@clayoquotbiosphere.org
Island Food Hubs
Eat West Coast is part of the Island Food Hubs Program in partnership with Island Health, their regional dietitians, and eight community organizations leading food security efforts across the Island. These organizations collaborate on a wide range of projects, programs, policies, and advocacy for food access, nutrition, climate change, and Indigenous health to the Island, provincial, and federal levels.
Local Teaching Kitchen
A new exciting kitchen space at the upcoming Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre will uphold regional food security priorities, become a hub for food-sharing needs, and be a physical space with community ownership and access. It will focus on teaching spaces, small processing, preservation, and food sharing, within a large commercial kitchen and will have ample meeting spaces. Learn about the kitchen progress.
