As September rolls around, the age-old concept of “back-to-school” just doesn’t have the same ring as past years.  According to a recently released United Nations policy brief, education as we know it will be fundamentally different, not just today but into the future.  Rather than going “back to school,“, we need different and forward-thinking approaches. One that is...Read More

Indigenous cultures and identities are closely connected to the lands and waters where traditional foods are obtained. Harvesting, preparing and sharing traditional foods are important practices of Indigenous cultures, and traditional foods are part of a healthy diet. The Population and Public Health program, BC Centre for Disease Control, Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and...Read More

Throughout the Montérégie area (a large agricultural region south of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec), daycares are committed to local, sustainable food. Whether through regular sourcing of local products, direct connections with organic farming families or the development of learning gardens and educational activities, these daycares are teaming with stories and ideas to help...Read More

The seed is being planted early when it comes to healthy eating. Six daycares and dayhomes within the Five Hills Health Region have been awarded with portable green boxes so that children can learn to plant their own food. It’s not just the ABC’s these pre-schoolers are learning. It’s also about seeds, supplies and harvests....Read More

A resource guide for implementing Farm to Childcare initiatives and activity ideas in daycare centres. Author: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Date: May 2014 Click here to see the full article.Read More

In 2013, 15 daycare centres in the Montérégie region of Quebec received help from environmental group Equiterre as part of the Croqu’Plaisir program, which encourages the creation of healthy food environments for preschoolers in daycare facilities, in part by promoting the purchase of local produce. It was the program’s first year, and already, the results...Read More

An association of daycares in the Montérégie region of Québec (RCPEM[1]) have partnered with Équiterre and the regional conference of elected officers (CRÉ[2]) for the project Croqu’Plaisir. Considering that one Quebec child in five suffers from overweight (Shields, 2005) and that the average Canadian meal travels some 2500km (CAAAQ, 2008), this project aims to increase...Read More