Slow Canada

A project to maintain food preserving techniques, stronger indigenous representation in the Terra Madre network and the launch of the first student convivium as well as a youth congress next year were among the initiatives discussed at the fifth meeting of Slow Food in Canada last weekend.

Hosted by Slow Food Nova Scotia, thirty convivium leaders came from seven provinces across the country to discuss future strategies of the national movement, with a particular focus on education and youth, Terra Madre and indigenous peoples and fundraising.

The first Slow Food on Campus convivium was officially launched by Acadia University during the meeting, and it is hoped that more youth groups will be established on campuses in the near future. To drive this development, it was decided that a Canadian Youth Slow Food Congress will be held next year.

A second major outcome of the meeting was the decision for representatives of First Nations to make up ten percent of the Terra Madre 2010 Canadian delegation, to honor and celebrate their indigenous cultures and knowledge. Canada is planning to be represented by 125 delegates at the fourth global meet of Terra Madre food communities this October.

The leaders also agreed to launch a national canning and preserving initiative, organizing events with convivia across Canada to celebrate the long-lasting Canadian tradition of preserving fruit and vegetables by making jams, jellies, pickles, and other conserved products. Currently, many of the preserved products found on Canadian supermarkets shelves are imported.

Slow Food Canada would like to thank Mara Jernigan, chair of the national coordination committee, and Michael Howell, Nova Scotia convivium leader.

For the list of Slow Food Convivia in Canada: www.slowfood.ca

For more information on Slow Food in Canada, please contact:
Mara Jernigan
[email protected]