City council has voted to make the Orillia Food Committee, a pilot group formed in 2018 to bolster food security in the city, into a permanent committee of council.
The committee’s mandate moving forward will be to bring “diverse voices together to advise on policies and facilitate projects that promote food sovereignty and a healthy, equitable, and sustainable local food system,” noted a staff report recently presented to council.
Some of the committee’s work may include carrying out research and providing advice to council, spearheading projects that promote community food security, developing a local food strategy, and collaborating with other food organizations and municipalities.
The committee currently has seven members with a variety of health, education, social service, and other backgrounds. Four of its members must be eligible electors in the city.
The members of the committee, moving forward, will include the following:
- A council member;
- A member from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit;
- A member from Georgian College;
- A member from Lakehead University;
- A member from the Sharing Place Food Centre;
- A local farm operator;
- A student youth aged 18-25; and
- Four eligible electors, including an Indigenous person, a senior citizen, and someone with lived food insecurity experience
At last week's council meeting, some members of council expressed interest in opening up the youth position to those under age 18.
Chris Peacock, committee member and executive director at the Sharing Place, explained youth are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.
“A third of individuals that access the Sharing Place Food Centre are under the age of 18,” Peacock said. “Being able to get a voice from that community, that demographic, at the table here for the city would be a smart move.”
However, city staff explained that including a minor on the committee would require vulnerable sector checks for the rest of the committee, instead suggesting that minors — with the appropriate measures — could give presentations or deputations to the committee on food issues.
Coun. Jay Fallis, as well, hoped to see the stipulation for the new members to be “eligible electors” in Orillia – someone who is over 18 and owns or rents a residence within the city.
“At the very least, I think we should make it so it's not just eligible electors because it would cut off even residents of our community, cut off individuals from Rama, cut off a variety of different segments of the population, that we want to make sure we include,” he said.
“There's a potential likelihood that perhaps none of the committee members, ultimately, would be Orillia residents,” responded CAO Gayle Jackson.
“Why I say that is I see a member from the Health Unit, Georgian College, Lakehead, Sharing Place – those members may not be residents within the City of Orillia," said Jackson. “You may be creating a committee that does not have, actually, any City of Orillia representation on it.”
Council voted down Fallis’ request, and opted to reserve the youth position for those over 18.
Moving forward, city staff will draft a report identifying a staff member, or other individual, with the appropriate expertise to support and guide the committee.
