More locally grown produce added to Vancouver Island hospital, care-home meals
Island Health is increasing the amount of local food that's served in meals at hospitals and long-term care facilities in the Vancouver Island region.
Produce from Galey Farms in Saanich and Michell's Farm in Saanichton are being added to deliveries for Island Health facilities in Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Chemainus, Cumberland and Campbell River.
Other local farms are also included in the pilot project, which was developed by Island Health with input from Islands West and the Island Vegetable Co-op Association, according to the province.
"Having access to fresh, high-quality food in hospitals and care facilities helps people heal," said Adam Walker, MLA for Parksville-Qualicum, in a statement Friday.
"This initiative also benefits farmers, producers and people across B.C. by strengthening our food supply chain and supporting local jobs," he said.
According to the province, nearly one third of all food purchased by the B.C. health-care system is locally produced or processed.
The province adds that steps are taken to ensure that all food is up to its safety standards, regardless of whether it is sourced locally or abroad.
Every year, Island Health serves approximately four million meals to patients and residents on Vancouver Island alone.
The health authority has also added new recipes to its meals that make use of Vancouver Island produce it is receiving, according to the province. The recipes include:
- Potatoes – potato salad, roasted nugget potatoes
- Carrots – maple glazed carrots
- Beets – borscht, orange glazed beets
- Cabbage – coleslaw, braised red cabbage
- Zucchini – chocolate zucchini bread
"Having our loved ones able to enjoy more local and seasonal food while in hospital or living in long-term care is an important part of healing and staying connected," said B.C. Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham.
"What started as a simple idea has now grown into an important and successful program," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.