Food has become a municipal issue in Guelph. About 100 people turned up for a pre-election forum on food issues a few weeks ago, prompting incumbent mayor Karen Farbridge to predict it will be an agenda item for the next city council, which will be formed today.
Across Ontario, municipal elections are underway today, as is an online contest called Do Something Great. It’s designed to get rural Ontarians thinking about what they can do to make their communities better places.
I’m not entering, but I have a suggestion rural Ontario can have for free: Try to figure out ways to capitalize on the local food movement, for the betterment of your communities. I’m hoping ideas come forward that help rural Ontario rally to take control of the local food agenda. It’s inevitable someone or something will lead the charge, which is already happening in the U.S., thanks to retail giant Walmart.
My Urban Cowboy column about acting with passion for local food appears in today’s Guelph Mercury.
Municipalities have a role to play in the food system, says Guelph's incumbent mayor Karen Farbridge. Municipal elections are being held across Ontario today. (photo by Guelph Mercury)
