On Monday October 05, 2027, more than 100 community members were gathered at the Fernwood Community Centre to participate in the All-Candidates Forum on Food Systems, organized by the Urban Food table in partnership with Fernwood Neighbourhood House. Total fourteen candidates running for city council and mayor position took part in the forum, sharing why they chose to run and how they see food systems connecting the current and future need of city of Victoria.  

The forum opened with the land acknowledgment by Salma Ihsan from Fernwood Neighbourhood House, which places the food at centre of much larger conversation about community well-being, locally and globally.

Mentioning about the Fernwood Neighbourhood House’s weekly community dinner, Salma reminded that the people come to the neighborhood house not only they need food, but because they “don’t want to eat alone.” Everyone deserves community and connection as much as they deserve food. After this as a starting point for the forum, Ariel, a member of the Urban Food Table welcomed the candidates and community members and spoke about the work of the of the Urban Food Forum as an independent advisory committee to the City of Victoria.

Treska Watson, Executive Director of the Mustard Seed, chaired the forum. With a full room and packed program, candidates were invited to give short introduction about who they were, why they were running and their take on food systems for city.

WHY FOOD SYSTEMS MATTERS IN THIS ELECTION

While all the fourteen candidates present in the forum came from different backgrounds and brought different personal and professional experiences to the conversation, several themes emerged from their introductions.

 Many of them spoke about rising issue of affordability and increasing cost of living, and how this is closely connected to housing and other household expenses.  There were also some considerable attentions to the local food production and urban agriculture. Community gardens, rooftop farming, access to land, growing food on common city resources and supporting local farmers were among the ideas shared by the candidates during the initial conversation.

The another important theme discussed was food resilience. As an island community Victoria is highly dependent on the supply chain bring majority of foods into the region. Supporting the local and regional food systems was therefore among the ideas move forwarded by the candidates.

Candidates also spoke about the importance of the community-based food programs and role of organization supporting community meals, foodbanks and other services that support community members in need and experiencing food insecurity. Stable and ongoing support to strengthen the community program was another issue raised by few of candidates during the forum.

For some of the candidates, the conversation went beyond the food security towards food sovereignty – considering who grows food, where it comes from, how communities maintain control over their food systems and how culture and lived experience shapes relation between human, land and food.

Together, these perspectives from the candidates showed that food system can be viewed from multiple lenses: affordability, community development, land use, climate resilience, accessibility and strength of neighbourhood infrastructure.  

LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY

But the evening was not only about giving candidates a platform to share their perspectives. The forum also created a space for community members to share about their experiences, their aspirations and the different ways they are affected by Victoria’s food system. 

Carter, a 25-year-old Victoria resident who studied environmental studies and geography at UVic, spoke about the vulnerability of food supply chain and dependence on ferries form bringing food on Vancouver Island and also mapping the right resources.

She remembered that when she first moved to Victoria, she found it really challenging to know where to find local food and community resources.

“I feel like, I lived here for six years, and I’m only just now starting to figure out where I can source things from” – Carter

Kim, a senior member from the community, brough another perspective. For her, the conversation was not simply about individual program or services, but about how decisions are made.

She emphasized the importance of “transparency, integrity and an awareness of the actual wishes of the populace.”

Haley, a Fairfield community member and a parent, spoke about the importance of the supporting small and medium-size farmers on the island. She highlighted the importance of teaching young generation to learn about pollinators and building soil and compositing and knowing that the food comes from the earth.

For Randy, who comes to Fernwood Community centre for the community dinner every Monday, the issue is more immediate. He spoke about the high cost of fruits and vegetables and how it is affecting people with limited resources. He also spoke about the value of the Fernwood Neighbourhood House Community dinner program.

“Being able to come and have fresh and nutritious food on weekly basis is amazing.” – Randy

For most of them the evening was an opportunity to better understand their candidates and the issues related to food systems before participating in the elections.

CONVERSATION THAT BELONGS IN THE COMMUNITY

After attending the forum, Ash, a food system worker in Victoria, said that she felt optimistic about the candidates who could potentially represent food systems and food policy in the city. Reflecting on the event, she said she was impressed by the work of the Victoria Urban Food Table and Fernwood Neighbourhood house and please with the turnout.

For Treska, who was also the chair for the event, food security means ensuring that everyone in the region has equitable access to nutritious food. It also means creating a community where people do not worry about their next meal will come from or choose between paying rent and buying food.

That vision connects closely with the work that Fernwood Neighbourhood House does every day.  Food programs, community dinners, childcare, environmental stewardship, community development and civic engagement may appear to be different areas of work, they are deeply connected. The create opportunities for community come together, share experiences and build relationships and contributing in shaping their neighbourhood. 

The Candidate Forum was a community conversation about what kind of food systems Victoria has, what challenges people are experiencing and how futures look like for the residences.

Fernwood Neighbourhood House is not only a place where people gather celebrate and creates, it is also a significant place where community members come together to share their experiences, listen to one another and shape the community they want to live in.

Names of Candidates presented the All-Candidate Forum

Bella Lee, Bruce Mcguigan, Dave Thompson, Jack Sandor, Jeremy Caradonna, Jerry Garcia, Krista Loughton, Marianne Alto, Martin Girad, Matt Dell, Peter Rose Gibbs, Shone Dion, Steve Filipovic, and Susan Kim.