Food Day in Canada Act
Date: 2023_04_17
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. John Nater : moved that the bill be read the third time and passed. He said: Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure and a privilege to rise in the House this morning, on a wonderful Monday morning, to start the week on a positive note and begin debate at third reading of Bill S-227 , the food day in Canada act. I would like to begin by thanking the members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food for quickly passing this bill at committee stage without amendment and sending it back to this House for the final stage of its legislative journey. I hope, and I suspect, that we will have no problem in getting Bill S-227 passed in the very near future, but certainly before we rise for the summer, so that this year, on August 5, we can mark the first official nationwide food day in Canada. I know that all those involved with this bill would like to see it passed in time for the 20th anniversary of the original world's longest barbecue, which happened in Elora under the organization of the late Anita Stewart in 2003. It was organized to help Canadian beef farmers during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow crisis in that long, difficult summer of 2003. As I often mention in this House and in other places, I am so proud to represent what I believe is one of the most vibrant agricultural ridings in Canada, if not the most vibrant. When I spoke to Bill S-227 at second reading last fall, during what was Ontario Agriculture Week, I explained how it was the late Anita Stewart's vision and how she used her passion for Canadian food to bring hope to the Canadian beef industry in that terrible summer 20 years ago. Although beef is often associated with southern Alberta, we have a proud beef industry in Ontario as well. In fact, in Perth--Wellington alone, there are more than 530 beef farmers. I would like to give a special shout-out to Perth County Beef Farmers and the Wellington County Cattlemen's Association for their support and continued advocacy for local farmers and farm families in the beef industry. One of the many ways in which local organizations support beef farmers in my riding is the Optimist Club's beef barbecue in Alma. Alma is located just a hop, skip and a jump from Elora, where Anita Stewart's first longest barbecue event was hosted 20 years ago. Of course, the Alma Optimist Club's beef barbecue is synonymous with Ruth and Ray Grose from Alma, who, prior to their passing, had always been big proponents of this great event. Perth--Wellington is also the home of the most dairy farmers and chicken farmers of any electoral district across Canada. What is more, there are hundreds of farmers and farm families in almost every major agricultural sector, including poultry, egg, pork and grains, including corn and soybeans. The farmers in Perth--Wellington number over 5,000 and they quite literally grow the food that continues along the agri-food supply chain to feed not only my constituents but hungry mouths across Canada and around the world. This bill and this day were not my idea, nor were they the original idea of Wellington County senator Robert Black. It was the idea and the vision of agriculture advocate and food activist Anita Stewart. What was originally a great event to support Canadian beef farmers and to promote locally grown food has now grown into an annual event that celebrates the rich heritage and proud traditions that are Canadian cuisine. In her 2008 book, Anita Stewart's Canada: The Food, the Recipes, the Stories , Anita opens with this message: Canadian cuisine is a menu of stories--a land of ultimate culinary possibilities! The richness and biodiversity of the indigenous harvest, our Original Palate, is the foundation of it all. Built solidly upon that base are our iconic ingredients--wheat, beef, apples--enriching and embroidering the culinary traditions of a multitude of immigrant groups who have gathered together from the four corners of the globe, men and women with a passion for this land which they now call "home". After five centuries or so, the real food of Canada is still largely found in the home kitchens scattered across the land, in our beautiful rural communities and in our ever-expanding vibrant cities. Likewise, our food producers are spread from ocean to ocean. Our collective challenge is to build and nurture the connection between those producers and consumers, urban and rural. By being attentive to our food sources, not only do we keep the cash flowing for our producers but we also enable them to maintain and nurture diversity, creating a fabulous edible shopping list for us now and, even more important, for future generations. So, join the party! Head to a market, buy local, go home, and cook with the rhythms of the seasons. Be true to your own culinary story. It's really that simple. In that beautiful message, Anita Stewart describes not only the food of our nation, but also her life's work. Most importantly, it leaves behind powerful words and advice that all Canadians should carry, now that she is gone. In that same cookbook, there is a picture of a farmer's laneway in Wellington County. It is a simple yet powerful reminder of where so much of our food comes from and how growing food is not only essential to sustain life, but it is also a way of life for so many farm families in Perth--Wellington and across Canada. It is for such dedicated advocacy for Canadian food that Anita Stewart would become a member of the Order of Canada, the founder of Cuisine Canada, and Canada's first food laureate at the University of Guelph. In her life and in her book, she is so very effective at preserving the connection between a recipe and the farmers, fishers and hunters who produced and provided the ingredients. Whether they are indigenous, whether their families have lived here for generations or whether they are now new Canadians, they all build those connections. In fact, just this past weekend, I enjoyed attending an event hosted by the Monkton Lions Club in support of relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees. Celebrating Orthodox Easter this past weekend, the Shtovba family invited community members in Monkton to participate and enjoy local food made according to Ukrainian traditions. We also enjoyed the ability to try our best at making pysanky, which is a Ukrainian Easter egg. I want to thank the Shtovba family for sharing that legacy with the community in Monkton, a community of about 200 or 300 in rural southern Ontario. As we reach the final stages before passing this bill and seeing it receive royal assent, let us think about everyone along the food supply chain who contributes to making Canadian cuisine so wonderful. From the dairy farmer who is up before dawn for the early-morning milking to the grain farmer who prays for rain at the right time and works tirelessly to get their crops planted in time, to the farm families in beef, chicken, egg, pork, fruits, vegetables and every sector of Canadian agriculture, to every vendor at local farmers' markets, to the truck drivers, butchers, bakers, chefs and the friendly local grocers, they all work hard to not only feed us but enrich our national culture. I am personally very proud to have grown up on our family farm in Logan Township. Our family farm was first bought by my grandfather in 1952. At that time, he used his Harley-Davidson motorcycle as a down payment for our family farm. I was proud, in my high school years, to work both on family farms in the community and also in the agriculture industry. My wife Justine's family farm, which she grew up on, was a century farm, in the Mogk family for over 100 years. For us, it is important that our own children appreciate and learn about their rural roots and the food that we grow right here at home. As a father, I enjoy taking our children to many local farmers' markets, picking out produce grown quite literally by our neighbours, and then taking it home and preparing a meal together as a family. I should note that in that food preparation, there are certain parts I am simply not permitted to partake in. Ainsley, Bennett and Caroline, our three children, will say that I am not allowed to barbecue because "Daddy will simply burn it." Too often in our busy world, we rush through meals because we need to eat and move on to the next event in our busy schedules, but we must also remember, from time to time, to think about all the people who contribute to our food system and the cultural significance of the food that is grown. I want to briefly thank many of the people who have contributed to the advancement of Bill S-227 and to food day in Canada more generally. While the bill stands in my name in this place, it is not my bill. The success of this legislation is the result of many people inside and outside of Parliament, who deserve to be thanked. First and foremost, I thank Anita Stewart's four sons, Jeff, Brad, Mark and Paul, for their incredible support in helping us honour their mother's proud legacy. Thanks also go out to the current head of Food Day Canada, Crystal Mackay, for sharing her knowledge and expertise. I thank the University of Guelph's Dr. Charlotte Yates and the university's department of food science for their efforts in keeping Food Day Canada strong these past 20 years. I would also like to thank the member for Wellington--Halton Hills and the member for Guelph , who have provided a strong Wellington County united force in seeing this bill advance to the finish line. I would like to thank the member for Foothills , the member for Berthier--Maskinonge , the member for Glengarry--Prescott--Russell , the member for Cowichan--Malahat--Langford and the member for Chatham-Kent--Leamington , who have all contributed to the discussion on this bill thus far in this place and in committee. Even if we cannot agree on who represents the greatest agricultural riding in Canada, we can all agree that Canadian agriculture is great and that we should we pass this bill as quickly as possible. Of course, I would like to thank the Hon. Rob Black, who sponsored this bill in the other place and who has been a driving force behind the bill and celebrating Food Day Canada. As I wrap up my remarks, I look forward to seeing Bill S-227 passed as soon as possible, and I invite all hon. members to join us in Wellington County, in Perth County or in any community across Canada this summer as we honour Anita Stewart's legacy and celebrate the first official food day across Canada. I would like to end with the wise words of the late Anita Stewart, who said, "This food is Canada's natural wonder, rivalling any on earth. Hand in hand, we are privileged to bear witness to the extraordinary story of Canadian cuisine, its history and how it came to be. As a people, we are so young that our collective memory is intact. Restaurants may set benchmarks of excellence, and at times, even inspiration, but it is the dishes in this book from generations of home kitchens that define us as a culinary nation. Canada, the second largest nation on earth, was built on a foundation of honest, generous cooking. There is not just one Canadian cuisine; there are hundreds, depending upon ethnicity, climate and history. Our national cuisine is ultimately based in the land and the sea. It is defined by a mindset, a philosophy, an attitude, and it uses ingredients to speak volumes about the glorious culinary history of Canada. The world is truly richer for it."