Moved second reading of Bill C-281, An Act to establish a National Local Food Day.

He said: Honourable senators, it is with great enthusiasm and a healthy appetite that I rise to speak today as the sponsor of Bill C-281, An Act to establish a National Local Food Day. I am particularly fond of this bill because it enables us to showcase the uniqueness of our regions, the richness of our local cultures, our entrepreneurship and the diversity of our food products.

I would like to first thank and acknowledge the work of the member for Kootenay—Columbia, Wayne Stetski, who introduced this bill in the House of Commons almost three years ago now. It was passed unanimously in the other place on November 8, 2018.

As its title indicates, the purpose of this bill is to establish a national local food day. This day of celebration would be held in October of each year on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Some may think, as I did at first: Not another national day. Indeed, each year, many bills to implement a national day are presented in this chamber. Of course, all these initiatives originate from worthy causes cherished by part of the Canadian population.

The uniqueness of Bill C-281 lies in the universal nature of a local food celebration for all Canadians. First, national local food day will allow us to celebrate our local products. Moreover, it will be an opportunity to reflect and act on many aspects of our communities: environment, health, economy and local cultures, among others.

One benefit of food is bringing people together. Yes, food provides essential nutrition to our bodies, but it also gives us the best excuse to share a meal and spend time with the people we love.

In fact, Canada’s new food guide recommends that Canadians share their meals with others. This is a great way to connect with those around us.

The idea of bringing people together probably helped this bill pass unanimously in the other place. Just have a look at the speeches given by members from all parties to see how passionate they were about this bill. Every member of Parliament praised the quality of the products from their regions and the various initiatives celebrating local food.

I’m obviously just as passionate about this topic and want to share my enthusiasm with you.

We must first lay the foundation for this bill and clarify what we mean by a celebration of local food. Food is a very broad term, as you know.

Take, for example the definition found in the Food and Drugs Act, which states that food “includes any article manufactured, sold or represented for use as food or drink for human beings, chewing gum, and any ingredient that may be mixed with food for any purpose whatever.”

Based on this definition, there is almost no limit to what could be considered food to be celebrated during the national local food day. Food refers to basic products, such as garden produce, game or fish. It would also include products processed by our artisans, such as craft beer, wine, cider or maple syrup. Consider also the meals prepared by our restaurateurs who are committed to promoting the use of Canadian products. The only limit is the imagination of Canadians.

Apart from the notion of food, it is important to have a similar understanding of what local means. Note that I use the words “similar understanding” deliberately because reaching a consensus on what is “local” would be practically impossible at this point.

Indeed, in the food industry, there is a wide range of definitions of the term “local.” Some groups will talk about locavorism. Locavores are people who restricting what they eat to food produced within a 100 to 250 kilometre range of where they live.

Others will refer to food mileage, where the goal is to reduce as much as possible the distance that food travels, from production to processing to consumption. Lastly, another movement talks about responsible food consumption, which is about individual consumers reflecting on and considering the impact of their food choices on their health, the environment and the living conditions of the people who produce their food.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency implemented an interim policy concerning the use of the term “local” when labelling products. This could serve as a reference point for a definition of local food for the purposes of Bill C-281.

This interim policy recognizes local food as “food produced in the province or territory in which it is sold, or food sold across provincial borders within 50 kilometres of the originating province or territory.”

With due respect for the many definitions and trends, in creating a national local food day, our concept of local food must consider the culture, traditions, and geographic location of all Canadians and communities rather than the use of a binding framework for consumers.

How local food is celebrated may differ in every region and community in Canada. We will leave it up to each community to decide how to celebrate its food and products according to its culture, traditions, and geographic location in Canada. After all, this national day belongs to them.

This more tailored interpretation will make it possible to celebrate an unlimited variety and wealth of products on this national day.

What immediately springs to mind is New Brunswick snow crab, Nova Scotia lobster, PEI potatoes, cod from Newfoundland and Labrador — I can hear you salivating — strawberries from Quebec, wine from Niagara in Ontario, soy grown in Manitoba, Saskatoon berries from Saskatchewan, Alberta beef, and cherries from British Columbia, not to mention morels from the Northwest Territories, Arctic char from Nunavut, or bison and wapiti from Yukon. It goes without saying that there is no shortage of options for Canadians who want to embrace this concept and support local food as part of a national day, but also every day all year round.

Speaking of the year-round availability of food, in an ideal world, every day would be a local food day. However, if we have to choose just one, the bill proposes the Friday before Thanksgiving, which I agree with. It is an appropriate time for a number of reasons.

For many of us, it is customary to gather with our families for a meal on Thanksgiving Day. Traditionally, it is also the time of year when we thank farmers for the bountiful harvest. I have to admit that the notion of gratitude has lost a bit of its lustre over time. That is why it would be nice to have a national day to celebrate local food.

It would encourage Canadians to buy local when preparing this family meal and help farmers wrap up the harvest season on a positive note.

It would also be an opportunity to extend the tourist season, making it possible to showcase local products. From June to September, some Canadians have an almost innate drive to buy certain foods at vegetable stands and to check where their food is coming from. However, when fall arrives, dear colleagues, consumers often start buying products from other places again, sometimes forgetting all of the work done by their fellow Canadians. It is therefore essential to remind them of how important these industries are to our country.

Some will argue that October would be too late in the harvest season to justify a national local food day. Although sensitive to this concern, it would be wrong to say that the farmers’ markets are empty by Thanksgiving. On the contrary, they are still full of fresh products.

We only have to think of the many root vegetables, all squashes, apples, grapes, pears, celery, cabbages, tomatoes and potatoes, not to mention the ongoing fishing and hunting season. Obviously, this list is not exhaustive.

We must also remember that our farmers, harvesters, fishermen and other artisans are at the heart of these celebrations. During the summer, most of them are too busy in the fields harvesting, producing or working at their restaurants, so it might be difficult for them to take the time to sit down, celebrate local food and to be celebrated by all Canadians.

If we want to give thanks for our cornucopia of local foods, let’s make sure that the people with the most intimate understanding of the beauty of that bounty can celebrate with us. That’s what makes the Friday before Thanksgiving the perfect day for National Local Food Day.

Many initiatives sponsored by individuals, communities or governments have been launched across the country to celebrate local food or specific local products. For example, Food Day Canada is a wonderful pan-Canadian initiative that celebrates and promotes local ingredients and their use thanks to the many participating restaurateurs and outreach events across the country. This annual event, created by Ms. Anita Stewart, who was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada for her passionate work promoting Canadian cuisine and local food, is the proof that Canadians all over the country are ready for an annual pan-Canadian celebration of our abundant local food.

In New Brunswick, we have BuyLocalNB, which is a project of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick that supports and promotes the agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries sectors by maintaining a registry of local foods that is available to the public.

The objective and the impact of Bill C-281 will not downplay these initiatives or compete with them. On the contrary, a national day will most definitely draw even more attention to all these initiatives. No matter when they usually take place, these initiatives will be able to leverage the Friday before Thanksgiving to highlight their accomplishments, successes and future challenges.

There is no question that every initiative, event or project that promotes local food and raises awareness among Canadians about its use is part and parcel of the movement that I support.

That is why I am calling on all of you, honourable senators, and the elected representatives in the other place, to champion the initiatives and events happening in our own regions and across the country.

A 2018 CROP survey asked people if they agreed with the following statement:

I believe it is essential to support local products and brands, even if it means paying a little extra.

Seventy-nine percent of Canadians strongly or somewhat agreed with that statement.

That means this is not just a feeling; it’s a fact: Canadians want to buy local, and they especially want to buy local food, which many consider a forerunner in the buy-local movement.

Consumers have as many reasons for buying local as there are local products to buy. Some see it as a way to do their part to protect the environment and fight climate change. Others see it as an opportunity to contribute to their local economy or support social innovation initiatives.

I would like to read you part of the preamble of Bill C-281. It states, and I quote:

Whereas strengthening the connection between consumers and producers of Canadian food contributes to our nation’s social, environmental and economic well-being;

As you all know, Canada’s food sector has an abundance of resources and expertise which makes significant contributions to our country’s economy. Just to give you a general idea, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the agriculture and agri-food sector generated $119 billion of gross domestic product and accounted for 6.7 per cent of Canada’s total GDP in 2016. Furthermore, it also employed approximately 2.3 million people, representing 12.5 per cent of Canadian employment in 2016.

More specifically, Canadian consumers purchased $110 billion worth of food products in 2017, according to the Report of Canada’s Economic Strategy Tables: Agri-food. This report also established a target for domestic food sales of $140 billion by 2025.

The Table recognizes both the wealth of this Canadian sector and how important it is for Canada to differentiate itself, and I quote:

While the Agri-Food Table fully recognizes the need to compete on price, we also need to differentiate ourselves.

That is exactly what Bill C-281 seeks to accomplish by focusing on promoting our wealth and our assets.

New Brunswick’s “For the Love of New Brunswick” initiative calls for a five per cent increase in the consumption of local products. Although this project focuses on all products and not just local food, it estimates that, for the province, a five per cent shift in citizens’ buying habits would lead to an increase of more than $2 billion in direct sales and the creation of almost 9,000 jobs over five years.

Dear colleagues, the fact of the matter is that this dynamic sector is an important part of Canada’s economy. An annual national celebration would focus attention on all these Canadian success stories and the know-how of all stakeholders in this sector.

Closing the farm-to-table distance is one of the main environmental benefits of an initiative like this one. When food travels shorter distances, there is less of a negative impact on the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, for example. I should point out that emissions also vary depending on the type of transportation used, and air transportation is the most polluting option.

During the summer, many consumers opt to shop at local markets, which shortens distances and cuts out intermediaries between the consumer and the farmer or processor. In such cases, the customer often travels shorter distances and chooses other modes of transportation over the car, which also reduces individual greenhouse gas emissions.

Local food does more than just put food on our own tables. Our fellow Canadians who work in the agriculture and agri-food sector know something about that. These individuals care about the well-being of their communities. That is why many of them are trying to make their food accessible through community initiatives. For example, there are food banks, which accept donations from local producers of their surplus goods, and community gardens. In other words, local food is at the heart of social inclusion initiatives across the country.

Different programs such as Farm to School, which is led by Farm to Cafeteria Canada, also promote local food. This movement brings healthy, local food into schools by sourcing food from farmers, distributors, schoolyard gardens or the harvesting of wild or traditional foods. These foods are used to prepare school meals. This initiative demonstrates how local food can be the focal point that brings producers, farmers and the community closer together. These programs also provide learning opportunities and nutritional meals for everyone, no matter the socio-economic situation of the family. Bill C-281 will help highlight these community programs.

Colleagues, before I conclude my remarks, I would like tell you about a wonderful project in New Brunswick that brings together each of these local food components, making this project a wonderful example of what can be accomplished through local food. This is the Ferme Terre Partagée co-op, a project combining tradition, know-how, innovation and a passing of the torch to the next generation.

This co-op, which was officially created in January 2018 in its current form, is the result of the work of generations of farmers whose origins go back to the Chiasson family, who founded the farm in 1886 on land that was worked for hundreds of years by the Mi’kmaq in Rogersville.

It was following Rébeka Frazer-Chiasson’s return to the family farm with her father, Jean-Eudes, that Ferme Terre Partagée as we know it today slowly took shape, starting with the picking of organic strawberries. They then added vegetables, which brought two more passionate farmers to their team.

This cooperative is based on the principle of food sovereignty. Accordingly, the farm has diversified its crops to meet the various demands, but always in accordance with smaller scale sustainable growing.

Many projects that stem from this farm are based on the proximity between the farmers and the customers. Thus, the vast majority of sales are direct sales, for example through organic vegetable baskets.

As they point out, this proximity allows consumers to ask questions and obtain credible information directly from the farmers.

This allows for an exchange of knowledge, and sometimes consumers gain a better understanding of what is involved in farming. Consumers and producers build a relationship of mutual trust.

This cooperative is also involved in its community, not only by selling its crops, but also by giving talks, welcoming farmers, getting involved in associations and working together with schools on community garden projects.

Canadians are curious about and interested in local food. As this bill shows, all we have to do is pass on to consumers the passion that drives our artisans, and that is what Bill C-281 seeks to achieve.

Dear colleagues, let me end on a personal note. As you know, I come from Caraquet on the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick. Our region is well known for our fishing industry, which is recognized all around the world for its extraordinary quality. Fishing is not only the economic engine of our region; it represents a way of life for our community. However, growing up, I was not aware of its wealth and importance for my community. And sad to say, I had to leave my region to realize the important role it played.

I’m telling you this, because it speaks to the very essence of this bill, which is to ensure that Canadians recognize the immense wealth of local food, the immense wealth of their region and the people who are at the heart of all this, from an early age, without having to leave their region.

As a Canadian, I am proud of our farmers, fishermen, brewers and artisans who work hard to provide us with products of outstanding quality. Bill C-281 is our way of recognizing their contribution to our society and celebrating the fruits of their passion. I therefore ask you to vote in favour of the bill.

Thank you and bon appétit.

Will the senator take a question?

Senator Cormier, will you take a question?

Of course.

Thank you for that speech, Senator Cormier, and thank you for following the rules. As we all know, the purpose of a speech at second reading is to talk about the principle and the merits of the subject matter and not to get into other details. I thought you did that very well. Senators will want to keep an eye on that rule when we have other second reading speeches on other topics.

The reason I want to ask a question is I received an email from Chef Michael Smith from Prince Edward Island, who many people will know has books published, TV shows and so on. He and his spouse run The Inn at Bay Fortune. If anybody is in Prince Edward Island during the summer, I urge you to attend their restaurant, along with the many other wonderful restaurants in Prince Edward Island.

I want to quote from what he wrote, and you touched on it in your speech: “For more than 15 years, we have celebrated Food Day Canada coast to coast in August. We built a community around the event. The entire country is in harvest, so every chef, restaurant, farmer, fisherman, food writer and diner joins in. Even the CN Tower is lit for the occasion. We’re not opposed to the bill, just the late-season date it proposes. The country is half covered in frost in October. Aligning the dates will allow all existing momentum for Food Day Canada to continue flourishing. This simple amendment becomes a classic win-win. None of us particularly care who gets political credit for the day. We just want to keep doing what we’re doing all along.”

So why would we vote in favour of changing the date from August to October?

Thank you for your question, senator. As I mentioned in my speech, the purpose of national local food day is not to oppose the various initiatives that currently exist. What you are talking about is an extraordinary initiative that Ms. Stewart persuaded restaurateurs across the country to get involved in.

The spirit of this bill goes beyond the issue of restaurateurs and the issue of agricultural products. It goes much further than that. As part of the research conducted in preparation for my speech, I had the opportunity to speak with restaurateurs from different regions of Eastern Canada. It is obvious that there is no ideal date for a day like this. For some restaurateurs, August is already a time when they have no shortage of customers and products.

I have heard that many people are happy with the October date, especially since it extends the tourism and consumption season. There are tons of products that are available in the fall, and often, in some regions, there is a decline starting in September. The idea of instituting a national local food day in October allows the regions to extend the tourism season and to highlight the foods that are available.

That is essentially what I heard. I have also spoken with restaurateurs who are involved in the National Food Day project with Ms. Stewart and who will continue to be involved in this initiative, but who also say that a national local food day allows them to extend the tourism season and do good business. That is the main reason for the October date.

Notwithstanding your passionate defence of your bill, I would have to be opposed to it. I’m in favour of August, not October.

Senator Plett, would you like to speak on this or on something else?