Safe Food Canada - The Learning Partnership receives federal funding of $850K to enhance food safety nationwide

Not-for-profit organisation changing the Canadian food protection landscape

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, July 2, 2015 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Safe Food Canada - The Learning Partnership (SFC), a not-for-profit organisation made up of leaders from the Canadian food industry, government regulatory bodies and academia all dedicated to the creation and coordination of food protection learning partnerships, receives $850,000 in federal funding.

This Tuesday, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Streetsville Brad Butt announced this support on behalf of the Honorable Minister Rona Ambrose, from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Federal Assistance Program (FAP).  Having invested over $517 million between 2008 and 2013 towards food safety initiatives, the Canadian Government again is signalling that food protection is top priority.

Through learning partnerships, SFC aims to develop and deliver a competency-based food protection learning framework so that all food businesses and regulatory authorities can ensure that learning and training that pertain to food protection will be consistent and certified.

Dr. Michael Trevan, the Chair of Safe Food Canada and Head of Department of Food Science at the University of Manitoba, confirms that the idea of a common competency-based learning system has been discussed for years now and that the support from federal funding will surely pave the way for the food industry to step up and do the same.

Brian Sterling , current Managing Director of the Global Food Traceability Center,  will take his position as President and CEO for Safe Food Canada on August 1, 2015.  Mr. Sterling says:

"For years, industry and regulators in Canada have been expending significant time and money on a wide range of disparate learning programs and events. This has led to duplication and increased costs for both public and private organisations. Safe Food Canada will be a public-private partnership with the vision and means to become the focal point for creating a comprehensive, competency-based food protection learning system that will benefit all Canadians."

Taking a closer look at food safety and corporate culture, a peer-reviewed article was published last year by the Royal Society for Public Health. In her article, co-author Lone Jespersen who sits on the SFC Board of Directors and is Director of Food Safety Strategy at Maple Leaf Foods, upholds the following:

"We have to become successful in reducing and ultimately eradicating food borne illness in the food supply and can only do so if we are able to effectively focus on the most critical food safety risks, at the right points in the supply chain, with the necessary level of technical and social rigour."

SFC works with its US counterpart, the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI). Together, they forge a Canada-American collaboration to exchange best practices and frameworks that will harmoniously advance food protection and align with global standards. 

Along with the funding announcement, Safe Food Canada announces the official launch of their new website. Learn more at: www.safefoodcanada.com.

Twitter : @SafeFoodCanadaFacebook : https://www.facebook.com/SafeFoodCanada

SOURCE Safe Food Canada (SFC-TLP)

Canada's Most Unique Festival Rolls Back into Town!

Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival Back for the Eighth Year

MONTREAL, Quebec  July 2, 2015 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - The Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival, one of Canada's most exciting and fun-hearted events, is back again. Hosted by Dairy Farmers of Canada, the festival rolls back into Whistler, British Columbia on August 15, 2015 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Now in its eighth year, the Festival features cheese rolling races, a costume contest, cheese tastings, and other fun activities for the whole family.

An 11-pound wheel of Boerenkaas cheese, produced by British Columbia cheese maker Natural Pastures, will be released and roll down the slopes of Blackcomb Mountain for enthusiastic and ambitious cheese lovers to chase. The first male and female contestants to make it down the hill in the final heats win! They will each take home one of the giant, coveted wheels of delicious Canadian cheese and a Whistler season ski pass for two.

"Dairy Farmers of Canada is thrilled to bring this much-anticipated Festival celebrating Canadian cheese back toWhistler," says Sandra Da Silva, assistant director, external communications, Dairy Farmers of Canada. "It's such a great family event, with activities for everyone and, of course, delicious Canadian cheese everywhere you look."

The Festival will be held in Whistler's Upper Village on Blackcomb Mountain. Free transportation to Blackcomb Mountain Base 2 parking lot will be available via the Excalibur Gondola in Whistler village. Anyone over 19 years of age can participate in the races; contestants can register on-site on August 15 at 11:00 a.m. There will be seven men's and four women's heats and the winner from each one will compete in the finals. There will also be uphill races for kids.

This year, all Festival attendees aged 19 and over are invited to come in costume for the chance to win a gift card from Marketplace IGA: $250 for first place, $150 for second and $100 for third. Other activities at the festival will include children's activities, free cheese seminars, and recipe demos with Chef Ned Bell from YUCA restaurant inVancouver. Visitors will also have the opportunity to taste and buy Canadian cheese from across the country in a Cheese Market full of delicious samples.  Vancouver native and Breakfast Television host, Riaz Meghji, will emcee the event again.

Finally, Dairy Farmers of Canada partnered with MarketPlace IGA in British Columbia to offer Canadians a chance to win a getaway weekend to Whistler, including accommodation at the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa and a five-course dining experience at the famed Bearfoot Bistro. Visit a MarketPlace IGA grocery store in British Columbiabefore July 30^th to participate!

To learn more about the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival and to view videos and photos from past years, visit canadiancheeserolling.ca.

About Dairy Farmers of Canada

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) strives to create favourable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. DFC works to maintain policies that foster the viability of Canadian dairy farms and to promote quality Canadian dairy products made from 100% Canadian milk as part of a healthy balanced diet. Visit dairyfarmers.ca for more information.

 

SOURCE Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC)

Tim Horton Children's Foundation Celebrates the Grand Opening of Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell

First campers arrived this week!

PINAWA, Manitoba, June 26, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Tim Horton Children's Foundation opened the doors of its new camp, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell, this week with the arrival of 177 campers from across North America. This is the 7^th camp for the Foundation that provides life-changing camping experiences for more than 18,000 kids and youth from low-income families each year.

Located on 17 hectares within Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell will operate year-round and grow to serve over 3,800 economically disadvantaged youth annually.  Through the summer months, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell is the home camp for 1,800 participants in the Foundation's Youth Leadership Program. Over five successive summers, these young people, aged 13-17, participate in camp sessions focused on personal leadership development and planning for future success through in-camp activities and wilderness expeditions. Throughout the fall, winter and spring, the camp will also welcome nearly 2,000 children and youth from Manitobaand North Western Ontario schools and community groups.

"The Tim Horton Children's Foundation is thrilled to welcome our first 177 campers to our 7^th camp, Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell," said Bill Moir, President, Tim Horton Children's Foundation. "Camp Whiteshell will allow us to double the number of participants in our Youth Leadership Program and provide enriching experiences that will have a lifelong impact on thousands of youth for generations to come. We are incredibly grateful to the countless Foundation supporters who helped make this dream a reality."

Construction of Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell began in late 2013 and would not have been possible without the support of Tim Hortons Restaurant Owners, corporate partners, individual donors, the provincial and municipal governments along with members of the Sagkeeng First Nation and Manitoba Metis Federation. More than 600 of these Foundation partners attended the ribbon cutting celebration and grand opening on Saturday, June 19, including Chief Derrick Henderson of the Sagkeeng First Nation, Minister of Environment and Mining Jean Desrosier, Manitoba Metis Federation, Ambassador, Gary Doer, and the Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba.

The local community is invited to join us for an Open House on Sunday, July 5th from 1:00-4:00pm to experience Tim Horton Camp Whiteshell first-hand. Camp tours and light refreshments will be available. Visit www.thcwopenhouse.com for details.

About the Tim Horton Children's Foundation 

The Tim Horton Children's Foundation (THCF) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1974 that is committed to providing an enriched and memorable camp experience for children and youth living in economically disadvantaged homes. The Foundation's funding comes from Tim Hortons Camp Day, fundraising activities, special events, and year-round public donations collected through counter and drive-thru coin boxes, as well as other donations. By the end of 2015, more than 215,000 children will have attended a Foundation camp at no cost to them or their families. For more information about the Tim Horton Children's Foundation, please visit www.thcf.com.

SOURCE Tim Horton Children's Foundation

When School is Out, The Salvation Army Steps In

Vulnerable Youth to Attend Summer Camps Hosted by The Salvation Army

TORONTO, Ontario June 26, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - Summer is here and Salvation Army camps are gearing up to provide vulnerable children with the time of their life.

"Salvation Army camps provide financially accessible camping opportunities to families in need," says Captain Rick Zelinsky, Executive Director of The Salvation Army's Ontario Camping Ministries. "Campers often come from difficult situations and camp is an experience like no other that can change young peoples' lives and outlook forever."

The Salvation Army hosted its first summer camp in Winnipeg in 1900. Today, more than 4,000 children attend week-long and day camps across the country.

At camp kids enjoy nutritious meals, learn new skills such as rock climbing and canoeing and meet new friends. Camp is a place of refuge where kids can be kids and receive a much-needed break from some of the challenges they face at home.

"The Salvation Army is here to fill the gap during summer months. Parents can rest a little easier knowing their children are in an affordable, safe environment and kids affected by poverty have something to look forward to each year," says Major Les Marshall, Territorial Public Relations & Development Secretary for The Salvation Army inCanada.

For more information about Salvation Army summer camps, visit www.SalvationArmy.ca.

Video: https://youtu.be/q4OXSLeWuSs

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people today and every day in 400 communities across Canada and more than 125 countries around the world. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, providing shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction. When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community. News releases, articles and updated information can be found at www.SalvationArmy.ca.

SOURCE The Salvation Army

Free Lockage for Canada Day on Ontario's Historic Canals

Continuing the Trend of Investment in the Trent-Severn Waterway and Rideau Canal

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, June 26, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced that in celebration of Canada Day lockage on Ontario'shistoric canals will be free all day on July 1 for the first time. This will help attract boaters and visitors to the many opportunities available on these waterways and in the many communities along them. Free lockage will include all stations on the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Rideau Canal.

The 2015 navigation season for Ontario's historic canals has already been exceptional with historic investments by the Government of Canada and an increase in boating numbers.

This month, the Government of Canada announced infrastructure investments totalling more than $39 million for the Rideau Canal and more than $285 million for the Trent-Severn Waterway.  This record investment will ensure the care and preservation of these treasured national historic sites and UNESCO World Heritage Site for use and enjoyment of future generations.

For the month of May, the number of vessels travelling through the Trent-Severn Waterway system increased 34 percent and the number of vessels mooring increased 51 percent over last year. On the Rideau Canal, the number of vessels travelling through the system increased 32 percent and the number of vessels mooring increased 20 percent compared to 2014. The increased use of canals means economic benefits for local communities and businesses and is due in part to recent investment in increased service levels and active promotions.

Visitors travelling by land can also take advantage of new attractions and services offered on both the Trent-Severn Waterway and Rideau Canal including: oTENTiks, Red Chairs, and Voyageur Canoe tours at Ottawa Locks and at the Peterborough Lift Lock. Other services at select lockstations include new showers, canoe docks, firewood and ice sales.

For more information, visit www.pc.gc.ca/canals and click on "Visitor Information" under the canal of interest.

Quick Facts

• Boaters who purchase a single-lock-and-return pass or a one-day pass until June 30, will be able to redeem 2 for 1 coupons available at all lockstations, and from numerous cottage associations and marinas.
• New oTENTik accommodations are now available at Beveridges lockstation on the Rideau Canal and at Lock 24 Douro on the Trent-Severn Waterway. A cross between a rustic cabin and a tent, the Parks Canada oTENTik is a relaxing, easier way to experience camping and provide an ideal base camp for exploring historic canals in Ontario. To reserve one of Parks Canada oTENTik tents, campers can go through Parks Canada online reservation service at www.reservation.parkscanada.gc.ca (or by phone at 1­877­737­3783).
• Visitors are invited to paddle a Voyageur Canoe. Available at Ottawa Locks, by Parks Canada, and at the Peterborough Lift Lock, in partnership with the Canadian Canoe Museum, visitors can enjoy the canal from a beautiful multi-passenger Voyageur canoe.
• Hidden in scenic places throughout the Rideau Canal and Trent-Severn Waterway, parks Canada's Red Chairs let visitors connect with nature and experience the most unique and treasured places within Canada. Join the many sharing their experiences through social media at #sharethechair.

Quotes

"Our Government's investments will directly contribute to the local economy and ensure Canada's historic canals continue to play a vital economic role in the region. We invite Canadians and international visitors alike to join us onCanada Day, and all summer long, for a historic, world-class experience along the Trent-Severn Waterway and Rideau Canal."

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"Free lockage on Canada Day - now that is a birthday gift from Parks Canada that will help you join us in Westportfor our Canada Day Celebrations. Parade at 3:00 p.m. and one of the best fireworks events in Eastern Ontario at dusk."

Mayor Robin Jones, Westport

"Quinte West looks forward to welcoming visitors to the historic waterway. We are pleased to see the increased investment by Parks Canada into the system, which complements our own efforts in promoting tourism on the water. At the Gateway to the Trent-Severn, the brand new Trent Port Marina will be an ambassador for not only the City of Quinte West, but for the Trent-Severn Waterway and Parks Canada during Canada Day and throughout the boating season."

Mayor Jim Harrison, City of Quinte West

SOURCE Parks Canada (Georgian Bay and Ontario East Field Unit)

Food Business Seminar to Explore Global Challenges

GUELPH, Ontario June 18, 2015 - News Release - Helping Canada’s food industry better compete in a global marketplace is the goal of the first University of Guelph Food and Agriculture Business Seminar.

Food and agricultural business leaders, financial professionals, senior government policy-makers and leaders of non-governmental organizations will gather in Guelph June 21-23. The seminar is offered by the Food Institute of the University of Guelph.

Created in 2012 to connect food-related research and activities among the University’s seven colleges, the institute aims to strengthen Canada’s food sector and enhance U of G’s leading reputation in shaping food policy and business.

“The food and agriculture business seminar is designed to bring together the leaders in food, so that they can learn from each other’s expertise in a collegial, non-competitive environment,” said Paul Uys, director of the institute.

“We want participants to leave with a new perspective, strategic networks and the critical skills necessary to better succeed in their own businesses and the food industry as a whole.”

The seminar will offer case studies designed to encourage discussion of current challenges and topics.

Topics will include PepsiCo Canada’s internal branding strategy, corporate philanthropy by Campbell’s Canada, the seasonal agricultural worker program, and Monsanto’s challenge of engaging consumers in discussing genetically modified organisms.

Representatives from those organizations will provide their perspective on these issues.

“Food and agricultural companies are facing a number of challenges never before experienced, and they are reshaping the industry,” said Uys, who previously worked at Loblaw’s as vice-president of innovation.

“These studies examine some of the key issues facing many of our industry partners and policy makers; this is an opportunity for a frank and open discussion of the challenges faced and the lessons learned from these issues. Those attending will explore the shifts in government policy, food security, consumer perspective and developing markets.”

Participants will discuss human resources, consumer perspectives, business diversity, emerging markets and the influences of corporate culture.

The event begins Sunday evening and will be hosted on the university campus.

CIBC contributes $3 million to support Canada's Indigenous communities

Helping Indigenous youth succeed through scholarships, access to mentors

TORONTO, Ontario June 19, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - Providing funding for education removes the biggest barriers to graduation for Indigenous youth. But, it takes a village to position students for success. A recent study by Indspire, a charitable organization that invests in the education of Indigenous people, notes the importance of engagement between students and parents, educators, communities, government, and the private sector.

CIBC, a long-time supporter of Indigenous initiatives, not only funds scholarships and bursaries but also mentorship programs, such as Indspire's Rivers to Success that helps students transition into the workforce. In the last three years alone, CIBC has contributed more than $3 million to help Indigenous communities, including a commitment of over $1-million to various Indspire programs.

"I have the utmost respect for Indspire and the mentoring program," says Josh Thomas, a member of Snuneymuxw First Nation from Nanaimo, B.C., who connected through Rivers to Success with a mentor from CIBC, Pradeep Mathur, that led to a summer internship at the bank's Toronto head office.

"Being paired with Pradeep helped me learn how to handle myself professionally, hone my interviewing skills, learn more about the banking industry, and most importantly, gave me the confidence to think big and accept the challenge of moving to a big city to pursue a career," he says.

In addition to nearly a quarter century of support for Indspire, CIBC has several internal programs that support people from the Indigenous community, such as its Pathfinders program which matches new hires with current Indigenous employees in their first three months of employment.

"At CIBC, we strongly believe that education and mentorship go hand-in-hand to building a stronger, more prosperous and compassionate country," says Laura Dottori-Attanasio, CIBC's Chief Risk Officer and Diversity and Inclusion Executive Champion. "We are proud to invest in vital programs like Rivers to Success that will inspire and assist Indigenous young people to reach their full potential."

Last month, CIBC contributed $175,000 to the University of Regina to establish the CIBC Aboriginal Bursary for students pursuing degrees in Business Administration, Economics and Computer Science. The bank has also supported other Indigenous organizations and programs, including Frontiers Foundation, Boundless Adventures, Canadian Feed the Children, Let's Talk Science and Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.

Led by its Aboriginal Employee Circle, CIBC will mark National Aboriginal Day and Aboriginal History Month this June with special events at CIBC locations in Toronto.

About CIBC

CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution with 11 million personal banking and business clients. With a strategic focus on Kids, Cures and Community, and employee commitment to causes, including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure, the CIBC Children's Foundation and United Way, we are investing in the social and economic development of communities across the country. In 2014, CIBC contributed more than$42 million to 1,780 charitable and non-profit initiatives in over 420 communities. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Media Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.

SOURCE Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce