Our vision statement: The Galiano Community Food Program envisages Galiano Island as a thriving, livable, food-secure community. It is a place where every resident is included, welcome and empowered to build a deeper connection with their food system. In so doing, the Program improves Galiano’s ecological sustainability and community resilience in the face of climate change and uncertainty. The program seeks to set an example that reaches beyond our local community and spreads across the country.

Thanks to our many funders (Vancouver Foundation, the Victoria Foundation, DASH BC, VanCity, the Vancouver Island health Authority, the YMCA, New Horizons For Seniors initiative of the Government of Canada, our local Parks and Recreation Commission and many members of the Galiano community), we were able to launch the Galiano Community Food Program in 2008.

Decisions are made in consultation with the community, by a steering committee, and implemented by the four part-time coordinators, Alison Colwell, Emma Davis, Barry New and Kris Krug. We are a non-profit organization that relies heavily on the work of our many volunteer supporters and on funding from various organizations and individuals. Most of our activities are either free, or by donation, thus ensuring the inclusiveness of our initiatives.

Since its inception, the Food Program has known many successes,and we have received many invitations from neighbouring communities who wished to launch similar programs in their own communities, to share our knowledge and experiences with them.

The Community Food Program was the recipient of the 2009 Galiano Community School Environmental Award and our coordinators were nominated for the 2009 Islands Trust Stewardship Awards.We now count over 520 participants, 120+ volunteers and continue to create links with on-island, as well as off-island, organizations through our events, workshops, food growing initiatives and educational opportunities.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority currently funded a project focused on gleaning teams, establishing a Farmers’ Institute, developing a meals program and hosting an all Islands Food Security Conference. In addition, the Food Program has received funding from New Horizons for Seniors (Government of Canada) for our Food Forever Project and a commercial freezer for the Seniors’ Soup Program.

In late spring 2011, United Way of Greater Victoria approved our application for a Seniors’ Soup Garden at the Community School along with a fruit tree mapping project involving students and elders.

The program has resulted in creating a more confident, hopeful and closely-knit community, increasing food security on Galiano, making Galiano a more interesting place to live, sharing of resources and ideas and knowledge related to food in all its aspects.

We hope you take the time to look through our website to discover the many facets of our Program!!

You can also join us on Facebook under Galiano Community Food Program or e-mail us your feedback and ideas at galianofoodprograms@gmail.com.

Contact: Food Program Coordinators 539-2175 ext. 2 to leave a message, or galianofoodprograms@gmail.com]