Provincial funding of $2 million will help the Regional Food Distribution Association with an expansion project to add 5,200 square feet to its Thunder Bay facility.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. announced the funds on April 24.
“Our government is continuing to make investments to support the health and well-being of our communities,” said George Pirie, minister of northern economic development and growth, in a news release.
“By working hand in hand with the Regional Food Distribution Association of northwestern Ontario, we are ensuring food-insecure communities and First Nations within the region have access to nutritious food, contributing to healthy and active lifestyles.”
In operation since 2003, the Regional Food Distribution Association collects unused food from around northwestern Ontario and redistributes it where it’s needed.
But the organization is short on space, and the $6.9-million renovation and expansion project currently underway aims to fix that.
Designed by the Thunder Bay firm i4architecture, the newly designed space will include dedicated rooms for preparing hampers, processing vegetables and wild game, and programming along with a community teaching kitchen.
There will also be a community meeting and ceremonial room, an outdoor patio with a firepit and oven, and technology to enable web learning and sharing.
The entrance foyer will feature a reception area, the building will have a universal, barrier-free washroom, and a catering entrance will be created. There will also be a space set aside to display regional art.
“The Building Hope project at the RFDA will have a major impact on our region and the 60 organizations, First Nations and regional communities that are supported by our efforts,” said Volker Kromm, the association’s executive director, in an April 24 news release.
“The 5,200-square-foot building expansion will greatly increase our capacity to deliver food throughout the region and help with our goal of food security and assisting those in need.”
To assist with raising the funds, the association launched a capital campaign earlier this year with the aim of raising $1.5 million toward the build.
Community partners have also committed funds to the project, including $500,000 each from the City of Thunder Bay and the Paterson Foundation; $225,000 from Newmont; and $200,000 from Tbaytel.
