Canada’s hospitality community never ceases to amaze. For almost three months, we’ve had the privilege of highlighting the incredible and inspiring work they have done to reduce the toll that COVID-19 has taken on our most vulnerable.
More recently, Canada’s food and drink industry responded in a big way to the global Black Lives Matter movement, and multiple organizations have taken part in initiatives and campaigns to not only bring awareness to critical issues regarding inequality, oppression, and disenfranchisement, but to spearhead the change needed to ensure that such injustices aren’t around to plague future generations.
Here are just a few of the ways Canada’s hospitality heavyweights are giving back.
Rogers Foundation
The Rogers family recently donated $60 million to various charities across Canada, including a $20 million donation to Food Banks Canada, which will be distributed and shared with food banks across the country. It will also be used to acquire and deliver essential food items, while expanding critical relationships with independent farmers, agricultural associations, producers, and manufacturers. The Rogers family’s donation is the largest single donation in Food Banks Canada history.
Feed the Frontlines TO
Feed the Frontlines TO is a two-pronged initiative that aims to reduce both food insecurity and job insecurity in Toronto. The goal of Feed the Frontlines TO is to provide frontline healthcare and community workers with healthy meals, while ensuring those in the hospitality industry remain employed.
Multiple Toronto restaurants have joined the initiative and are making meals daily, including Pukka, Tabule, BCD Tofu, Five Doors North, the Gusto 54 Restaurant Group, and Little Sister Indonesian Food Bar.
So far, the initiative has raised $358,368, which equates to more than 17,000 meals. Donations of all sizes can be made online.
Labatt Breweries of Canada
Labatt Breweries of Canada recently launched an initiative with fashion brand Pink Tartan to produce and donate 135,000 non-medical facemasks to restaurant partners across Canada. The initiative will also provide reopening kits that include hand sanitizer, sanitizer towels, social distancing signage, and support for transitioning into contactless service.
Labatt also recently announced that Budweiser Canada will be donating $100,000 to the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce and the Black Legal Action Centre.
Cherry Street Bar-B-Que
Cherry Street Bar-B-Que recently ran one of its popular patio pop-ups, and redirected 100 per cent of sales to the Black Health Alliance. With the help of Lost Craft Beer, the patio pop-up raised a total of $2,700.
Primrose Bagel
Primrose Bagel allocated the entirety of sales earned on June 1 to the global Black Lives Matter network and to Campaign Zero, an organization that uses data-driven policy solutions to limit police interventions, improve community interactions, and ensure accountability.
Maker Pizza
Between June 1 and 7, Toronto’s Maker Pizza donated 10 per cent of all sales to the global Black Lives Matter network.
Extra Burger
Earlier this month, Toronto’s Extra Burger donated an entire day's profit to the global Black Lives Matter network.
Stand Together Canada
Since the start of the pandemic, Stand Together Canada founder Russell Abelido has been collecting donations and giving meals to frontline healthcare workers. So far, Abelido has raised roughly $250,000 worth of food and transportation donations.
More recently, the East India Company joined the cause and provided 4,000 pounds worth of rice, flour, and lentils at a reduced price, which was then sent to three women’s and youth shelters.
