ELORA – Food Day Canada was born in Elora, so it’s only fitting that Elora will host a kick-off event to mark the 20th anniversary of the national celebration of Canadian food, farmers and food producers.
It was 2003 when Alberta had one case of mad cow disease, which prompted the United States to close its borders to Canadian beef.
Anita Stewart, an Elora resident, gastronomist, cookbook author, culinary historian and the University of Guelph’s first food laureate, had the idea to support the Canadian beef industry by arranging what she called the World’s Longest Barbecue.
No matter where you were on the Saturday of the August Civic Holiday, Canadians were encouraged to eat Canadian beef.
Over 20 years the one-off event has become an annual celebration of all Canadian-grown food known as Food Day Canada. And earlier this year, the Food Day in Canada Act passed both the House of Commons and the Senate.
This year Food Day Canada is on Aug. 5 and it will be celebrated by thousands of restaurants, farmers, growers and regular folks across the country.
But to kick off the event, and to honour Stewart, who died in 2020, there will be a “Party on the Bridge” on Aug. 1.
That’s the Jack R. MacDonald pedestrian bridge in downtown Elora, where there will be picnic tables, entertainers, a children’s area and, of course, plenty of local food.
There will also be a beer garden and place to get cocktails by the Walser ruins just south of the bridge.
FOOD DAY CANADA FOUNDER ANITA STEWART
“We want to focus on having a great community celebration,” said Jeff Stewart, one of Anita Stewart’s sons who continues to be involved with Food Day Canada.
The Party on the Bridge is from 4 to 10pm. Food and drink tickets will be sold on site. Participating chefs and restaurants will determine how many tickets will be needed for a meal, but Stewart said the goal is to be affordable.
“Tickets are $5,” he said. “So with three tickets, you should get a good feed out of that.”
He estimated a family of four could eat for about $50.
“That’s what we’re hoping,” he added.
Participating restaurants include the Badley, Wild Tart, the Evelyn, the Elora Mill, La Fontana, the Friendly Society, and Scoop.
The Elora Brewing Company and Elora Distilling Company are participating in the beer garden.
Jeff Stewart can’t remember where he was for the Longest Barbecue in 2003 but he recalled he was in Peru the next year, “and we had a Canadian barbecue down there. No matter where in the world you are, eat Canadian food on Food Day Canada.”
The University of Guelph opened the Anita Stewart Memorial Food Lab in 2021 and the Elora Mill is hosting a tribute dinner for Anita and a fundraiser for the lab on Aug. 3
“Mom wanted to remind us to be grateful and appreciate what we have. Food Day Canada is a feel-good day to appreciate the communities that feed us,” Jeff said.
“We are lucky in Canada to have so many.”
Whether you attend the Party on the Bridge or not, Canadians are encouraged to fill their plates with the tastes of Canada on Aug. 5 by visiting a participating restaurant or by cooking an all-Canadian meal at home.
Share your photos and experiences at #FoodDayCanada.
