Over this week, I’ll be posting about Langley City Council’s second advocacy mission to Ottawa. Yesterday, I posted about our objective to work toward updating the airport regulations to allow more housing options near Willowbrook Mall. Today, I will talk about Food Tech.
A lot of technology goes into the produce, breads, snacks, and other food and beverage items that we use every day. Whether it is the automation of farming, science to create more nutritious grains, or packaging that helps keep products fresh, technology is embedded in the food supply chain.
Langley City is home to Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s School of Horticulture, and Brewing and Brewery Operations. These programs are highly regarded at home and abroad. Langley City is also home to Bimbo Canada’s BC bakery. If you’ve ever had a slice of bread or a roll in BC, you’ve likely had one made at the Bimbo Canada Langley City bakery. CKF Inc. is one of the largest food packaging producers in Canada. If you have ever purchased eggs, the package was made at their Langley City plant.
From packaging to food processing and production, Langley City is an informal Food Tech hub. In partnership with KPU, the City is working to create a more formal Food Tech hub. In the current political climate, there is a need for a Canada-first food supply chain. We can create economic opportunities and well-paying jobs right here in Langley City, benefiting the country with the help of the federal government, the province, KPU, and the private sector.
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| Councillors Paul Albrecht, Rosemary Wallace, Leith White, and I outside Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Select the image to enlarge. |
In Ottawa, we met with senior staff at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. A few key takeaways from these meetings were that the timing was right for creating a Canada-first food supply chain. We were also informed that traditionally, Food Tech has focused on the prairie provinces, though there is a growing understanding that BC and the Fraser Valley need to become a greater focus for the federal government. Our big ask was that federal government staff would come to the table as we work on our Food Tech strategy with KPU. I was pleased that after the meetings, there was interest among staff members at both federal ministries to come to the table.
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| Councillors Rosemary Wallace and Leith White walking into the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada building. Select the image to enlarge. |
We also spoke with a senior policy advisor for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The takeaway from that meeting is that Food Tech is split between the two ministries federally and also the Ministry of Agriculture and Food provincially. Moving the Food Tech hub concept forward will also require the support of the provincial government. Certainly, there are many moving pieces, but I left with the impression that there is a strong desire to support innovation in the food sector. This presents a good opportunity for Langley City if we can drive alignment among all the interested parties to grow our local economy.
Tomorrow, I will post about our other advocacy efforts while we were in Ottawa.
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