Chef Michael Smith of Food Network Canada and Sodexo’s National Sustainability Advocate is coming to Thunder Bay this October – and he’s bringing his spatula.

Canada’s best-known chef will be orchestrating a gourmet four-course dinner on Friday, October 14th in the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Cafeteria.

Each course will feature ingredients from local suppliers. Coming as it does in the fall, and since we have a bountiful harvest, it is a unique opportunity to showcase the many indigenous producers of the Thunder Bay region at their seasonal best.

Chef Smith takes his role of National Sustainability Advocate very seriously. He believes that when it comes to food, you get what you pay for. In a recent interview with the online magazine, “Dialogue Plus”, he stated that, “locally grown produce and organic foods are usually priced fairly and respectful of the person who grows it. On the other hand, buying processed ingredients from “Big Food Inc.” may save you a few dollars today, but it could cost you in long-term health and food source sustainability”.

It’s a philosophy that Sodexo and the Nutrition and Food Services Department at the Health Sciences Centre believe in too. Sodexo uses fresh ingredients wherever possible in the 1,200 inpatient meals it prepares every day, as well as in its Cafeteria Menu.

All inpatient meals at the Health Sciences Centre are homemade on site. Although it requires a number of extra steps during preparation, it makes a huge difference in the nutritional value of those meals. Making meals from scratch will almost always be the healthier choice.

Before dinner, Chef Smith will be available during the Symposium for book signings and photos. He will also be making a presentation on healthy eating for patients, staff and the public from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. that Friday in the Cafeteria. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit will also have displays at this public event to support healthy eating. Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre President and CEO, Andrée G. Robichaud is excited about these types of opportunities. “Our Vision of being Healthy Together means that we must partner with other agencies, patients and their families to help promote healthy lifestyles”, she said.

“I’m really looking forward to visiting Thunder Bay and cooking with your local ingredients”, Chef Smith said. “We have a great team at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and together we are planning a memorable meal!”

The dinner, which is in support of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, will be hosted by the Health Sciences Centre President and CEO, Andrée G. Robichaud and Glenn Craig, Foundation President and CEO. Tickets are $150 per person, and can be purchased by calling (807) 345-HOPE (4673).

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