Glenview Park Secondary School, southern Galt, ON
Grant term, 2024-2026
Both Indigenous and settler communities followed the Grand river to the fertile land around Cambridge to grow and harvest food and both of those agricultural traditions are still very present in the land that surrounds the school.
The settlement of Galt was first established predominately by Scottish immigrants and reflected the large amount of lime and fieldstone in the area and the river as a source for energy.
Sawmills, gristmills, textile mills, breweries, and distilleries formed the core subsistence industries of the burgeoning town. These subsistence industries became the background for several foundry based industries and earned Galt the nickname “The Manchester of Canada” by the 1890’s. However, as with many manufacturing based towns, the core of this industry was hallowed out by the 1950’s and as with many manufacturing based towns – the loss of this industry can still be felt in the Socio Economic status of the town almost 80 years later.
It is into this mix, that the grant money is felt. While we don’t have precise data on Socio Economic status of our school population, we know anecdotically that about one third of our school population is food insecure. While we have had hospitality and green industries programming at our school for 20+ years, the school system at large in Ontario has been significantly underfunded since 2018 and so the grant money has boosted what we have been able to offer to the student population outside of classes. We have not had cafeteria service at our school since March 2020, we have been able to serve weekly meals for 8 week periods each semester.
Students have participated in ordering seeds, growing and harvesting food, caring for the laying hens, raising chickens for meat, going on field trips, creating, menus, cooking, and serving food.
“The money we have received from farm to caf has given me the opportunity to see the full cycle from ordering seeds, to growing lettuce in the green house, to harvesting and cooking between my hospitality and green industries classes.” -Kieran Lesile gr 11 student GPSS
