Edmonton groups fighting food insecurity with innovation

Throughout the pandemic, Chelsea Burke was cooking for others.

She started at home, then led a community kitchen at the John Humphrey Centre in Edmonton, serving 200 meals a week.

This spring, she's taking over the Parkdale-Cromdale Community League Kitchen to start her own initiative.

Common Thread Community Kitchen provides barrier-free meals, no proof-of-need necessary.

"With all the cost increases, food, and access to nutritious food, gets increasingly pushed to the margins," Burke told CBC's Radio Active. 

"I think that's really the future," Burke said. "I think we need to increase access to growing food, community kitchens, food programs for kids, practical skills, more urban farming, things like that."

During the pandemic, it has become more difficult for many to access healthy food. Statistics Canada reported that almost one in seven Canadians experienced food insecurity in May 2020, up from one in 10 in 2018. 

The soaring cost of living this year is adding another level of stress onto an already vulnerable demographic. 

"People don't realize how close to the edges many people are," Burke said. "Utilities are going up and people have to choose between food and rent, or food and gas." 

While food banks are valuable, they may not be the best solution for people who are houseless, don't have ID or have specific dietary needs, Burke says.

"It's really important to embed food into a lot of the different work that's being done, so it's easily accessible," she said, like putting community fridges in publicly accessible spaces across the city and keeping them stocked.

It's something she hopes to do as Common Thread grows.

Community initiatives, many led by BIPOC Edmontonians and organizations, are stepping up.

CANAVUA, a Francophone group, started a free-food truck.