OFPC Letter to Candidates – Municipal Election 2018

Starting on May 1st, 2018, individuals were able to register as a candidate for the 2018 Municipal Elections which took place on October 22, 2018. As a result of campaigns officially being launched, the Ottawa Food Policy Council sent and will continue to send a letter to candidates, as they are registering, to bring food onto their plates in the hopes of this becoming a priority for the upcoming City Council term (2018-2022).

In this letter, the OFPC highlighted that food is an important issue that should be on City Council’s agenda, and that a food systems approach to thinking about policy is the best way to address the magnitude of food issues and many others that we are experiencing in our community.

After having sent the letter, we sent candidates a checklist of priority food issues in the City of Ottawa, and have received responses from many of the candidates.

Key points highlighted in the letter:

• We believe that access to Good Food for residents within the City of Ottawa should be a priority for City Council candidates
• Political decision making should be made through a food systems lens
• We would expect careful consideration as to how Good Food and food production are being incorporated into our communities and how our future food systems will be shaped in the future renewal of Official Plans.