Photo: Karina Gistelinck Asset President Potash of BHP and John Baily CEO of Regina Food Bank/ submitted by David Froh
The Regina Food Bank and BHP announce a partnership to help the newly opened BMO Asahtowikamik Food Hub. BHP has invested $350,000 to help the food soveriegnty program at The Food Hub. This partnership designates BHP as a reconciliation partner.
The BMO Asahtowikamik Food Hub welcomed their visitors when they opened their doors on August 16, 2024.
“The BMO Asahtowikamik Food Bank, which in English means feeding lodge, is all about giving people more dignity when they choose their foods. So instead of getting a box of food, they will get to come into a building that looks like a grocery store and pick the food that they need,” said David Froh, Vice President Community, Regina Food Bank.
The Food Hub is the first food bank that has a grocery store feel. This new approach means that clients can choose the food that their family needs from a diverse selection of foods.
“We are giving a hand up with BHP’s help,” said Froh.
The food soveriegnty program supports initiatives like buffalo harvests and Indigenous urban agriculture.
The FoodHub was designed and created to be a gathering place for the community. There is a reconciliation room for smudging and hosting programs.
The name “Asahtowikamik” is a Cree word that has the meaning of “feeding lodge.” The name was gifted through a ceremony by Elder Murray Ironchild from the Piapot First Nation to the Regina Food Bank for the newest location.
“We just launched the Canada Indigenous Partnership Plan last month, and this is like the first execution of that plan to really empower our Indigenous partners and ensure we do our part in the reconciliation journey and that we actually support the initiatives that are grass roots and from our Indigenous partners,” explained Karina Gistelinck Asset President Potash with BHP. “The Regina Food Bank stands out because they support initiatives that support the empowerment of Indigenous communities.”
This investment by BHP is their first reconcilliation-focused investment under the new plan.
Food banks around the province have been struggling to keep up and Froh said that the statistics show that one in eight households in Saskatchewan is going hungry, and one in four kids in Regina is going hungry.
To learn more about the BMO Asahtowikamik Food Hub, visit: https://www.reginafoodbank.ca/food-hub-campaign
Photo: submitted by David Froh/Regina Food Bank