Food security: the great initiatives continue!

A number of exciting projects are underway. They are part of the Town’s approach to promoting and encouraging the initiatives of local organizations, partnerships and citizen solidarity to ensure food security for our citizens in need.

Proximity Cards: A New Season of Community Solidarity

Thanks to financial contributions from the Sutton Saturday Market, the City of Sutton, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 158, and generous personal donations from many individuals, more than 75 community members facing food insecurity received free Solidarity Proximity Cards during the summer of 2025.

In exchange for the value of their card, they were able to buy fresh, healthy food at the market from participating kiosks of local producers of vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs and honey.

Led by Dana Cooper, coordinator of collaborative food security projects and director of the Sutton Market, the “Proximité fermières et solidaires” map initiative will continue in Sutton for a second season this year:

• Community members facing food insecurity will be invited to participate and receive a free prepaid card to use at the Sutton Saturday Market from July through October, 2026. This will allow them to purchase fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and honey from local producers. New producers are expected to join the growing list of market vendors!
• The Royal Canadian Legion of Sutton once again made a donation to the current program, as did the Town of Sutton. A grant from the Comité estrien des saines habitudes de vie was also received. Finally, thanks also to the generosity of many community members, donations totalling almost $5,000 were collected at the end of last year, enabling the initiative to be relaunched in 2026. Thank you to everyone who supports the project!
• Call for help! The Proximité Card Program is seeking a charitable organization to issue tax receipts on its behalf, thereby helping to attract more and larger donations for this wonderful win-win initiative.
• The 2026 Solidarity Proximity Card campaign is now launched! We invite members of our community to support this initiative, which provides food to people experiencing food insecurity while supporting local farms: buy a card for yourself and make a cash donation to help fund the cards we are giving away!

Solidarity Proximity Card purchase form combined with a cash donation
Please note! 100% of your donation will be used to help those in need.

For more information or to make a donation, please contact Dana Cooper by e-mail at [email protected].

CAB Sutton continues to feed the community

The Sutton Volunteer Centre (CAB) continues to offer its meal assistance services:

• Meals-on-wheels home delivery;
• Monthly supply of healthy food for Sutton and Abercorn residents through the Food Bank. The next food bank is scheduled for March 16 and 17. Registration is mandatory: to book an appointment, contact the CAB by phone at 450 538-1919 or by e-mail at [email protected];
• Collective kitchens of vegetarian meals using organic ingredients: this long-standing activity is organized by CAB volunteer Maaike Zuyderhoff. The next collective kitchen will take place on March 30, and you can register by contacting the CAB by telephone at 450 538-1919 or by e-mail at [email protected];
• Collective kitchens for families are organized jointly by Jen Tevyaw (CAB) and the new NPO Village Famille Sutton, chaired by Chantal Renaud: they are aimed at parents with babies under 2, offering them a space where they can prepare and cook a variety of meals together, which they can then take home to share with their families and fill their freezers. For more information, contact Jen by e-mail at [email protected].

Sutton School participates in the AgrÉcoles program

As announced last November, Sutton School has been selected to participate in AgrÉcoles‘ program “L’agroalimentaire s’invite à l’école” (Food and Agriculture Come to School), which offers a hands-on exploration of the world of agri-food adapted to elementary schools.

The children, who have already sown seeds in the school’s community greenhouse, will be accompanied in the field by AgrÉcoles animators.

Sutton School Canteen for Healthy Eating

Managed by the non-profit organization Racine Pop, the Sutton school cafeteria serves delicious, well-balanced meals to over 150 children every day.

• A healthy diet helps reduce the incidence of diet-related chronic diseases, which are now the leading causes of death in North America. It can take up to ten tries for a child to come to like a new food, but when all the other children at the table are eating it, most children will want to try it too.
• Thanks to the financial support of Cantine pour Tous, meals are offered through a payment system based on families’ financial means, starting at just $1 per meal. The meals are varied and prepared with nutritious ingredients approved by dieticians. It is a great opportunity for all children to have access to healthy, balanced food at an affordable price from an early age!
• Children starting kindergarten at Sutton School next year will be encouraged to sign up for this catering service. Attention all parents : take advantage of this fantastic offer that brings all children together around the same plate!

For more information, contact Racine Pop by email at [email protected] or by phone at 514 622-6246. You can also visit their website at racinepop.ca or follow them on Instagram.