Archives honour first food bank
City institution included in exhibit honouring ways Alberta changed Canada
A “150 for 150” food drive has launched to recognize the work of Edmonton’s Food Bank — the first official food bank in Canada.
Dating back to 1981, the Edmonton Gleaners Association established the country’s first food bank.
The food bank is now being featured as part of the Provincial Archives of Alberta’s newest exhibit, 150 Firsts: How Alberta Changed Canada ... Forever.
Other province firsts include a 1967 UFO landing pad in St. Paul and Calgary’s hosting of the Winter Olympic Games in 1988.
Visitors to the provincial archives exhibit at 8555 Roper Rd. NW are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items to reach the goal of 150 pounds of food to commemorate Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation.
Edmonton’s Food Bank serves up to 20,000 people per month through its hamper program, with numbers higher in 2017 than ever before.
About 40 per cent of visitors to the food bank are children under the age of 18.
“We are excited to partner with the archives on the ‘150 for 150’ food bank initiative and hope that visitors to the provincial archives donate non-perishable items to assist us in providing food to those in need,” said food bank executive director Marjorie Bencz in a Tuesday news release.
The Provincial Archives of Alberta, established in 1967 during Canada’s centennial year, is home to Alberta’s public historical documents from government, individuals and organizations.