The Orillia food map and directory has been updated after seven years, and it’s coming at a critical time.
Sustainable Orillia has released the updated document, which points people to a number of food providers and resources in the community.
One of the main goals is to show people the various options, allowing them to compare prices and see what’s closest to them.
“If you’re new to Orillia, this will be helpful,” said Mike Douglas, a member of Sustainable Orillia’s agriculture and natural capital sector, who created the map with his wife and fellow committee member, Anna Bourgeois.
Not only newcomers will benefit from the map and directory, he added, noting Chris Peacock, executive director of The Sharing Place Food Centre, said the previous map had been helpful to clients.
“Food insecurity, or affordability, is a growing concern,” Douglas said, adding the map allows people to compare prices to figure out what their best options are.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the updated map is timely.
“As we have less and less income to direct toward food, we have to look at some of the social sourcing, including food banks and community gardens. There is a part of the population that relies on that,” he said. “It was an issue before COVID-19, but this has made it more difficult for people.”
Sustainable Orillia will eventually look at distributing hard copies. An electronic version of the map and directory is now available on the organization’s website. It is also available on Sustainable Orillia's Facebook page.
Douglas and Bourgeois are also working on a separate map and directory that will focus on “existing opportunities to source food from the rural areas surrounding the Orillia city limits, including valuable farm gate sales.”
“Based on rapidly evolving food security concerns and already existing nutritional food awareness, this food source sector is undoubtedly becoming a more substantial part of municipal food security,” Douglas said.
He hopes to have that map ready within a few months.
For more information about Sustainable Orillia, visit its website or email [email protected].