Welcome
Thunder Bay & Area Food Strategy needs your participation in the survey (link below) to gather ideas from Thunder Bay residents and surrounding municipalities on developing a Northwestern Ontario Regional Food Charter.

Please take 15 minutes of your time to help us better understand what is important to you in building a Regional Food Charter that can provide the vision and direction towards ensuring a vibrant and resilient local food system that respects culturally appropriate foods and enhances communities, local economies and the environment.

Researchers at Lakehead University are working with Cloverbelt Local Food Co-op and their community partners including the Thunder Bay & Area Food Strategy to ensure we have broad participation in viewpoints on a Northwestern Ontario Regional Food Charter. We invite your participation along with ALL residents of Northwestern Ontario. Please share the link to this survey with others.

Responses to this survey are confidential. The name of your community will be made public in the study, but specific comments will not be connected to you when the data is summarized. There are no anticipated risks from filling out the survey, but lots of potential benefits in you adding your voice to the content of a Regional Food Charter. As you fill out this survey, keep in mind that you do not have to answer any question you are uncomfortable with and you are free to withdraw from the survey at any time.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ashley Boudreau at aboudrea@lakeheadu.ca.

You may also contact my co-research supervisors Dr. Connie Nelson at cnelson@lakeheadu.ca or by phone at (807) 627-1721 and Dr. Charles Levkoe at clevkoe@lakeheadu.ca or by phone at (807) 346-7954.
 
This research has been approved by the Lakehead University Research Ethics Board.  If you have any questions related to the ethics of the research and would like to speak to someone outside of the research team, please contact Sue Wright at the Research Ethics Board at 343-8283 or swright@lakeheadu.ca.

Thank you in advance for ensuring all residents of Northwestern Ontario have a chance to share their viewpoints on the content of a Regional Food Charter.

Click here to proceed Regionalfoodcharter or cut and paste the following address into your web browser: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/ r/Regionalfoodcharter

* 1. Are you currently buying food from local producers or processors?

* 2. If yes, how are you currently accessing local regional food.  CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

* 3. If you already have a CLFC hub in your community, where else do you think CLFC hubs might be appropriate? (Name communities).

* 4. Where do you purchase your household food?

* 5. For PRODUCTION, a Regional Food Charter should place emphasis in the following areas.

  Very important  Somewhat important  Neutral  Somewhat Not important  Not important 
Endorsement of land development that protects existing farmland.
Recruitment of new farmers to Northwestern Ontario
Open up selective crownland for local food production
Enhance access to commercial fishing licenses on inland fresh water lakes for regional food security
Support policy to provide more seasonal variability in inland fresh water lakes for regional food security.
Encourage a policy to allow public sector organizations to access wild meats
Enhance access to harvesting areas for edible wild foods (blueberries, mushrooms, ect) 
Support the development of an agriculture training program suitable to sustaining farming and harvesting relevant to northern boreal practices
Supporting innovation in vibrant crop varieties with awareness of climate adaptation.
Respect for diversity of approaches to enhancing local food
Explore the viability of fish farms in the region
Explore the potential for new innovative products utilizing regional research station trials when available

* 6. For PROCESSING, which of the following do you feel are important areas for the Regional Food Charter to emphasize. 

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Neutral  Somewhat not important  Not important 
Support programs that encourage value added local foods with ingredients sourced within the region.
Encourage local restaurants to include locally sourced foods on their menus.

Encourage food tourism in the region.
Encouragement for entrepreneurs in food processing.
Abattoirs for both meat birds and cattle, elk, lamb etc.

* 7. For EDUCATION, which do you feel are important areas for the Regional Food Charter to emphasize. 

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Neutral  Somewhat not important  Not important 
Encourage programs that enhance consumer knowledge about sourcing local food
Encourage programs that enhance knowledge in backyard gardening
Encourage programs that enhance knowledge for participation in community gardens
Support meal preparation programs with local regional food.
Support programs for local food preserving (freezer, drying and canning)
Support programs on traditional teachings such as foraging, hunting, preserving and cooking.
Support programs that promote foraging for edible wild foods
Support activities that enhance knowledge about a diversity of edible fish species in Northwestern Ontario
Support activities that enhance consumer knowledge about seasonal fishing including ice fishing
Support activities to enhance knowledge about regional hunting
Support programs that enhance knowledge for raising backyard and small-scale chicken flocks
Support programs that enhance knowledge for raising small-scale livestock (cows, sheep, rabbits, pigs and goats)
Support programs that enhance knowledge for raising bees for food
Support programs that enhance knowledge of habitat needs of native bees for food pollination
Support programs for growing fruit trees
Support programs to enhance knowledge of food safety regulations
Support programs to enhance knowledge of food labeling regulations
For each of the statements below about education, where do you think the emphasis should be placed?

* 8. Encourage programs that enhance consumer knowledge about sourcing local food. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER

* 9. Where should programs that enhance knowledge in backyard gardening be offered. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 10. Where should programs that enhance knowledge for participation in community gardens be offered. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 11. Where should programs for local food preserving (freezer, drying and canning) occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 12. Where should activities that promote foraging for wild foods (blueberries, mushrooms and medicines) occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 13. Where should activities that promote traditional teachings such as foraging, hunting, preserving and cooking occur? SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 14. Where should activities that enhance knowledge about a diversity of edible fish species in Northwestern Ontario occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 15. Where should activities that enhance consumer knowledge about seasonal fishing including ice fishing occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER

* 16. Where should programs to enhance knowledge of food safety regulations occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 17. Where should activities to enhance knowledge about regional hunting occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 18. Where should programs that enhance knowledge for raising backyard and small-scale chicken flocks occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER

* 19. Where should programs that enhance knowledge for raising small-scale livestock (cows, sheep, rabbits, pigs and goats) take place. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 20. Where should programs that enhance knowledge for raising bees for food occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 21. Where should programs that enhance knowledge of habitat needs of native bees for food pollination occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 22. Where should programs to enhance knowledge of food labeling regulations occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER.

* 23. Where should programs for growing fruit trees occur. SELECT THE ONE BEST ANSWER

* 24. For DISTRIBUTION, which do you feel are important areas for the Regional Food Charter to emphasize.

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Neutral  Somewhat not important Not important 
Encourage regional food distribution that utilizes back-hauling among communities
Encourage use of regional transport companies

* 25. For INFRASTRUCTURE, which do you feel are important areas for the Regional Food Charter to emphasize. 

  Very Important  Somewhat important Neutral  Somewhat not important  Not important 
Recognition of the vital role of abattoirs to the sustainability of a regional local food system
Maintain a Cloverbelt Local Food Co-ops GIS map of local food initiatives including producers, processors, local restaurants
Development of a grain seed and feed co-op to serve regional producers with livestock and poultry.
Egg packing hubs for grading
Storage hubs to extend use of local produce and fruits
CLFC provides opportunities for farmers to support each other rather than ‘going alone’

* 26. For POLICY INNOVATIONS, which do you feel are important areas for the Regional Food Charter to emphasize. 

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Neutral  Somewhat not important  Not important  UNSURE 
Food safety programs which maintain food safety and traceability standards while respecting small scale production and restraints of small operations.
Supporting Quota systems which continue to preserve supply chain management while providing opportunities for small and niche market production
Supporting development of egg sale policy more appropriate for small scale production
Supporting development of a policy that encourages local processing of dairy products including ice cream, yogurt, cheese and butter
Supporting policy which provides clear direction for the consumption of waste meats (ie road kill)
Supporting revisions of the wild rice policies in Ontario to provide new opportunities for Northwestern Ontario
Rehabilitation of industrial brown fields deemed unsuitable for food production
Land protection designations for blueberry foraging that allows for controlled burns
Encouragement of alternative forest management plans that encourage brush cutting over glysophate spraying
A regional charity number to provide tax credits for those supporting regional local food initiatives including but not limited to tax incentives for transport companies giving discounted rates for local food hauls in Northwestern Ontario
Exemption for a federal inspection for food moving from Manitoba to Northwestern Ontario

* 27. For ACCESSIBILITY, which do you feel are important areas for the Regional Food Charter to emphasize.

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Neutral  Somewhat not important  Not important 
Support a diversity of local food options that address a variety of health needs such as gluten free and low sugar content
Support a diversity of culturally appropriate food choices
Support special nutrition programs for residents struggling with cost of local food.
Support for greenhouse expansion throughout the region to extend growing season
Support for reducing food deserts.
Support for affordable transportation to farmers’ markets, CLFC hubs and grocery stores.

* 28. For NETWORKING, which do you feel are important areas for the Regional Food Charter to emphasize.

  Very important  Somewhat important  Neutral  Somewhat not important  Not important 
More collaboration among all health care programs in the utilization of local foods
Encourage service organizations to place greater emphasis on the promotion of the local food 
Encouraging a more joined up regional food system through collaboration among various ministry programs
Encourage a celebration of local regional food through community harvest festivals, blueberry picking festivals, garden tours, Chef programs etc.

* 29. What is your primary mode of transportation to purchase food?

* 30. What gender do you best identify with?

* 31. What is your home postal code?

* 32. Age (years old)

* 33. What district to you reside in?

Thank you for your contribution!!

T