Bio:

PETER HILL has 4 years of experience at Fireweed Food Co-op. Fireweed is a nonprofit multi-stakeholder co-operative comprising of producer and supporter members in Manitoba. Fireweed’s operations include organizing and operating a farmers’ market as well as its Food Hub. Through the Food Hub, the Co-op consolidates sales, marketing, and distribution for its producer-members. The Food Hub’s buyers include school nutrition programs as well as restaurants, community organizations, and households. Peter is drawn to the collaborative aspects of the co-op as well as the co-operative model as an alternative economic approach that can address the challenges of our food system.

ERIC LAROCQUE is the School Food Coordinator for Rocky Mountain School District No. 6, serving 17 schools in the communities of Golden, Invermere, and Kimberley, British Columbia. With over 26 years of experience in food systems, Eric began his career working in a butcher shop in Markham, Ontario. He later served as an Events Manager in Vancouver, specializing in high-end catering services, including managing food service for TED Talks. Following his time in Vancouver, Eric established his own bakery in Golden, British Columbia. In 2021, he transitioned into food security, taking on the role of Food Security Manager at the Golden Food Bank. In 2024, Rocky Mountain School District announced the position of School Food Coordinator for the Feeding Futures program, and Eric enthusiastically applied and was appointed to the role. He is deeply passionate about food, food systems, and food security, and brings that dedication to his work with the Rocky Mountain School District.

BRADY WEILER brings over forty years of Foodservice and Hospitality experience accompanied by a unique skillset. He opened The Pipestone Food Co. at the age of 31 with confidence in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. This operated for seventeen years as a fine dining restaurant, Irish pub and Caterer, providing food service in downtown Wetaskiwin, the provincial museum, and five seasons of foodservice at the local golf and country club. 

In 2017  Brady accepted a position with a local meat grower and processor which added to his skillset even more. Brady graciously accepted an offer in 2019 for a position with Nanâtohk Mîciwin and today he is the Director of this amazing program providing nutrient dense meals to over 2300 students in ten schools across the four nations of Maskwacis.

DOMINIQUE LACROIX

With degrees in environmental studies and communication as well as in organic vegetable horticulture, Dominique has dedicated nearly 20 years to collective projects aimed at shaping food production, marketing, and food procurement. In recent years, she has worked to facilitate local and sustainable institutional food procurement. First with Équiterre, by establishing the Commun’assiette community of practice. And now as part of the Aliments du Québec au menu program. Supporting, equipping, and bringing together stakeholders in the sector to reflect on and establish the conditions conducive to the development of a sustainable and resilient food system is at the heart of her motivation.

LYNE ROYER

With a bachelor’s degree in communication and politics, Lyne has been working at Équiterre since 2009. She has been actively involved with the fundraising team, involved in conferences, and the organization of major fundraising events, including eco-friendly sporting events and networking receptions that, under her leadership, have highlighted organic and local foods. Since 2020, she has been applying her professionalism, rigor, quick wit, and skills in communication and partner engagement as a project manager on the Food team. She coordinated the launch of Commun’assiette: three communities of practice that currently have nearly 100 members, and the development of a web portal to facilitate sustainable institutional procurement.

This session will be facilitated by:

AMBERLEY T. RUETZ, PHD, is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Principal Research Scientist at Farm to Cafeteria Canada, and co-editor of School Food Programs in Canada: Models for Success. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Guelph and has over a decade of experience researching school food programs and related food policy, program implementation, and regional food systems across Canada. Through Ruetz Consulting, she has advised federal and provincial governments on school food programming, including providing pre–National School Food Program baseline data and systems insights to Employment and Social Development Canada supporting the signing of Canada’s National School Food Program agreements.

PAULINE CRIPPS is the Community Food Lead at the Arrell Food Institute. Her role aims to draw connections and facilitate collaborations between systems level thinking and community rooted actions in addressing food system resilience, with a specific focus on the importance of food security for all. She comes to AFI with extensive experience working in emergency food service provision and hunger relief from her time in food banking. Having had opportunities to connect with other food bankers and affiliates across the country in her previous role, she brings a wealth of practical experience in delivering food access programming, as well as a deep understanding of the food insecurity issues challenging local communities both regionally and beyond.