CANORA - Last December, Grain Millers Corporation of Yorkton donated $50,000 to the Canora Composite School Wellness and Sustainability Initiative
Principal Derek Serdachny said CCS is dedicated to providing students with a high-quality education that enhances their holistic well-being while fostering connections to agriculture and sustainability in Saskatchewan.
“Through the CCS Wellness and Sustainability Initiative, we’ve raised over $100,000 in the past four years,” Serdachny said. “These funds have allowed us to establish a 5,750 sq. ft. garden, plant native and fruit-bearing species on school grounds, launch a hydroponics program, integrate vermicomposting into classrooms, and renovate and expand our kitchen to offer new courses and learning opportunities.”
Thanks to the Grain Millers donation, CCS was able to purchase equipment to address food insecurity and limited access to nutritious meals. The plan is to offer breakfast, lunch, and snack programs featuring healthy, locally grown options.
“Students gain valuable hands-on experience through cooking courses, while sustainability is promoted through farm-to-fork learning, incorporating produce from the school garden into meals and snacks,” Serdachny said.
This initiative has earned significant recognition, including two prestigious RCE Saskatchewan awards. The first is the RCE-SK Education for Sustainable Development Recognition Award for the efforts of CCS in tackling food insecurity, promoting environmental stewardship, and supporting mental health. The second is the Lyle Benko Future Generations Award, which honours outstanding contributions to Education for Sustainable Development in the K-12 sector. “With Grain Millers’ support, we are expanding our nutrition and sustainability programs, leaving a lasting impact on both our students and the Canora community.”
After the Grain Millers donation on Dec. 20, 2024, Serdachny said, “Over four years ago, CCS staff created a plan to improve our school kitchen. At the time, we couldn’t safely offer a commercial cooking class or any Practical and Applied Arts (PAA) course in the existing space. Staff worked hard to secure grant funding for the equipment we needed to make our vision a reality.”
With additional support from the School Community Council and the Good Spirit School Division, the project moved forward. Construction of the new commercial kitchen began in February 2024 and was completed by September of the same year. As a result, students were able to enroll in commercial cooking courses for the first time in many years.
“However, equipping a commercial kitchen is expensive,” said Serdachny, “and the donation from Grain Millers will significantly help us enhance our nutrition program. First and foremost, we cannot thank Grain Millers enough for their belief in our school, staff, and students. Their generous donation will be used to purchase essential equipment for our nutrition and hot lunch programs. For instance, we need adequate fridge and freezer space to store produce from our garden and hydroponics program. Additionally, we plan to buy a warm food buffet table, a conveyor toaster, a salad bar, food warmers, and display cases for muffins to make breakfast more efficient and accessible for all students. These items are just a few of the essentials we need to meet the needs of our students.”
Serdachny added that many CCS families face challenges related to rising grocery costs, and some students may not always have access to proper nutrition at home.
“Our goal is to support students and the wider community by creating a nutrition program that provides affordable, nutritious meals while also offering free healthy breakfast and snack options. As the program grows, we look forward to sharing more updates with the community.”
Anyone interested in learning more or contributing to the initiative is encouraged to contact the school.
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