History of the Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy

2009

The Ontario Collaborative Group on Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (OCGHEPA) identified the need for an Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy

2009-2011

Research for strategy; captured in two reports: Development of an Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy – Background Document and A Collaborative Inter-ministerial Approach to Developing a Food and Nutrition Action Plan for Population Health –Discussion Paper

2011

Creation of a “Design Team” to write a draft strategy and design a consultation process (June 23)
Two rounds of consultation with relevant ministries (agriculture and food, health, education, child and youth) and some provincial food, health and farming groups: stakeholders meetings #1 and #2 (June 23 and November 28)
Bring Food Home workshop (Oct 27)

2012

1st round online open consultation on Sustain Ontario website (April – May) – 233 participants; 126 submissions – across Ontario
The Ontario Public Health Conference (TOPHC) April 4 workshop ~40 participants
Stakeholders meeting #3 (June 18th) ~ 40 representatives – agriculture, food, health, government, non-government organizations, academia
August to Sept – recommendations submitted to OMAF re: Local Food Act and MOHLTC re: Healthy Kids Panel (Childhood Obesity Panel)
Draft strategy and action plan released to stakeholders (December 12)

2013

2nd round online open consultation on Sustain Ontario website (to Feb 2013) – 78 submissions
Inter-ministerial meeting (10 ministries represented): briefing on draft Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy and discussion of ministerial involvement in existing food and nutrition programming and policies (Feb 4)
Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance – Healthy Eating Panel – in person and webinar (March 18)
Public Health Ontario – in person presentation and webinar ~ 90 participants from public health (June 4);
October – November – recommendations to government for Local Food Act (passed Nov, 2013), proposed Menu Labelling Act, and Poverty Reduction Strategy
Revised Draft Strategy and action plan released to stakeholders (Sept 30)
Engagement with First Nations, Métis and Inuit on-reserve (Oct 1- 2, 2013) Thunder Bay/Fort William
Furthering engagement with food industry
Sustain Ontario – Bring Food Home Conference – Windsor (Nov 16-17)
Sustain Ontario Advisory Committee members (~40) strategic planning involving the draft strategy and conference workshop (~ 20 participants) – agriculture, food, health, academia, community members

2014

Public Health Ontario Healthy Children’s conference – poster presentation – collaborative governance and collective impact (January 21 and 22)
Re-engagement of Stakeholders – Nutrition Resource Centre/OPHA webinar (Feb 25)
OPHA conference – Health in all Policies (March 6)
Sustain Ontario teleconference – Municipal, Regional Food Policy workgroup (~20 attending) (May 6)
Sustain Ontario: webinar June 2 (20 participants) & online surveys targeted to those previously engaged in developing the draft strategy and attending face-to-face
FNIM off-reserve key informant interviews
3rd round online open consultation on Sustain Ontario website (May-July) – 33 submissions
Revised Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy and Action Plan Framework released to stakeholders (October)