About the West End Food Co-op Cannery

The West End Food Co-op Community Cannery is a project to build preserving expertise in the Parkdale neighbourhood, developing people's skills and enthusiasm about various kinds of food preservation from drying and fermenting to hot water bath and pressure canning. The first stage of the programme, The Parkdale Community Cannery, was a pilot project in partnership with the Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre which ran from May to December of 2010. This phase of the project, funded by Co-operative Development Foundation Robert Owen-Henri Lasserre Fund, involved job training for PARC members, preserving workshops for the Parkdale community, and a higher volume season-long “Community Supported Orchard” project working with WEFC producer-members.


Photo by Robin Newman

Community workshops are continuing throughout 2011 (see “upcoming events”) and another Community Supported Orchard (CSO) season is planned for the 2011 growing season. The Parkdale Neighbourhood Church has been generously providing space for our workshops and we look forward to continuing to work with them. As plans for the WEFC store and eventual store kitchen develop we will have a clearer idea of the range of programming that will be available through the summer and fall of 2011. Stay in touch by checking this website regularly, signing up for the WEFC newsletter, joining our facebook group, or following us on Twitter!