Shop. Cook. Dine. Celebrate. Canadian.

August 3, 2024

Food Day Canada engages and inspires everyone to shop, cook & dine Canadian. It’s a chance for all Canadians to join hands in one massive celebration in praise of our farmers and fishers, our chefs and researchers and, above all, our home cooks. Join in and celebrate Food Day Canada August 3, 2024. 

About Us

Food Day Canada is a grassroots movement that comes to life with thousands of individuals and partners from coast to coast to coast each year. It’s free and inclusive, and meant for all who believe in the vision to engage and inspire everyone to shop, cook & dine Canadian.

Food Day Canada was originally created as the World’s Longest Barbecue, by Anita Stewart, her family and a number of pioneering supporters, in an effort to show support for Canada’s beef farmers and ranchers during BSE. The mission to actively promote the growth and study of our distinctively Canadian food culture is evident in the media, social media and event presence that helps elevate the conversations around #FoodDayCanada.

A group of chefs at an event for Food Day Canada.

About Us

Our Values 

These values help shape Food Day Canada’s content and engagement.
  • Canadian ingredients
    Celebrating all things Canadian and ‘local’ - ingredients, food and beverages.
  • Canadians
    Celebrating and recognizing those who feed and nourish our nation.
  • Research & Education
    Support the research and education related to Canada’s food, agriculture and culture.
  • Environment
    Respect for the environment built on principles of sustainability – with a focus on food waste, responsible resource consumption and communities.
  • Food security
    Elevate thinking on food sovereignty and food security, with focus on increased access to wholesome nutrition Canadian foods.
  • Diversity, equality and inclusion
    Reflecting traditions, history and the evolving nature of our foods and cultures with an open approach for all.  

Meet The Team

Food Day Canada is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to raise awareness of Canada's diverse ingredients, rich supply chain and storied agri-food history, through celebration. With our sincere thanks to our many volunteers and partners who work tirelessly to bring Food Day Canada to life in person and online.

Jeff Stewart

Jeff Stewart

Board Member

Influenced heavily by his mother and grandmother, Jeff started his career in kitchens in small town Canada. Valuing education, the importance of local food and community, he is a Red Seal certified chef and sommelier; holds a B.Comm in Hospitality and an M.B.A. His career in culinary & hospitality education has brought him throughout North America to South America, Europe and the Middle East. Jeff currently resides in Waterloo County surrounded by rolling farms and forests. When not teaching, researching, writing, or in the kitchen, he volunteers with various organizations including Food Day Canada. 

Mark Stewart

Mark Stewart

Board Member

With 30 years of professional field experience, Mark is respected by his peers as one of Canada’s top Salmon Fishing Guides. He is also a chef at the Campbell River General Hospital and long term care facility. Mark possesses considerable experience in the harvest and culinary preparation of wild game, pacific seafood and countless species of fish. He also has a deep passion and some expertise in Japanese culinary preparation, inspired by his wife and daughter’s Japanese-Canadian heritage. “I believe that world-class food isn’t as much about the chef, so much as it is about ingredients. I’m lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, in a region that provides natural delicacies, pretty much year round.”

Paul Stewart

Board Member

Paul is the Head Chef of the Victoria Cool Aid Society whose culinary career was inspired by his late Mother Anita, who was a cookbook author, culinary activist, and recipient of the Order of Canada. A graduate of the Stratford Chefs School and armed with over twenty years of culinary experience and his Red Seal certification, Paul and his team prepare, deliver and serve nearly 1000 meals a day to members of Victoria’s most vulnerable populations. His career has taken him to remote gulf islands in BC, a fly-in fishing lodge in Northern Ontario, a boutique hotel near Parliament hill in Ottawa and now into Social Services and Healthcare on Vancouver Island. Paul’s food philosophy has always been “fresh, local and seasonal” with an emphasis on working with local farms and producers. Paul is also an advocate for food rescue, reducing food waste and the long term sustainability of our food supply chain. He is grateful to live on Vancouver Island with his three sons and to be part of the diverse and bountiful food, beverage, and farming community that this area has to offer, along with its growth and preservation.

Crystal Mackay, Food Day Canada Coordinator and CEO of Loft32.

Crystal Mackay

Food Day Canada Coordinator, CEO Loft32

Crystal Mackay is a proven leader in connecting Canadians with farmers and food system partners.  She is a pioneer in earning trust in food and farming in Canada with many proactive, award-winning results.  Crystal served as the founding CEO of Farm & Food Care, the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, and her own communications company, Loft32.  She has delivered over 1000 presentations and 500 media interviews about food and farming to audiences around the world. Crystal first met Food Day Canada Founder Anita Stewart when she was a student at the University of Guelph. She became a friend and believer in the vision and need for Food Day Canada.  Crystal is proud of her farm girl roots in the Ottawa Valley and enjoys playing hockey whenever she gets a chance.

Len Kahn

Len Kahn, BSc. MSc. Agr

Founder at Kahntact

From a solid start on his family’s dairy farm and cattle export operation, Len took his passion for farming to the business world. Moving quickly from a valued employee for agri-business, Len found a home in agriculture advertising. In 1994, he started his own firm, Kahntact Marketing, which grew to become Canada’s third largest ag-focused marketing communications agency. In 2002 Len merged that company with AdFarm, one of North America’s leading agricultural communication firms.  In 2007, Len brought Kahntact back to the agricultural marketplace where he worked at a strategic level and developed brand strategies for many leading agri-businesses.  In 2017,Kahntact was acquired by international marketing specialists RR46 for true North American coverage. He has been active in the autism community in Guelph and has served on the Boards of Directors for the Canadian 4-H Foundation, the Guelph Food Technology Centre and Hopewell Children’s Homes, and is a past member of the Downtown Guelph Advisory Committee. 

Dr. Tyler Whale

President, Canadian Agtech Solutions Inc. 

Dr. Whale is an entrepreneur and subject-matter expert inagri-food. He holds a Ph.D. in Immunology at the Veterinary and Infectious Disease Organization. His involvement in the agri-food sector includes being a business development lead at Saskatoon Colostrum Company, the Industry Liaison at the University of Guelph, and the President of Ontario Agri-food Technologies (OAFT). Tyler has worked closely with many ag-innovation companies that have contributed to more than $1B in economic impact, hundreds of jobs, and sales initiated in over 40 countries of new Canadian technologies.  He advises on several boards and with private companies, all with the lens of better coordination and collaboration.Dr. Whale is passionate about innovation and developing collaborative relationships.

Daniel Atlin

Daniel Atlin

Vice president, (external) University of Guelph

Daniel Atlin joined the University of Guelph in 2015 as Vice President (External) - responsible for corporate, government and community relations, university advancement, and communications and marketing.   Previously, he was Vice-President, Strategy and College Affairs, at Seneca College, Canada’s largest community college, and prior to that served as Assistant Vice-President of Government, Institutional and Community Relations, at the University of Toronto.  

Julie Van Rosendaal

Julie Van Rosendaal

Author, Food Journalist

Julie Van Rosendaal is the Calgary-based author of twelve best-selling cookbooks. She has been the food columnist on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC Radio One for over 16 years, she’s a food journalist, writing primarily for the Globe and Mail, but also for other publications across Canada. Julie teaches, speaks and cooks at culinary schools and events across the country, and has a very engaged audience on her social media channels and website, Dinner with Julie. Julie is a great asset on the Food Day Canada social media team.

Jeff Stewart

Jeff Stewart

Board Member

Influenced heavily by his mother and grandmother, Jeff started his career in kitchens in small town Canada. Valuing education, the importance of local food and community, he is a Red Seal certified chef and sommelier; holds a B.Comm in Hospitality and an M.B.A. His career in culinary & hospitality education has brought him throughout North America to South America, Europe and the Middle East. Jeff currently resides in Waterloo County surrounded by rolling farms and forests. When not teaching, researching, writing, or in the kitchen, he volunteers with various organizations including Food Day Canada. 

Mark Stewart

Mark Stewart

Board Member

With 30 years of professional field experience, Mark is respected by his peers as one of Canada’s top Salmon Fishing Guides. He is also a chef at the Campbell River General Hospital and long term care facility. Mark possesses considerable experience in the harvest and culinary preparation of wild game, pacific seafood and countless species of fish. He also has a deep passion and some expertise in Japanese culinary preparation, inspired by his wife and daughter’s Japanese-Canadian heritage. “I believe that world-class food isn’t as much about the chef, so much as it is about ingredients. I’m lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, in a region that provides natural delicacies, pretty much year round.”

Paul Stewart

Board Member

Paul is the Head Chef of the Victoria Cool Aid Society whose culinary career was inspired by his late Mother Anita, who was a cookbook author, culinary activist, and recipient of the Order of Canada. A graduate of the Stratford Chefs School and armed with over twenty years of culinary experience and his Red Seal certification, Paul and his team prepare, deliver and serve nearly 1000 meals a day to members of Victoria’s most vulnerable populations. His career has taken him to remote gulf islands in BC, a fly-in fishing lodge in Northern Ontario, a boutique hotel near Parliament hill in Ottawa and now into Social Services and Healthcare on Vancouver Island. Paul’s food philosophy has always been “fresh, local and seasonal” with an emphasis on working with local farms and producers. Paul is also an advocate for food rescue, reducing food waste and the long term sustainability of our food supply chain. He is grateful to live on Vancouver Island with his three sons and to be part of the diverse and bountiful food, beverage, and farming community that this area has to offer, along with its growth and preservation.

Crystal Mackay, Food Day Canada Coordinator and CEO of Loft32.

Crystal Mackay

Food Day Canada Coordinator, CEO Loft32

Crystal Mackay is a proven leader in connecting Canadians with farmers and food system partners.  She is a pioneer in earning trust in food and farming in Canada with many proactive, award-winning results.  Crystal served as the founding CEO of Farm & Food Care, the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, and her own communications company, Loft32.  She has delivered over 1000 presentations and 500 media interviews about food and farming to audiences around the world. Crystal first met Food Day Canada Founder Anita Stewart when she was a student at the University of Guelph. She became a friend and believer in the vision and need for Food Day Canada.  Crystal is proud of her farm girl roots in the Ottawa Valley and enjoys playing hockey whenever she gets a chance.

Len Kahn

Len Kahn, BSc. MSc. Agr

Founder at Kahntact

From a solid start on his family’s dairy farm and cattle export operation, Len took his passion for farming to the business world. Moving quickly from a valued employee for agri-business, Len found a home in agriculture advertising. In 1994, he started his own firm, Kahntact Marketing, which grew to become Canada’s third largest ag-focused marketing communications agency. In 2002 Len merged that company with AdFarm, one of North America’s leading agricultural communication firms.  In 2007, Len brought Kahntact back to the agricultural marketplace where he worked at a strategic level and developed brand strategies for many leading agri-businesses.  In 2017,Kahntact was acquired by international marketing specialists RR46 for true North American coverage. He has been active in the autism community in Guelph and has served on the Boards of Directors for the Canadian 4-H Foundation, the Guelph Food Technology Centre and Hopewell Children’s Homes, and is a past member of the Downtown Guelph Advisory Committee. 

Dr. Tyler Whale

President, Canadian Agtech Solutions Inc. 

Dr. Whale is an entrepreneur and subject-matter expert inagri-food. He holds a Ph.D. in Immunology at the Veterinary and Infectious Disease Organization. His involvement in the agri-food sector includes being a business development lead at Saskatoon Colostrum Company, the Industry Liaison at the University of Guelph, and the President of Ontario Agri-food Technologies (OAFT). Tyler has worked closely with many ag-innovation companies that have contributed to more than $1B in economic impact, hundreds of jobs, and sales initiated in over 40 countries of new Canadian technologies.  He advises on several boards and with private companies, all with the lens of better coordination and collaboration.Dr. Whale is passionate about innovation and developing collaborative relationships.

Daniel Atlin

Daniel Atlin

Vice president, (external) University of Guelph

Daniel Atlin joined the University of Guelph in 2015 as Vice President (External) - responsible for corporate, government and community relations, university advancement, and communications and marketing.   Previously, he was Vice-President, Strategy and College Affairs, at Seneca College, Canada’s largest community college, and prior to that served as Assistant Vice-President of Government, Institutional and Community Relations, at the University of Toronto.  

Julie Van Rosendaal

Julie Van Rosendaal

Author, Food Journalist

Julie Van Rosendaal is the Calgary-based author of twelve best-selling cookbooks. She has been the food columnist on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC Radio One for over 16 years, she’s a food journalist, writing primarily for the Globe and Mail, but also for other publications across Canada. Julie teaches, speaks and cooks at culinary schools and events across the country, and has a very engaged audience on her social media channels and website, Dinner with Julie. Julie is a great asset on the Food Day Canada social media team.

Remembering Anita Stewart

As an activist and disrupter, Anita Stewart never believed life to be a dress rehearsal and we had better get busy.  Her mantra? “Canada IS food and the world is richer for it.”

Anita Stewart

Remembering Anita Stewart

Contact Us

Food Day Canada is a grassroots movement, always better together with your ideas and input. We would love to hear from you.