MP Wayne Stetski’s Private Member’s Bill C-281, An Act to establish a National Local Food Day, has passed it’s second reading in the House of Commons.
The House voted unanimously at the reading May 30, 2018 for the Bill, which aims to establish the Friday before Thanksgiving each year as National Local Food Day.
“I have heard from Canadians around Kootenay-Columbia and across the country about how important local food is to their families and communities,” said Stetski in a news release. “I am proud that I was able to bring MPs together around local food, and that my bill received unanimous support today.”
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By establishing a National Local Food Day, Stetski hopes to create an opportunity to celebrate local food and recognize the local producers and harvesters, food manufacturers, farmers’ markets and others who work in the industry across the country.
The bill will now be reviewed by the Agriculture Committee before returning to the floor of the House and then the Senate.
In an interview with the Revelstoke Review last month, Stetski spoke about the difficulty of passing a bill as a private member of parliament, though he remained optimistic on Bill C-281.
“(It’s) not that usual to actually get a private member’s bill through the House of Commons, they usually die somewhere along the way. But all the indications so far are very good, and why not?” Stetski explained. “I call this ‘the Bill that’s easy to love,’ because it gives the opportunity for every member of parliament, and every senator ultimately, to celebrate the great initiatives around local food in their ridings—whatever local food is.”
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The first reading for Bill C-281 took place June 1, 2016.
Stetski, who has served as the NDP representative for Kootenay-Columbia since the 2015 election, says he hopes to see continued support of the bill as it moves forward in the legislative process.
“Today it is one step closer to being a reality,” says Stetski. “I encourage everyone to continue supporting their local food producers, manufacturers and retailers, and to share with me what local food means to you and your community.”
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