It all began in 1982 in Montreal’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood, where sisters Jacynthe and Sylvie Ouellette started working together to cook affordable, nutritious meals for their families. Their initiative quickly expanded as neighbours joined in, transforming the grassroots effort into a significant movement promoting food security, knowledge sharing, and mutual support. Today, the association has grown to represent 1,288 members across the province, showcasing a collaborative approach to addressing food needs.

For the past 15 years, volunteers in Coaticook, Quebec, have gathered every December to prepare hundreds of Christmas meal kits for their community. This year, the annual event was once again organized by the collective kitchen group at the Centre d’action bénévole in the Eastern Townships. The kitchen offered kits containing a tourtière, chicken pot pie, apple pie, and family-sized soup. Community members could purchase up to five kits for just $10 each, with the condition that they help assemble the pies themselves.

According to Mélanie Lamoureux of the Quebec Collective Kitchens Association (RCCQ), over 1,000 collective kitchen groups meet regularly across the province. Although smaller in scale than Coaticook’s holiday event, these groups share the same mission: combating food insecurity by pooling resources and teaching participants how to prepare nutritious meals.

These groups meet regularly to share the costs of ingredients and work together to prepare meals, providing an important social connection. The organization supports these efforts by offering space and the necessary ingredients for specific recipes.

Participants often express satisfaction with the initiative, appreciating the chance to contribute and connect. For instance, Marc-Étienne Messier helped prepare dough for over 500 pies this year, while Lisette Veillette, who enjoyed last year’s Christmas event, brought her entire family to join Coaticook’s collective kitchen this time. Marjolaine Delisle, a food security agent with Les Tabliers en Folie near Richmond, highlighted the value of collective kitchens for families and individuals. She also pointed out the challenges of organizing such workshops, stressing that regular meetings are essential for participants to learn and grow together.

Source: CBC