Port Alberni and Surrey will be home to B.C.’s newest regional food hubs, which help farms and food processing businesses innovate and grow, create jobs and strengthen local economies.
Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture, announced up to $1.5 million for the two new facilities at Commissary Connect, the province’s first food hub based on Laurel Street in Vancouver. A second food hub is being developed in Quesnel, which will be accessible to farmers and processors throughout the Cariboo.
“B.C.’s agriculture sector is strong, growing and diversified, and these two new food hubs will help small processors get started and existing businesses expand their product lines and develop new markets,” Popham said. “This investment will grow the local economies, create jobs and provide more business opportunities for farmers, fishers and processors, as well as support food safety and security in B.C.”
A food hub is a centralized shared-use food and beverage processing facility that provides business owners with affordable access to production facilities, specialized equipment, new technology, research and development, expertise and services. The hubs will bring more opportunities for farmers, ranchers and wild harvesters to increase revenue by adding value to their products.
The Port Alberni Full-Scale Food Processing and Innovation Hub will be operated by the Port Alberni Port Authority and primarily serve seafood processors. The Plenty & Grace Full-Scale Food Processing and Innovation Hub in Surrey will primarily serve plant-based food processors.
Both hubs will help clients research and develop innovative products; grow their businesses and support the local economy, community and farmers; as well as create local jobs for Indigenous peoples and others under-represented in the work force. The hub operators were selected through a competitive request for proposals.
“This region is rich with opportunities to grow the local food processing sector, and this new food hub will help businesses increase product value and revenues, expand production and employ more people in the community,” said Scott Fraser, MLA for Mid-Island Pacific Rim. “I want to congratulate the local businesses, Indigenous communities, North Island College, Port Alberni Port Authority, City of Port Alberni and all the partners that came together to make this project a reality.”
The new facilities will also help build and connect future regional food hubs in other communities to create the B.C. Food Hub Network, which will support continued growth and innovation in B.C.’s processing sector. The network will also help grow the packaging and marketing of B.C. food products and expand the production of B.C. food for local consumption and export to world markets.
The food hubs are part of the Province’s Feed BC initiative, which is increasing the use of local food in all aspects of the food supply chain: farmers and food producers, processors, distributors and public facilities where food is prepared and served. Feed BC is a key priority for the Ministry of Agriculture, which is committed to encouraging more food and beverage processing in B.C.