Located off the Queensway at the base of Etobicoke, the 40-acre
Ontario Food Terminal (OFT) is the largest wholesale fruit and produce distribution centre in Canada and the third largest in North American. It's been open all-day-everyday since 1954.
This weekend, for the first time ever, the public is invited inside.
This Saturday, from 11am to 3pm the OFT will host the first-ever
Fresh Fest, opening its doors to nonmembers for a day of food, activities and tours.
This inaugural public event is being thrown in support of
Food Share, a Toronto food-based nonprofit that provides healthy meals for Toronto schools and connects communities to food and food resources.
"I honestly think life in Toronto is better because of the Ontario Food Terminal," says Debbie Field, Food Share's executive director. "It's such a cool idea that there would be a publicly created place that allows stores to buy really fabulous produce. I think we have some of the best food in the world because of it."
Except for what gets shipped directly to major retails like Loblaws, almost all Toronto's produce comes through the OFT. Food Share has been buying from the Terminal for 20 years, and, Field says, she's often thought a public tour would be a great idea.
"People just want to see it and learn how it works. It's really a fascinating place," she says. "When the Ontario Food Terminal board and some of their members came up with this great idea to showcase their work and to support Food Share, I knew we had to go for it."
The admission for Fresh Fest is $5 for children, $10 for adults. Ticket info is available
here.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Debbie Field, Executive Director, Food Share