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Published on November 6, 2025

A cegep, a CPE and a primary school stand out for their original initiatives

Portrait and Story Featured Institution

From September 22 to 28, 2025, the 7th edition of the event Institutions Eat Local! took place, bringing together daycare centres, CPEs, schools, cégeps, universities and health-care institutions around a shared mission: showcasing foods from Quebec. Generous bursaries were up for grabs, and participants competed in creativity and originality to highlight local cuisine. Here are three institutions that particularly stood out this year.

Team favourite award

Each year, the Aliments du Québec team is impressed by the creativity and engagement of participants. This year, the Department of Dietetics Techniques and Foodservice Management at Collège Montmorency in Laval won the Aliments du Québec Team Favourite Award.

“The team successfully mobilized several academic programs, creating a real collective momentum that helped shine a spotlight on local food among students and faculty. Creativity, entrepreneurship, learning and discovery: the perfect recipe for a unifying and standout participation. Congratulations!” - Aliments du Québec's team

Among their initiatives:
- A buffet for 150 guests during CO-SICEP Day;
- A collective kitchen using products from Saveurs de Laval;
- A visit to Jean-Talon Market to better understand local sourcing;
- The sale of products grown at the college and muffins prepared by students through Marché Momo, combining education and responsible marketing;
- An outing to Boisé de la Bourbonnière to identify edible plants and mushrooms.
 

Saveur Laval

“Défi santé planétaire” Award

Équiterre launched the ''Défi santé planétaire'', inviting institutions to complete all four corners of the BINGO card (developed as part of the event), which included the following actions:
- A blind tasting of local products;
- Creating a dessert made with Quebec-grown legumes or vegetables;
- Discovering lesser-known products;
- Preparing homemade dough using local flours.

“Congratulations to the 64 institutions that rose to the challenge with flying colours! Activities more original than the last, and unmatched motivation to promote local foods for young and old alike!”-The Équiterre's team

Équiterre is proud to present its “Défi santé planétaire” Award this year to CPE Les Coccinelles chéries, located in Montreal.

CPE Les Coccinelles chéries stood out through a wide range of initiatives designed to introduce children to local foods:
- Tastings and sensory games featuring seasonal fruits and vegetables;
- Preparing apple crumble and vegetable soup using ingredients selected at Jean-Talon Market;
- Developing a menu of five local meals, including maple-glazed trout and homemade chicken pot pies;
- Discovering new ingredients such as ground cherries and fennel;
- Making black bean brownies to end the activities on a sweet note.
 

Garderie marche Jean Talon

“Défi Grande Croquée” Award

The Quebec Collective for Healthy School Food launched the “Défi Grande Croquée”, inviting young people to harvest fruits and vegetables from a garden or during a pick-your-own outing—an action drawn from the BINGO game. École primaire de l’Étincelle in Chicoutimi (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean) won the challenge.

“At École primaire de l’Étincelle, learning happens with hands in the soil and Quebec foods at the heart of education. Their project perfectly embodies the spirit of the “Défi Grande Croquée”: celebrating healthy eating at school, raising awareness among young people about good food habits, and promoting food education, all while sharing a fun and engaging experience. We are proud to present them with this well-deserved award!”

— The Quebec Collective for Healthy School Food

At École primaire de l’Étincelle, Grade 6 students enjoyed an immersive experience at the Solidar community farm:

Harvesting carrots that were transformed into various dishes and carrot-top pesto;

Learning about the work of producers and food waste reduction practices;

Selling the pesto at the Christmas market to help fund school projects.

These three institutions demonstrate how creativity and commitment can transform the discovery of local foods into meaningful, educational and delicious experiences. Congratulations to all the institutions that took part in this 7th edition and helped showcase foods from here!
 

Enfants dans un champ de carottes