Located in Thunder Bay, Roots Community Food Centre is the first Community Food Centre in Northern Ontario and the fifth in the province.

Formerly known as Roots to Harvest, the organization was established in 2012 to provide opportunities for youth in Thunder Bay to engage meaningfully in the food system. Since then, the organization has expanded to offer dignified food programs to the broader community, including seniors, Elders, and newcomers to Canada. They focus their work with five pillars: supportive employment, food access, advocacy, education, and ageing.

On site, Roots Community Food Centre has established a vibrant, welcoming, accessible space that includes a large community kitchen, a dining hall to host community meals, and a fully equipped outdoor kitchen. They also run two large urban farms and frequently head off in all directions to meet the community where they’re at. Whether it’s cooking, farming, or shopping at the community market, every program at Roots Community Food Centre is about making people feel welcome and supporting them to learn and share skills.