International Women’s Week 2012 packs a solid line-up

The Department of Gender Equality and Social Justice is celebrating International Women’s Week 2012 with a week-long series of events. Organized around the theme “Unpacking Groceries: Understanding Local and Global Food Movements,” the annual lecture -- “Cultivating Creativity: Women and food, art and community” -- will be given by Dr. Deborah Barndt from York University on Monday, March 5 at 7:00 pm in the Nipissing Theatre. Her talk will explore women’s roles in community arts and food movements, locally and globally.The following day, there is a field trip to Piebird Bed and Breakfast Farmstay in Nipissing Village (see video left) to introduce students to Sherry Milford and Yan Roberts, a young couple who bought a Victorian home on Chapman’s Landing and now run a bed and breakfast, offer farmstay opportunities, cultivate a large garden from which they prepare homegrown vegetarian meals to their guests, offer canning and breadmaking workshops, host day long community picnics and evening concerts, and more.
On Wednesday, the Nipissing University Women’s Centre and Pride on Campus are hosting “Savoury Solutions For Eating Ethically: A Drop-in and Discussion” for anyone interested in contemplating what it means to eat ethically, especially on a budget. Through the “Ethical Eats Video Challenge,” the Nipissing University Peace Research Initiative invites Northern residents to make a short video about eating ethically on a budget. Create the most globally conscious meal for under $10 and win delicious, local, organic prizes. If you look at the videos online (see video left) you will see that this is really a challenge, but one that people are having fun with. Deadline for submissions is Friday, March 2.
Finally, on Thursday, there will be an on-campus screening of the French documentary “Good food, Bad food.” All events are free and everyone is welcome to attend.
“We came to this year’s theme through our students who are very interested in food politics, but also because we are all very interested in buying locally,” explained Dr. Wendy Peters, an assistant professor in Gender Equality and Social Justice. “When I moved to North Bay from Toronto, I started buying my groceries from Dave and Chantal Lewington who run Dalew Farms in Lavigne. By buying straight from the farmers I learned that brussel sprouts grow on a stalk and that there are still people in Canada who accept personal cheques, I loved it.”
From chef Brian Suke’s local and seasonal cooking through Succhinis, to the annual summer farmer’s market, and the Multicultural Centre’s “cooking club”, the Women’s Week events tap into local food movements already happening in the community.
Wendy Peters explained, “We started thinking about a theme for this year’s International Women’s Week and when we looked around the community we saw the Fair Trade Breakfast at Chancellor’s House on March 3, WUSC’s International Food Fest on March 11, and an upcoming Greening Nipissing free screening of ‘The Garden’ at the downtown library on March 15. We figured that this is an issue on the minds of many of us in the community and we hope to add to a community-wide conversation that is already well underway.”
Also important to note is International Women’s Week in North Bay which kicks off on Saturday, March 3 with Amelia Rising’s annual showcase of local women’s talents at “EVE-olution: Connecting Women, Inspiring Futures” at Algonquin High School. The cost is $5 or a donation of a non-perishable food item.Saturday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.EVE-olution
presented by Amelia Rising
$5 admission or non-perishable food donation
Perron Theatre, Algonquin High School
555 Algonquin Ave.Monday, March 5, 7:00p.m.Annual Gender Equality Lecture Series
"Cultivating Creativity: Women and Food, Art and Community"
Dr. Deborah Barndt
Environmental Studies, York University
Nipissing Theatre (F213)Tuesday, March 6, 10:00a.m. -1:00p.m.Field trip to Piebird B&B Farmstay, Nipissing
www.piebird.ca
Limited space, emailwendyp@nipissingu.caWednesday, March 7, 1:00-5:00p.m.Savoury Solutions For Eating Ethically: A Drop-in and Discussion
presented by the Women's Centre and Pride on Campus
H131Thursday, March 8, 12:30-3:20p.m.Documentary screening: Good food, Bad food
H104Saturday, March 11, 12-2 pmInternational Food Festpresented by International Initiatives and WUSC
$10 admission
The Wall Bar and Grillhouse, Nipissing UniversityNow until March 2, 2012 at midnightEthical Eats Challenge
Nipissing University Peace Research Initiative and GESJ invite you to make a short video about eating ethically on a budget. Create the most globally conscious meal for under $10 and win delicious, local, organic prizes. http://www.youtube.com/ebwcchallenge
Questions? Contactlieannk@nipissingu.caALL WELCOMEALL EVENTS ARE FREE unless otherwise stated
Contactamarw@nipissingu.ca orwendyp@nipissingu.ca with enquiries