First-ever festival brings maple treats to Georgian College
Event Management Students at Georgian College organized its first-ever Sweet Maple Festival as a class assignment.
The College welcomed hundreds of community members to the day-long event, with the goal of raising thousands of dollars and a dozen barrels worth of food donations for the Barrie Food Bank and Georgian College Food Locker.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
"I think as students, we all have had experience with people we know requiring some sort of assistance," said Rachel Sedore, an Event Management student and one of the co-organizers. "So we really wanted to give back that way."
The support comes at a critical time for the Barrie Food Bank, which already went through many of its donations from Easter.
"We're heading into our dry season where the food donations don't keep pace with the demand," said Karen Shuh, the Barrie Food Bank's fundraising manager. "This is very important for us to be able to restock the shelves for the summer season."
The Sweet Maple Festival began with a pancake breakfast in the E-building. The savoury crepes were topped with maple syrup that was tapped on campus by students, and they were served by College CEO Kevin Weaver, MP Doug Shipley, and members of the Barrie Police Service.
"More and More people are using the food bank," said Shipley. "We need to support them, which in turn supports our members of our community as much as we can."
Shipley and Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston were delighted to put smiles on so many faces.
"This is a small way of helping those who aren't as fortunate," stated Johnston. "We all play a small part."
The festival also featured a local vendor market in the N-Building. Over 35 local vendors showcased their handmade art and offered homemade sweets and treats.
"It really shows what the college is all about," said Eve-Ann Rolfe, a Georgian College student and one of the art vendors. "It broadcasts our values and what we want to uphold as we learn here."
The Sweet Maple Festival is Georgian College's last major community event of the semester. Students and staff are hoping to make it an annual event in the future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6971940.1721563747!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Secret Service chief noted a 'zero fail mission.' After Trump rally, she's facing calls to resign
When Kimberly Cheatle led the Secret Service's operations to safeguard the American president and other dignitaries, she said she would talk to agents in training about the 'awesome responsibility' of their job.
Workplace habit of 'coffee badging' prompts reported new policy at Amazon
The term 'coffee badging' has gained some new significance this week with multiple outlets reporting Amazon is allegedly taking measures to counter the workplace trend it refers to.
NEW THIS MORNING How to protect yourself from West Nile virus
It's been a hot, humid and wet summer so far in Ottawa, making it the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and elevating the risk of West Nile virus.
Hazmat response to north London, Ont. apartment complex
Circumstances around a deceased individual in an apartment raise concerns for first responders.
Russia says it scrambled fighter jets to intercept U.S. bomber planes over Barents Sea
Russia said Sunday it scrambled fighter jets to intercept two U.S. military long-range bomber aircraft that approached the Russian border over the Barents Sea in the Arctic.
'I took a bullet for democracy': Trump holds first rally after assassination attempt
Donald Trump is holding his first campaign rally since he survived an attempted assassination, returning to the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate.
Canadian musicians struggle to get visas to perform in the U.S., some cancel shows
Backlogs and processing delays of temporary U.S. visas required by entertainers, athletes and artists has forced some Canadian bands to cancel U.S. tour dates because paperwork wasn't processed in time.
Even if your kids roll their eyes, keep making jokes, research says
Researchers surveyed about 300 people about their experiences being raised with or without humour and their views on their childhood, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.
'I live a good, clean life': Socialite veteran 'just keeps going' ahead of 100th birthday
Thomas Archibald Franklin reflects on being 100 years young ahead of milestone birthday on Tuesday, bringing family and community together