Events

November 2020

I hope this message finds you healthy and well. October was a fruitful month for the CF. We had our second Presidents Meeting of 2020 on October 17th with over 30 branch presidents and national board members in attendance. We also had our first ever live stream broadcast with Foodiez.Live on October 21st with CF Victoria Branch President and Island Chef Pepper Co. Owner/Operator Vincent Capitano! While there were a few technical challenges, we are working through these and look forward to hosting more broadcasts in the future. Thank you to everyone who tuned in. 

As we near the time of year for membership renewals, we are excited to announce some new developments. To start, the National Board has decided to introduce a standardized membership fee across the country. Up to this point each branch decided their own local dues, alongside a fixed national portion. We believe having a standard fee across the board is a step towards further consistency and transparency within the federation.

Secondly, in addition to the option to pay your full membership fees annually, we can now provide a monthly payment option. We are all well aware of the significant impact the pandemic has had on our industry, and we believe the monthly payment option will offer those most adversely affected a more financially feasible alternative to continuing membership and maximizing member benefits. 

The new National Chef Membership price will be $200 annually, or $20 per month for 12 months (+ a $30 initiation fee for new members). Young Chef Memberships will be $50 annually, or $5 per month for 12 months. When you receive your renewal notice later this month, you will be given the option to choose the plan that works best for you.

Chefs across Canada and the world spent October celebrating International Chefs Day. Due to the pandemic this year, we had to get creative with how to celebrate in our community, within the current gathering restrictions. Under the direction of our Central Region VP and World Chefs Canadian Ambassador for International Chefs Day, Adelina Sisti-deBlasis, we joined together to provide a video series of healthy recipes. We had incredible engagement on this video series with over 13,000 total views and over 37,000 people reached. Thank you to those chefs who went above and beyond to celebrate! To access the full video series you can click here

As we continue to adapt to the unique challenges of COVID-19, the National Board has also decided that, in 2021 we will host 4 Regional Conferences, rather than 1 National Conference. This will allow membership attendance and engagement without considerable travel, smaller numbers to adhere to potential gathering restrictions, as well as the opportunity to highlight local partnerships. The plan is for a conference to be held on the West coast, in the Prairies, in Ontario and on the East coast within the timeline of April to June 2021. We will be announcing exact locations, dates, prices and a virtual component for each regional conference in December, so stay tuned!

In closing, the National Board and Administrative Team continue to do our best to offer tangible value to our membership. We are doing everything we can to make you feel connected, engaged, supported, and valued during this difficult time. Please never hesitate to be in touch. 

Chef Ryan Marquis, National President

president@culinaryfederation.ca