METRO and Food Banks of Quebec unveil the fifth kitchen of METRO’s Shared Kitchens network

Lachine, June 30, 2025 —  METRO, in collaboration with its long-time partner Food Banks of Quebec, is pleased to announce the unveiling of the fifth kitchen in the METRO’s Shared Kitchens network at La Maison des jeunes L’Escalier in Lachine.

Thanks to this new METRO’s Shared Kitchens, the organization will now be able to continue its fight against food insecurity, particularly among adolescents aged 12 to 17. It will also be able to offer culinary education workshops and collective cooking groups. This new facility will help promote food autonomy, develop skills, and provide access to healthy and nutritious food through innovative programs, while fostering a sense of belonging within communities and breaking social isolation.

"This METRO’s Shared Kitchen within our youth centre is an opportunity for our young people to develop their food preparation skills. By participating in the workshops, they will be able to directly build their food autonomy by learning cooking techniques and recipes. These activities will also emphasize the principles of healthy and balanced eating, raising awareness about the importance of making informed and beneficial food choices for their physical and mental health. Finally, the youth will be able to take part in various intergenerational activities related to food, allowing them to showcase their learning, build self-confidence through cooking, and potentially spark professional vocations,” says Christelle Onomo Lopes, Executive Director, Maison des jeunes L’escalier in Lachine.

METRO is investing nearly $2 million over four years for this first edition of seven kitchens, including nearly $97,000 for the installation of the METRO’s Shared Kitchen at the Maison des jeunes L’escalier in Lachine.

“Our goal was to develop a program that concretely responds to local needs. METRO’s Shared Kitchens enabling organizations working to combat food insecurity to receive funding so they can build collective gathering places where different community groups can come together. We are extremely proud of our collaboration with Food Banks of Quebec in creating a tangible project for their food banks, allowing us to create a legacy in the communities where we operate, and bring to life METRO’s purpose to nourish the health and well-being of our communities,” says Marie-Claude Bacon, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications, METRO.

Meeting the needs of the community sector
Sharing facilities, personnel and material resources, as well as funding to build new professional kitchen infrastructures dedicated to different types of educational cooking programs will able community organizations to better meet their needs.

“We know that the lack of resources and infrastructure remains an obstacle to the development of this type of program for our members. The funding will have a major impact in the affected communities, as organizations will now be able to do more for their beneficiaries. The enthusiasm shown by our network demonstrates the need for these types of facilities in Quebec,” says Martin Munger, Executive Director, Food Banks of Quebec.

The second edition of METRO’s Shared Kitchens is already underway, with the call for projects now open to the province's BAQ network. The new round of selected beneficiaries will be announced in the coming weeks.