METRO and Feed Ontario Open Second Shared Kitchen at The Sharing Place Food Centre Orillia, Ontario

ORILLIA, ON — November 25, 2025 - METRO, in collaboration with its long-time partner Feed Ontario, is pleased to announce the unveiling of their second kitchen in the METRO’s Shared Kitchen network at The Sharing Place Food Centre in Orillia, Ontario.

Thanks to the new METRO Shared Kitchen, The Sharing Place will significantly expand its culinary programming and community outreach. In response to growing demand, the renovated commercial-grade facility, originally built in September 2023, will now host more culinary education workshops and collective cooking groups. It will also increase the production and distribution of nutritious, precooked meals throughout the community, thanks to the newly upgraded kitchen equipment. With upgraded refrigeration infrastructure, expanded storage capacity, and a dedicated staff member, the kitchen will help transform surplus food into healthy meals, reduce food waste, and promote food autonomy.

“This new Shared Kitchen is more than just a space but a catalyst for change,” said Chris Peacock Executive Director at The Sharing Place Food Centre. “With METRO’s support, we’re expanding our ability to feed our community—not only with healthy meals, but with dignity, connection, and opportunity. This kitchen will help us reach more people across Orillia and surrounding rural areas, reduce food waste, and empower individuals through shared cooking, learning, and belonging.”

METRO is investing nearly $900,000 over four years to launch the first phase of its Shared Kitchens network, with almost $245,000 allocated to the installation at The Sharing Place. This investment supports infrastructure upgrades, equipment purchases, and staffing to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.

“Our goal was to develop a program that enables us to respond to local needs in a meaningful way. We are very proud of our collaboration with Feed Ontario in creating a tangible project for their food banks, allowing us to establish a lasting impact in the communities where we operate. This initiative brings 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
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 the community organisations to better meet their needs.

“We are thrilled to partner with METRO on the METRO’s Shared Kitchens network in Ontario,” says Carolyn Stewart, Chief Executive Officer at Feed Ontario. “These kitchens will help food banks and community groups provide innovative programs that improve access to healthy and nutritious food, provide learning opportunities like cooking classes, and create opportunities for social engagement that helps reduce isolation for those most vulnerable in our communities.”

The call for applications for the second edition will go out to Feed Ontario member food banks in early 2026.