METRO and Feed Ontario Open Third Shared Kitchen at Regional Food Distribution Association Thunder Bay, Ontario

THUNDER BAY, ON — February 17, 2026 — METRO, in collaboration with its long-time partner Feed Ontario, is pleased to announce the unveiling of the third kitchen in the METRO’s Shared Kitchen network at Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Thanks to the new METRO Shared Kitchen, the RFDA will expand its culinary programming, education initiatives, and community outreach across Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. As part of RFDA’s 5,000 sq. ft. Building Hope facility expansion, the new kitchen provides a fully equipped, accessible space designed to advance long term, community led solutions to food insecurity and poverty. With upgraded commercial grade equipment, expanded refrigeration and storage, and webcasting technology, RFDA will offer more cooking and nutrition workshops, cultural programming, and employment readiness training. The enhanced kitchen will also increase the production and distribution of nutritious, precooked meals that the RFDA prepares for the community five days of the week.

“These upgrades will help transform more surplus food into healthy meals while strengthening skill building, community connection, and food autonomy,” said April Mercier Office Manager at the Regional Food Distribution Association. “With METRO’s support, this kitchen will help us reach more people across Thunder Bay 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 $290,000 allocated to the installation and operation of the RFDA training kitchen. 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 and training will able 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 of the METRO Shared Kitchens program is currently underway with Feed Ontario member food banks.