The U of G Food Market sells fresh fruits, vegetables, and other goods on a sliding scale, which allows customers to choose the amount they want to pay within a set range, with no questions asked.
The reduced end is as low as we can offer it, typically 33% off retail prices. The other end is similar to grocery stores. The market exists to increase our campus community's physical and financial access to fresh produce. When people pay the retail end of the scale, they help subsidize the reduced end for other marketgoers.
The market saw a huge expansion during the Winter 2024 semester. Previously only on Thursdays, markets are now offered three days of the week. This non-profit initiative has become a valuable program at the University of Guelph.
The market started in 2022, and thrives due to the remarkable collaboration fostered among the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, the Arrell Food Institute, and the Sustainability Office from the University of Guelph.
Since January 2023, the Guelph Lab has been working with the City Clerk’s Office to create a Governance Framework for the City’s Advisory Committees of Council (ACOCs). This collaboration responds to the Clerk’s Office’s interest in gaining a deeper understanding of the form and function of the City's ACOCs, and in providing a tool to guide ACOCs’ future development.
Author(s):
Leah Levac, Wai Yin Chan, Sam Laban, Dylan McMahon, Asa Coleman, and Simon Pek
Since 2021, the Guelph Lab has worked with the City of Guelph on several research initiatives related to the City’s Advisory Committees of Council (ACOC).
Public washrooms are important for everyone in Guelph, but washrooms aren’t always available and not everyone has access to washrooms when they need them. Sometimes people are forced to go outside, especially in the Downtown area. Other people may be forced to stay at home if public washrooms are closed or not accessible to them.
Author(s):
Edith Wilson, Adam Bonnycastle, Sam Laban, Stacey Laughlin
This Master's thesis (supported by Dr. Liz Jackson and the Guelph Lab) explores and illuminates the phenomenon of postsecondary student food insecurity using qualitative methodologies. It uses a phenomenological framework to better understand what constitutes the lived experience of students with food insecurity; the researcher conducted 11 semi-structured interviews with students, all but one from the University of Guelph, who were recruited primarily through the campus food bank.
Municipal staff and Members of Council can play an important role in contributing to more equitable communities. These discussion papers support these efforts by exploring the role of municipalities in promoting equity in different service areas including housing, recreation, transportation, and arts and culture. The papers highlight some of the systemic barriers experienced by individuals in Guelph, especially those in at-risk groups. These systemic barriers are deeply embedded in our society and are influenced by policies implemented at all levels of government.
Author(s):
Jemma Llewellyn, Chris Schuck, Sam Laban, Lindsey Thomson, and Mark Ariba
This report identifies practical strategies for improving diversity and inclusion on the City of Guelph’s Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC). It is hoped that this report will support recommendations brought to the City of Guelph’s Council, prompting policy changes to improve the engagement, participation, and inclusion of diverse groups within the city’s Advisory Committees of Council, specifically the AAC.
In early 2021, CESI and the Guelph Lab launched “Promoting Food Security in Higher Education” with Meal Exchange and staff and faculty at the University of British Columbia, the University of Guelph, McMaster University, and the University of Ottawa. The goal of the project is to catalyze a network of university administrators, researchers, students, staff and food service providers working to promote food secure campus communities. The project included:
There is growing evidence that significant numbers of university students in Canada experience food insecurity, potentially undermining the health, well-being and educational success of students. The University of Guelph has joined a handful of other Canadian universities in responding to this issue. CESI, Meal Exchange, Universities Fighting World Hunger and graduate students working with Dr.
The Sandbox pairs interdisciplinary teams of students with community organizations looking to launch social enterprises in Guelph-Wellington. They work together for four months to grow the enterprise, supported by seed funding, training and mentorship.