Roots Community Food Centre

Roots Community Food Centre is a grassroots organization in Thunder Bay that uses food to connect people and foster dignity through programs, initiatives, and advocacy.

As of April 2026, the organization is led by executive director Erin Beagle. Founded in 2007 as Roots to Harvest, it became a non-profit in 2012 and joined Community Food Centres Canada in 2021. It operates urban farms, community food markets, and a monthly wild food lunch in partnership with the Indigenous Friendship Centre.

The name appears in the Lakehead University Alumni Spotlight profile of Erin Beagle.

In Anishinabek News

• October 2022: The centre is partnering to deliver a Cooking for Credits Course for high school students in late 2022. The program allows students to earn two Grade 11 co-op credits while learning from local chefs.
• July 2023: The organization provides free nutritional meals to the community and celebrated the grand opening of its dining room on June 29, 2023. It partners with the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre to serve traditional meals such as moose stew and fried trout. It is one of 15 Community Food Centres across Canada that bring people together to grow, cook, share, and advocate for food.
• June 2025: The centre collaborated with the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre to host a cooking workshop led by Zach Keeshig. The program provided an outdoor space for students to learn about traditional meats and land-based teachings.
• August 2025: The centre hosted a traditional meal featuring a Three Sisters Mash using ingredients grown in its own gardens. It plans to hold a fundraising walk called The Grand Parade at Marina Park on September 20, 2025. The organization utilizes donated wild rice from Matawa First Nations to prepare desserts.
• July 2026: The organization partnered with United Way Thunder Bay to host the CommUNITY BBQ at its location on July 9, 2026. It is one of four partner organizations that receive funds from the event to address the growing need for food security in Thunder Bay.
• August 2026: This organization hosts a free traditional meal for seniors on the last Friday of the month as of August 2026. It maintains a garden where volunteers grow food for local programs. The centre aims to address food insecurity in a dignified manner by providing high-quality, culturally relevant meals.
• August 2026: The organization partnered with the Nokiiwin Tribal Council to provide food gifts at the 2026 gathering. Staff served wild rice pancakes with blueberry sauce and rhubarb lemonade to participants.
• September 2026: The centre partnered with the Seven Generations Education Institute to teach students various cooking techniques. Students at the centre worked with locally harvested ingredients and learned about food from different backgrounds.