72 replies to this topic

[Bob Fugger]

Victoria Regina competition aims to aid local food banks

By Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
October 13, 2009


The stakes are high as the citizens of Victoria and Regina prepare for a friendly competition aimed at restocking their city food banks.

With usage climbing and supplies down at Victoria's Mustard Seed Food Bank, Mayor Dean Fortin was keen to join the challenge of the Great Canadian Food Fight along with his Regina counterpart, Pat Fiacco. For 36 hours, beginning at 6 a.m. Friday, Victorians and Regina residents will vie to see who can donate the most food for people in need.

While helping others is the goal, the two competing mayors have added a light-hearted wager to the mix. If Victoria loses, Fortin has to travel to Regina and shovel snow from Fiacco's driveway. A Victoria win would see Fiacco come here to mow Fortin's lawn[...]
http://www.timescolo...9628/story.html

I'm all for friendly wagers in the name of civic pride, but is Dino aware that he's made a bet against a city that is more than twice the size of Victoria? I can't wait to see who pays the travel expenses for this one if he loses.

[Mike K.]

Does the Victoria foodbank / Mustard Seed serve residents from other municipalities?

[VicHockeyFan]

Does the Victoria foodbank / Mustard Seed serve residents from other municipalities?

I'm pretty sure it does...

Collection:

Drop-off locations for donations include eight fire stations in Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay, along with Fairfield New Horizons, Dodd's Furniture, Ogden Point's Pier A warehouse, and many supermarkets, schools and churches.

[victorian fan]

The Mustard Seed Food Bank, which services the region’s four core municipalities, has seen its monthly client base rise to 7,200 people from 5,000 in the past year. That includes roughly 1,650 children under 12.

http://www.bclocalne.../63711137.html#

[Bob Fugger]

I'm pretty sure it does...

I suppose the point I should have made was that it doesn't make sense when you've got so many services - private, public and non-profit - that transcend municipal boundaries. If the Food Bank can provide services to a core area, why can't one elected body/civic government?

[victorian fan]

Regina wins the food fight to raise donations

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin might be digging out his snowpants and toque this morning. He'll be travelling to Regina this winter to shovel the driveway of Mayor Pat Fiocco as the prairie city won Great Canadian Food Fight between Victoria and Regina this morning.

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin agreed to travel to Regina to shovel the driveway of Mayor Pat Fiacco if this city loses the challenge

http://www.timescolo...6974/story.html

Why not donate the money to the Food Bank rather than spend it on airfare.

[G-Man]

WOw pretty embarassing for Victoria to be beaten by the smaller city.

[VicHockeyFan]

Regina wins the food fight to raise donations

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin might be digging out his snowpants and toque this morning. He'll be travelling to Regina this winter to shovel the driveway of Mayor Pat Fiocco as the prairie city won Great Canadian Food Fight between Victoria and Regina this morning.



http://www.timescolo...6974/story.html

Why not donate the money to the Food Bank rather than spend it on airfare.

That'd be welshing on the bet. The Mayor better start Googling "conference Regina January February March 2010" and see what he can dig up as a rouse.

[Caramia]

I think this food fight was a great way to raise awareness and gather food. I don't get why people are concerned with airfare. Full fare return airfare would only be about $500. And I am assuming that the Mayors have a decent travel agent, who should be able to get a good deal - only last week one of my "travel **rn" email lists offered a return trip to Regina for $299. Even at full price - $500 is a drop in the bucket and well worth it for the 280 tonnes of food that was raised between the two food banks.

[VicHockeyFan]

I think this food fight was a great way to raise awareness and gather food. I don't get why people are concerned with airfare. Full fare return airfare would only be about $500. And I am assuming that the Mayors have a decent travel agent, who should be able to get a good deal - only last week one of my "travel **rn" email lists offered a return trip to Regina for $299. Even at full price - $500 is a drop in the bucket and well worth it for the 280 tonnes of food that was raised between the two food banks.

It's still a little sad, the whole "food bank" donation concept. For the same amount of money out of donors' pockets, they could have donated 600 tonnes of food, spent less time, and saved tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

[Caramia]

Seriously? 600 tonnes? You know how much food that is? Hell if you shop at Market on Yates or Thrifty Foods you are lucky to walk out of there with less than $50 a bag!

[Bob Fugger]

That'd be welshing on the bet. The Mayor better start Googling "conference Regina January February March 2010" and see what he can dig up as a rouse.

I doubt he's smart enough, he'll probably fly out just to do that. The money wasted for this could have been used to buy more food for the Mustard Seed. Couldn't they have the loser wear the other city's hockey jersey, or mail something else?

[VicHockeyFan]

Seriously? 600 tonnes? You know how much food that is? Hell if you shop at Market on Yates or Thrifty Foods you are lucky to walk out of there with less than $50 a bag!

They've claimed to collect 280. They say if you give them cash they can steetch it least to at least $2 of food to the dollar, sometimes 3. What I'm saying is that bought at the food-bank discounts and volume, they could have had twice as much if people donated cash rather than canned ham.

[Caramia]

Come on Bob, I know you hate the Mayor, but isn't that over the top?

And Vic Hockey Fan - OK I understand you now. You are talking about the inefficiencies of the food donation program. If people who had given goods had just given cash instead then you think the bulk then it could be leveraged into 600 tonnes instead of 280? I thought you were trying to say that for the cost of an airplane ride to Regina and back you could buy $600 tonnes of food for the needy... which is, of course, absurd.

[Bob Fugger]

Come on Bob, I know you hate the Mayor, but isn't that over the top?

And Vic Hockey Fan - OK I understand you now. You are talking about the inefficiencies of the food donation program. If people who had given goods had just given cash instead then you think the bulk then it could be leveraged into 600 tonnes instead of 280? I thought you were trying to say that for the cost of an airplane ride to Regina and back you could buy $600 tonnes of food for the needy... which is, of course, absurd.

Cara, please refrain from putting words in my mouth: despite my diatribe, I have never said that I hated the mayor. I just think he's autocratic, a bully and not particularly bright. And his words and actions are evidence enough of that. The argument against the mayor doesn't need my hatred.

Besides, hating the ignorant is itself ignorant.

[Caramia]

OK, I rephrase... you think poorly of him, not hate him.

My point remains - of all the things to ridicule the man for... participating in a charity event to raise food for food banks isn't exactly the kind of thing you want to discourage in a Mayor. Is it?

[Mike K.]

...if you shop at Market on Yates or Thrifty Foods you are lucky to walk out of there with less than $50 a bag!

Costco would yield a considerable amount of food for $600.

[spanky123]

Perhaps next time they should flip it around, the City that wins gets to send their mayor anywhere they want for a week. I would buy food for that!

[Bob Fugger]

OK, I rephrase... you think poorly of him, not hate him.

My point remains - of all the things to ridicule the man for... participating in a charity event to raise food for food banks isn't exactly the kind of thing you want to discourage in a Mayor. Is it?

I completely agree with you - participating in an event pitting our city against another in the name of charity and civic pride ought to be encouraged. But my point remains that while I don't disagree with a friendly wager between cities to boost civic pride, the stakes should have been more appropriate, i.e., not wasting money on frivolous travel to shovel someone's driveway.

And I posit the assumption that the Mayor, given his words and actions since he's become Mayor, seems like the kind of dimmly autocratic chap that would think it his God given right to travel on the taxpayer's nickel to settle a bet, while he lets very people we're trying to assist with this food drive "eat cake."

Why not take a fraction of that cost and send a dozen or so typically Victorian gift baskets for the City of Regina to raffle off, proceeds going to their Food Bank? Hell, raffle off a weekend for two in Victoria, courtesy of the City. Or make a charitable donation directly to the Regina Mustard Seed in the name of the City of Victoria? Those would make a much bigger impact.

Just like many, many other hare-brained schemes and ideas coming out of the Mayor's office, this one could have benefited from a little more thinking.

[Bingo]

Neither Mayor thought they would loose, so the bet was considered safe. Although lately our Mayor has come up a bit short on his expectations. The bet could also have had a negative effect on the "Food Fight " campaign, especially for those who would like to see the mayor "out of town", and shovelling snow, thus held their contributions back for a few weeks.