During Spring Break, the Courtenay Elementary Community School Society was contacted by an Ottawa-based food policy researcher interested in the school’s lunch program. Over the course of some chats and Zoom calls, she has put together two articles that nicely summarize the origins of Courtenay El’s program and the challenges of operating it.
Bringing “Japanese School Lunch” to an Elementary School in Canada
1. The Shock of “No School Lunch”: The Beginning of a Quiet Revolution
Among the G7 countries, Canada long stood out as the only one without a national school food program.
In 2017, after returning from Japan, Shawn and Masako Thir were struck by a simple but profound reality: their children’s school did not provide a warm lunch.
“Why is something so ordinary in Japan not available here?”
That question marked the beginning of their journey.
Working through the Courtenay Elementary Community School Society (CECSS), they set out to create a program inspired by their experiences in Japan — while adapting it to the local context. Their goal was simple yet ambitious: to provide affordable, warm meals every day.
At its core, this initiative is not just about feeding children. It redefines school meals as something more: a form of education — what is known in Japan as shokuiku, or food education.
Part 2: On-the-Ground Practice
1. Starting from Zero Budget: Building a “Gold Standard” through Professional Skills and Equipment Investment
Infrastructure Development and Equipment Investment — A Vision Is Not Built Overnight, but Through Incremental Steps —
“It takes time… but you need to have a vision and move toward it slowly, yet steadily.” — Shawn Thir
In an era where projects are often expected to deliver immediate results, Shawn’s approach was the complete opposite. At the beginning of the program, the “kitchen” was simply a repurposed classroom. The equipment was insufficient, and the storage racks were not only unsightly but also posed a risk of tipping over. It was truly a start from a “bare-bones” condition.
With a long-term vision of “building it step by step over five years,” they secured grants one by one and gradually transformed the space into a professional environment.
The timing couldn’t be better as CECSS has been invited to present at the Nourish Futures Forum in Montreal in early June on the topic of the challenges of starting a school lunch program. We’re excited to meet other like-minded people from across Canada and learn about their experiences!
Part 3: Policy and Transformation Edition
The Paradox of Budget Cuts Induced by “Efficiency”
The wisdom and efforts on the ground have ironically come back to choke them — those working on the front lines feel a strong sense of resentment toward this structure of “perverse incentives.”
Shawn and his team minimized costs through efficient operations and smart grocery shopping, cleverly combining major suppliers (GFS) with local procurement, and submitted a detailed annual report to the school district. However, the school district’s assessment upon receiving it was discouraging: “They need to shoulder more of the financial burden as the school district expands lunch programs to other schools.” As a result, it led to the worst-case scenario: a whopping 30% cut in support from the school district compared to the previous year. This situation, which leaves them questioning “discussions” with the school district. “It’s all been determined ahead of timetie. There is nothing to discuss,” exposes a major institutional contradiction where efficiency backfires.