Bika: Honouring Turkish roots with sustainable farming & local values

Chef Fisun Ercan explains why running Quebec’s Bika Farm and Cuisine is more than just a dream fulfilled By Tom Nightingale Nestled in the southern Quebec countryside just outside Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu, about 45 minutes from downtown Montreal, Chef Fisun Ercan runs Bika Farm and Cuisine, a truly local and sustainable food experience that pays homage to […]

Quebec restaurants want looser foreign worker rules to ease labour shortage

Quebec’s restaurant and hospitality industry is asking the federal government for help in easing its labour shortage, calling for the loosening of foreign worker rules in time for the summer season. This summer, with open restaurants and COVID-19-related restrictions at their lightest since the pandemic began, is expected to be the busiest season for foodservice […]

Numerous provinces lifting various COVID-19 restrictions

Several Canadian provinces are tweaking their plans for the next few weeks and relieving some of their COVID-19 restrictions. On February 8, the Alberta government announced that effective at midnight that night, it is scrapping its mandatory proof of vaccination policy. Premier Jason Kenney said his “careful and prudent” plan will allow the province to […]

Ontario joins Quebec in shutting indoor dining once again

Updated January 10, 2021 Restaurant owners and staff would be forgiven for feeling transported back to 2020 in the early days of 2022, as indoor dining shuts down again in some areas in response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Quebec blinked first, and Ontario soon followed. The closures are an attempt to stifle the […]

Global maple syrup shortage forces Quebec’s hand

Rising demand a drop in production have created a global maple syrup shortage that is forcing Quebec to dip deeply into its strategic reserve. Quebec Maple Syrup Producers governs the province’s maple syrup production and will release 50 million pounds of maple syrup to the market by February 2022, said spokeswoman Helene Normandin. That volume, […]

Quebec vaccine passport takes effect amid widespread support

The Quebec vaccine passport has officially gone into effect from September 1, meaning that all on-site dining patrons at restaurants must now require proof they have received double vaccination. To enter restaurants or bars for indoor or outdoor dining, as well as many other non-essential businesses and services, Quebecers aged 13 and up must show […]

Quebec introducing vaccine passport from September 1 amid fierce debate

Quebec has confirmed it is implementing a vaccine passport system for restaurants, bars, and other non-essential services from the start of September. Premier François Legault announced on August 5 that the province will introduce the system amid rising case numbers and the prospect of more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks. On August 10, […]

Is asking for proof of vaccination the new restaurant normal?

By Tom Nightingale Across Canada, North America, and beyond, the debate around vaccinations has been raging since numerous vaccines became widely available a few months ago. Now, the hottest topic may be proof of vaccination. Much has been made of whether requiring proof of vaccinations — be they so-called “vaccine passports” or other forms of […]

Quebec prepared to mandate vaccination passports for restaurants

Quebec is prepared to implement “vaccination passports” to stop people who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from accessing certain non-essential services like restaurants and bars if the province’s situation deteriorates. Provincial health minister Christian Dubé said the move could come as early as September 1 if necessary, but that digital vaccination passports would only be […]