"I particularly remember visiting the Alex Community Food Centre. The Alex community food centre is a welcoming space where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. Calgary’s community food centre is located in greater Forest Lawn on International Avenue. In Forest Lawn, there are almost double the amount of people living below the low-income cut-off; and International Avenue is home to an amazing diverse range of food in Calgary, making it a natural fit for such a hub. The centre offers programming in three key areas: access to healthy food, food skills in the garden and kitchen, and education and engagement around building community connections and civic engagement to talk about the bigger systemic issues related to our food system, community health and wellbeing, and inequality and inclusiveness.
Quote from a staff member of the Alex – Building community is about place making, where everyone has a seat at the table, and furthermore it is about everyone being able to participate in the conversation and having an opportunity to be part of the solution. Food is a very powerful community building tool.” (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.89).
Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/KGoEN5u1XF2vm1676
Publication:21 September 2025
