Culinary market run by at-risk youth officially opens in Calgary
Among the first smells you encounter when you walk into Wood's Homes' new culinary market in Calgary includes fresh pasta, sauces and cinnamon buns right out of the oven.
It's a new market in the city that employs young people who are at-risk, homeless or otherwise vulnerable and prepares them for jobs in the culinary industry. A head chef guides all the youths, aged 15 to 29, and all of the homemade food is available for purchase.
"What the market does is provide you with a basic life skill on customer service and how to run a store and how find a job in the outside world," said 18-year-old Pranta Barua.
He joined the Wood's Homes culinary program about a year ago and is now days away from starting his culinary education at SAIT.
"It's really a good cause for troubled kids, kids who are just kind of lost and now need a start," he said.
Wood's Homes is a children's mental health centre that has locations across the province and it supports 20,000 people every year. All of the people employed at the new market – located at 1008 14th St. S.E. – are enrolled in the Youth Culinary Arts Program (YCAP).
"I do not think I would have been anywhere close to anything good without the people and the mentorships I've had here. The journey has been long and this place is the place that got me to that point of going to school," Barua said.
Not only are the youths learning how to cook, counsellors also help them find housing, employment and mental health supports.
"They're young people that you and I know. They can be anybody. Some of them are struggling with their own mental health, some of them may be struggling with addiction, some are struggling with gaining meaningful employment," said Dean Soenen, a program director at Wood's Homes.
"I think young people are wanting a sense of something they belong to and that interests them. And I say magic happens in the culinary program when you have food.”
From fresh desserts to frozen, ready-to-cook meals such as lasagna and soups, the food is all made in-house by the youths in the culinary program and is available for the public to buy.
The market is open weekly Wednesdays through Saturdays.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.