It was no laughing matter for a group of Haliburton Highlands Secondary School students caught outside in Monday’s monsoon-like weather, but they felt they had no choice but to brave the dismal conditions and walk into the downtown.
As reported in today’s paper, Hal High has been without a functional cafeteria since school reopened last week. According to Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) top brass, there’s no guarantee the food court, operated by Aramark, will reopen at all.
Staff shortages have been blamed, which I can understand. We’ve heard Aramark has had difficulty keeping the cafeteria at HHSS open for a while. Students we spoke to told us there were occasions it was shuttered last year, sometimes for days at a time. The school board confirmed as much when we inquired.
The group I caught up with Monday – five Grade 11s – said their usual lunchtime routine involved buying food at school, hanging out in the cafeteria space, and heading back to their lockers early to prepare for afternoon class. With no food options available at school, and not everyone packing a lunch, they agreed to walk into town.
They were caught in a rainstorm on the way back – causing them to be late for class. The group also commented how they’d spent about double what they usually would at the school cafeteria.
It’s been a disruption for many. Sure, on a nice day walking into town isn’t a big deal. Provided you have the money. And, to be fair, asking a teenager to make and bring their own lunch isn’t exactly unreasonable. For the majority. I’m worried about the kids who may fall through the cracks.
So too is Lisa Rowden. A chef with years of experience, Rowden offered to reopen the cafeteria last week but was rebuffed. She ran the West Guilford Snack Bar for years, managed a factory cafeteria in Penetanguishene that served hundreds of workers, and, until her recent retirement, was sous chef at Dimensions Algonquin Highlands.
Sounds like a good fit to me.
TLDSB said since they already had a contract with Aramark to run school kitchens they couldn’t enter into a second agreement. But what if Aramark isn’t holding up its end of the bargain?
We’re not sure about the extent of the issues – Aramark did not respond to an interview request or emailed questions by press time. But we do know their problems extend beyond Haliburton County’s borders.
TLDSB confirmed four other schools – Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, Gravenhurst High School, Huntsville High School, and Lindsay Collegiate and Vocational Institute – don’t have functional cafeterias.
In fact, there’s only two public high schools within the district, I.E. Weldon in Lindsay and Fenelon Falls Secondary School, that do.
It got me to thinking about potential made-in-Haliburton solutions. What if TLDSB worked with SIRCH Community Services to have Bistro staff run the school kitchen? There are many local catering companies in the area who may be able to lend a hand, too – at least on days Aramark can’t staff it.
Beyond that, what about engaging parents? Having a rota of people, like Rowden, who can be called to fill in when required. They’d need the necessary food safety and handler certificates, but maybe that’s something the school board can help to organize too.
There has to be a better way than simply closing up shop and eliminating a service that many relied on.
