Dear Mr. Wilson,
I received a letter Dec. 17 from you concerning the frozen foods being prepared and served to our veterans at the Northumberland Veterans Wing in Pictou. Your letter indicates that these products you assume are fresh are prepared in bulk, frozen, and then cooked onsite in special ovens that were designed for this produce.
Your letter goes on to say that this frozen produce is purchased at a lower cost, reduces food waste, and provides improved menu choices and meals.
I have recently shared a few of these meals with our vets in Pictou and let me assure you this product is far from being fresh, with very few menu choices.
The product, whether fish, meat, poultry, etc., is tasteless, dry and tough. One meal I shared even had the vegetables hard as if they were still frozen. On those days, much of those meals went back to the kitchen as waste.
Which part of this world do these frozen products come from? Food waste would also be returned to the kitchen from home cooked meals but at least what was eaten would be tasty, fresh and nutritional.
Wouldn’t it seem more practical to buy local produce and supporting our local farmers?
Mr. Wilson, these people are the ones who fought and gave up so much for what we have today. It is irresponsible to even consider to continue providing them with this frozen product and then say that the PCHA is committed to providing quality food services to all their patients, clients and residents. I challenge PCHA and anyone else who supports these meals to sit down with these vets or hospital patients and be served these meals every day for 365 days a year. If this quality food is good enough for our war heroes to consume every day for the rest of their lives, it’s sure as hell good enough for you.
Yes you do have a budget to work with but don’t make cuts at the expense of our veterans. Perhaps rolling back wages in overstaffed administration might be a place to consider.
Now I’m assuming that much will be done by PCHA until the 28-day assessment is concluded Feb. 6 to ensure that these frozen produce will continue. I’m assuming that a far better meal presentation will be provided. I’m assuming that more variety per meal will be available. I’m assuming that there might even be larger portions served just for show but in the end, it will all be the same.
I for one will be anxious to see the final results of this 28-day assessment. I for one will be anxious to see if anyone is listening.
Jim Turple
Councillor Municipality of Pictou County
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