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KINGSTON, Ont. A community-based group that believes a local solution is best when it comes to patient food served at Kingston General Hospital (KGH) got a boost this week from a recent survey of area residents that found the vast majority of respondents agreelocal food is better for KGH patients.
Eight out of ten people polledor 79 per cent of respondentssaid that a local foodservice solution is the best option for Kingston General Hospital because it supports local farmers, merchants and workers.
KGH has been defending a decision to contract out its hospital foodservice to the Compass Group, a Toronto-based, global food processing corporation. The KGH Board of Governors will be voting to approve or reject the Compass deal at its November 23 meeting.
When asked whether they approved how KGH has handled the bidding process that recommended buying almost all the hospital’s food in Toronto, only 8 per cent said they did approve.
The poll also found that most Kingston residents would support a local foodservice solution even if contracting it out is cheaper.
The poll findings are consistent with the local sustainability movements that are becoming common in many Ontario communities, particularly smaller cities like Kingston, says Marc Zwelling of the Vector Poll, the firm that conducted the poll between October 28 and November 1.
Ontarians really like the idea of supporting local community initiatives and business. It seems they care about local procurement and are very supportive of the idea that, if you tax locally, then you should buy locally. This has a lot of traction with people right now, said Zwelling.
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For more information, please contact:
Stella Yeadon CUPE Communications (416) 559-9300
Marc Zwelling The Vector Poll (416) 733-2320
The poll findings are based on telephone interviews conducted from October 28 through November 1, 2010, with 300 adults (aged 18 and over) in the Kingston area by the Vector Poll, which is a member of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, Canada’s standards-setting body for the polling industry. Results are accurate within ±5.6%, 19 times out of 20.
