In a warm, bustling kitchen tucked within LaSalle College Vancouver, something remarkable was happening. Knife blades glinted under bright lights as a group of young Indigenous learners, many of whom had traveled from far, remote Indigenous reservations. Around them, chefs coached, encouraged, and smiled—watching as the learners carefully honed new skills, tempered chocolate, plated dishes.
This wasn’t just a class, nor was it just a meal. It was a conversation, made up of sharing flavours and shared stories, centred on the simple, profound act of coming together around food.
For Chef Mandy Vial, Head of Baking & Pastry Faculty, the experience was unforgettable:
There was a moment during our class when everyone was engaging with each other, and lifelong bonds were being made. I could not be more proud of how hard everyone worked for the five-course dinner. Each and every learner rose to the occasion. I learned as much from these amazing learners as they learned from me.
