Nicole Stoffman

Summer institution aspires to be a year-round with more community partners

Red Seal Catering takes over food program at Cedar Street Residence Chef Jessica Bouvier is cooking with gas since moving to Timmins three years ago.

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Good food gives hope needed for recovery Good food gives hope needed for recovery Red Seal Catering takes over food program at Cedar Street Residence Author of the article: Article content Chef Jessica Bouvier is cooking with gas since moving to Timmins three years ago. Advertisement 2 Article content Good food gives hope needed for recovery Back to video In that short time she's opened “The Workshop” a takeout counter and commercial kitchen, expanded her catering business to include mine catering, wedding, seasonal and tasting menus, has become the executive chef at Mount Jamieson Resort, and has over 20 employees. In 2026 she will be launching a one-stop shop outdoor wedding venue in Shillington, where she lives with her husband and co-owner, Chef Jason Bouvier. Jessica trained at George Brown College in Toronto and previously worked as sous chef at the Lora Bay Golf Course in Thornbury. But the story that really touches Bouvier's heart is how her company transformed the food program at the Canadian Mental Health Association-Cochrane Temiskaming branch's (CMHA-CT) Cedar Residence over a year ago. Advertisement 3 Article content The co-ed residence opened following the closure of a supportive housing facility in town. The CMHA-CT and the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) took over since many of the residents were already CMHA-CT clients. “We actually had the clients at the Ramada for five to six months until we could find a more permanent solution,” recalled Marc Lionello, the residence's program manager. The Cedar St. Residence provides accommodations, supports, and daily living activities to 21, mostly male residents, so they can live independently in the community. Some of the services offered include: psychiatry and medical and nursing services, medication monitoring, laundry, case management and advocacy. Advertisement 4 Article content The residence is neither permanent nor transitional, and a couple of residents have moved to their own independent housing. “We give them a proper diet,” Bouvier said of the project while preparing her signature beef brisket grilled cheese at the grand opening for Villeneuve Engineering Services and CSL Environmental and Geotechnical Ltd. on Wednesday, July 3. “A friend of mine worked there and they were getting takeout every day, so he asked me if I would deliver food,” she said. Instead, Bouvier wanted to see the situation for herself. She visited the facility, and got a much better idea. “I looked around and I said we could put a chef right in here and cook these guys roast beef dinner, pork tenderloin, pizza, spaghetti, whatever they want,” she said. Advertisement 5 Article content In-house sous chef John Bouchard now prepares lunch and dinner every day, and supplies everything required for breakfast for tenants to serve themselves. Red seal also provides a staff person to help serve TK Bouvier said according to staff reports, the residents' overall mental health has improved as a result, and Lionello, couldn't agree more. “I think the guys feel more at home because they're comfortable, and the food is good,” he said. Lionello, who has a degree in psychology, says the improvement in mood that he's seen since the food improved is helping him with the other work he does with his tenants. “When people feel comfortable, they feel relaxed, they have a bit of hope, they know the supports are there and good things are provided, it's much easier to start talking about recovery or whatever else at that point.” Advertisement 6 Article content “It makes you feel more like home,” he said. Red Seal isn't just providing balanced meals that accommodate individual dietary needs, Lionello explained. They are also building relationships with clients in a positive way, preparing birthday cakes as needed and making their favourite foods and desserts. “All the guys know the staff by their first name, they say hi to them and joke, and that's one of the biggest differences. The food is great— you'll never hear a complaint in regards to the food.” Some tenants are now helping to serve meals. As Lionello recalls, before Red Seal Catering, food service, even with their onsite health unit-approved kitchen, was a challenge. “We're presently at 21 individuals and we really wanted to avoid having everyone responsible for their own meals, plus some of the individuals didn't have the skills—some still don't—to be able to manage that effectively,” Lionello said, adding they had previously tried using a caterer but found it didn't fit their budget for the quality they were getting. “The meals are wholesome, they're tasty, people are happy to be down for meals. Clients that weren't even sure they would like it there are loving the fact the meals are there, and such good quality,” he said, adding the price is reasonable too. “It's been a great experience for us,” he said. “These are small things. Mental health is not just about the medication and psychiatry, it's the small things that make the biggest difference. It's the relationships, it's having a roof over your head, food, the social aspect is huge,” Lionello said. Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Good food gives hope needed for recovery Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Loading... 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Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Newmont employees not worried about sale Newmont employees not worried about sale “Our members look forward to working with the new employer,” union says Author of the article: Article content Employees at three Newmont Porcupine Mines operations are looking forward to working with whichever company winds up buying the assets, and are not concerned about job loss resulting from the sale. Advertisement 2 Article content Newmont employees not worried about sale Back to video “I can confirm that our members are in general not worried about the sale,” United Steelworkers Representative Mike Scott told The Daily Press in a telephone interview from Sudbury on Friday, July 5. The United Steelworkers Union local 7580 represents a total of 225 Newmont employees in Timmins at the Hollinger open pit, the Dome mill and the Pamour open pit, currently in development. “Our senior people have been through this several times,” Scott said. “I've got members that have been there for 22 years, and they've heard the mine's closing for 22 years. Yes, the underground closed, but the open pit and mill are fully operational.” The Porcupine Dome underground mine closed five years ago, but open pit operations continue. The Dome Mill, also on site, is fed by many mines. Advertisement 3 Article content “Our members' position is that if the place is sold, the new owner will carry on as other owners have carried on. “Our members look forward to working with the new employer and building a good, strong relationship with them, while continuing to produce gold and making a living,” Scott said. The mining company is reportedly also looking to sell the Borden Mine in Chapleau which sends ore to the Dome Mill, the Hoyle underground mine, and some closed sites in the area. The mine employs 1,200 people in Timmins, not all of whom are unionized. Newmont Porcupine Mines put its Timmins assets up for sale in February, as part of a broader strategy to focus on Tier 1 assets which produce 500,000 ounces of gold or more per year, whereas Tier 2 assets produce fewer. Advertisement 4 Article content The decision was prompted when Newmont's portfolio grew from 11 mines to 17 following their acquisition of Newcrest. Currently the six assets in the Porcupine produce 300,000 ounces of gold per year, General Manager of Newmont Porcupine Mines Dawid Pretorius told The Daily Press in May. At that time, Pretorius shared that Newmont had opened its data room, a virtual hub of information regarding ore reserves and assets. A number of interested companies with whom Newmont has signed nondisclosure agreements are monitoring that data. If they like what they see, the company expects them to make initial bids by the end of June. After evaluating those bids, Newmont will invite those companies for site visits in August or September, with final offers to follow. Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Newmont employees not worried about sale Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Loading... Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

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