Kelowna could be UNESCO's first Canadian 'City of Gastronomy'
Kelowna has been invited to throw its hat in the ring for world-class culinary recognition.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, has asked the city to apply for its City of Gastronomy title, according to a press release from Okanagan College issued, Jan. 15.
“Kelowna’s culinary scene is a testament to the passion and creativity of our local chefs, farmers, wineries and food producers,” Kelowna mayor Tom Dyas said in the release. “Applying for this designation is a step towards recognizing the vital role that food plays in our community and enhancing Kelowna’s reputation as a global culinary destination.”
The UN organization has various titles for its Creative Cities Network that celebrate crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, media arts and music. If Kelowna is selected as a City of Gastronomy it would put it alongside world famous cities that held the title in the past like Macao, Panama City and Saint Petersburg.
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“The opportunity to apply for designation opens up only once every two years, and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO is only permitted to nominate up to two cities at a time,” Tourism Kelowna CEO Lisanne Ballantyne said in the release. “Being invited to apply is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate all the ways food and beverages bring us together in Kelowna, through story and traditions, community-based initiatives, world-class restaurants and culinary experiences, agriculture, and so much more.”
To apply to be a City of Gastronomy the city has to gather as much information as possible about what “food assets” Kelowna has to offer including, businesses, education opportunities, experts, association and organizations.
The application is due at the end of February and the city and its partners are looking for suggestions about what Kelowna’s culinary scene offers.
“The process of being invited to apply and gathering the required information is in itself inspiring,” Dyas said. “There is a spirit of collaboration in Kelowna and throughout the region that we celebrate when we come together over food and when we are motivated to sustain for generations to come, it’s one of the things that makes our community here special.”
For more information about Kelowna's UNESCO City of Gastronomy bid, go here.
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