Ottawa Mission Launches Local Vertical Farm to Feed Thousands Thanks to RBC and Growcer Support

Ottawa, ON – The Ottawa Mission, RBC and Growcer announced today a new initiative to grow healthy, fresh, locally produced greens for use in The Mission’s meal programs to serve to vulnerable community members across the City of Ottawa, using Growcer’s modular vertical farms.

This announcement is made possible by a $1.5 million donation from RBC to the Ottawa Community Foundation for the Food Resilience Foundation Fund, a donor-advised fund with Growcer that aims to empower Canadian communities to securely and sustainably produce and access fresh, nutritious, and healthy food year-round.

A portion of this funding is supporting an initiative with The Ottawa Mission that will enable them to grow their own food, create training opportunities and build resilience to the effects of climate change. By bringing food production closer to where it is consumed, this initiative is also helping to lower transportation emissions, reduce water usage and minimize food waste, in a more sustainable way.

“The Ottawa Mission is the city’s oldest and largest homeless shelter. Over each of the past three years we’ve served over one million meals per year to people in need. A greater number of people than ever before can’t afford to eat healthy food, which leaves them at higher risk of diet-related illness. We’re delighted that this initiative ensures access to nutritious local produce year-round which will help keep our clients healthy,” noted Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley.

The engine of the initiative is two Growcer farms which can produce up to 20,000 pounds of fresh greens every year, displacing imports and enabling Ottawa Mission to source locally grown produce for its various meal programs.
Growcer is an Ottawa-based company making communities more food resilient with its hydroponic modular farms and food storage solutions. There are currently more than 125 farms across North America to date from Prince Rupert, B.C. to Churchill, Man. Its donor-advised fund with Ottawa Community Foundation supports its efforts to bring nutritious food production alongside education, skills development and affordability to the heart of Canadian communities.

“It’s been incredible to see the impact we can make in our own backyard when partners across sectors come together. Not only will this bring more local food, but we also hope to see Ottawa serve as an example for what other cities can accomplish to increase local food resilience with indoor agriculture. This is just the beginning of what passionate organizations across the country can do to make local food part of their daily lives,” says Corey Ellis, co-founder and CEO of Growcer.

RBC works to help address societal challenges that have the potential to undermine the ability of Canadians to thrive and prosper, and has identified three key areas where they believe they can have a meaningful impact: 1) supporting the transition to a net-zero economy; 2) equipping people with the skills for a thriving future; and 3) driving more equitable opportunities for prosperity. RBC’s continued support for Growcer will help to empower and educate Canadians on how to use vertical farming technology, and address food security.

“As part of our commitment to helping our clients thrive and communities prosper, we’ve identified food security as a critical need”, says Devinder Gill, RBC’s Regional President for Ontario North and East. “RBC’s recently announced global commitment of $10 million supports food-focused organizations that grow, store and provide healthy food to people in our communities at a time they need it most. We are thrilled to help make this possible in Ottawa with Growcer and The Ottawa Mission, the first of many such community initiatives.”

The Mission’s Growcer farm will supply local greens across all the shelter’s meal programs for shelter guests, community members needing meals, and its food truck program, which has grown from one truck, five stops and 500 meals a week, to now two trucks, 41 stops and over 10,000 meals a week.

The farm will also offer training opportunities for students with the shelter’s free Food Services Training Program (FSTP), supported by RBC Foundation, which provides graduates with the skills and experience to work in a commercial kitchen. For over 20 years, 90 per cent of graduates have found jobs in the industry. Now, The Mission will also offer FSTP students the opportunity to learn practical skills in sustainable farming, food production, and distribution by working within The Mission’s Growcer farm.

“As the cost of healthy food has gone up, this has made it harder for us to ensure that the people who depend on us have access to healthy food. Now, thanks to Growcer and RBC, people who turn to us for help will get the greens they need to stay healthy. And our FSTP students will have even more opportunities to learn about the food industry and find secure employment,” Chef Ric Allen-Watson, The Mission’s Director of Food Services, concluded.

About The Ottawa Mission
Since 1906, The Ottawa Mission has been serving the homeless, the hungry and the lost by providing food, clothing, shelter and skills. In 2023-2024, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 187 men every night and served an average of 3,103 meals every day. The Ottawa Mission also provides to men and women health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands in need in our community. In September 2020, The Ottawa Mission marked the one millionth hour that the shelter has been in existence since its founding in 1906. In 2019, the Mission became a housing-focused shelter reflective of its commitment to a home for everyone as a human right with the launch of a new housing department.

About Growcer
Growcer enables communities to become more food resilient through its hydroponic modular farms and food storage solutions. To date, more than 125 Growcer farms across North America grow more than 10 million servings annually of nutritious greens year-round. Operators include retailers, schools, non-profits, as well as rural and Indigenous communities. Learn more about Growcer at www.thegrowcer.ca.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. RBC are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Aileen Leo
Director of Communications
613.234.1144 x 305
613.712.3092
aleo@ottawamission.com

Stephanie Gordon
Content and communications manager
Growcer
647.861.7723
stephanie@thegrowcer.ca

Erika Whitmee
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications
RBC
613-218-5060
erika.whitmee@rbc.com