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This past weekend in Toronto, Chef Bill Alexander became the winner of the Restaurants Canada Culinary Excellence Award.
Restaurants Canada recognizes industry members annually at the RC Show, Canada’s largest food service and hospitality event, held this year March 1 to March 3. The finalists chosen for the Culinary Excellence Award are judged based on the following criteria:
- Making an outstanding contribution to Canada’s culinary landscape
- Setting a new standard for creating culinary experiences that delight the senses
- Inspiring others through their culinary knowledge, passion and skill
- Practicing the highest standards of food quality and safety
Chef Alexander is executive chef at Calgary’s Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, consulting chef for WestJet Airlines, and past chair of the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations. ICAN was launched with a vision for a world where Indigenous food is not a dish served for one, but rather a cultural feast and celebration of Nations.
Chef Alexander has worked closely with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada to build the nationwide Indigenous culinary strategy, focusing on collaborations with important industry partners via three key pillars: connection, sharing and influencing.
ICAN and ITAC congratulated Chef Alexander in a press statement.
“When ITAC first began laying a foundation to celebrate Indigenous cuisine across Canada, Chef Alexander was instrumental in helping us get ICAN off the ground. Our ITAC members are so appreciative of Chef’s professionalism and commitment to excellence in all he does,” said Keith Henry, president and CEO of ITAC. “It is fantastic that the rest of the industry is also recognizing his contributions to the Indigenous culinary landscape, as well as Canada’s as a whole.”
Chef Joseph Shawana, the acting chair of ICAN, said “Chef Bill inspires us all and deserves this recognition. We are proud of his leadership and commitment to growing Indigenous culinary tourism experiences across the country.”