March 3, 2020, Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Traditional Territory (Toronto, Ontario) – The board of the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations (ICAN) and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) congratulate Chef Bill Alexander for winning the Restaurants Canada Culinary Excellence Award Saturday on Saturday in Toronto, Ontario. 

Restaurants Canada recognizes industry members annually in front of their peers at the RC Show, Canada’s largest food service and hospitality event. 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 ICAN. He has worked closely with ITAC to build the nationwide Indigenous culinary strategy, focusing on collaborations with important industry partners via three key pillars: connection, sharing and influencing. 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. It is dedicated to sharing Indigenous food, culinary and cultural experiences from across Canada with the world.

“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,” says 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 Bill inspires us all and deserves this recognition,” says Chef Joseph Shawana, acting chair, ICAN. “We are proud of his leadership and commitment to growing Indigenous culinary tourism experiences across the country.” 

More information on the Restaurant Canada awards may be found here.

About the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is the lead organization tasked with growing the Indigenous tourism industry across the country. Inspired by a vision for a thriving Indigenous tourism economy sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences, ITAC develops relationships with other groups and regions with similar mandates. By uniting the Indigenous tourism industry in Canada, ITAC works to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Indigenous cultural tourism businesses in a respectful protocol. With Indigenous tourism outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall, and international demand for Indigenous experiences at an all-time high, ITAC recently updated its five-year plan. 

For more information on ITAC visit www.IndigenousTourism.ca.

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 Media Contact:
Ryan Rogers, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada,
604-612-0292
Marketing@IndigenousTourism.ca

Deirdre Campbell, Beattie Tartan
250-592-3838 or 250-882-9199
Deirdre.Campbell@BeattieGroup.com

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