by Jamila Douhaibi | photo by Sarah Hartley Photography –
Food is so many things – it’s sustenance, culture and friendship. It’s also Emily Bland’s love language and the way she serves the students at Sidney Elementary School. After working to receive her Red Seal as a chef, she decided to move away from 16-hour work days and become an Education Assistant. When she made the transition, she didn’t realize that she would still be able to use her culinary skills to serve her community.
After graduating from Oak Bay High School, Emily wasn’t sure about the next stage, but says her “dad is a really amazing cook,” so she decided to take after him. Following a year of training and two years of apprenticing to get her Red Seal, Emily worked “all over the place.” After moving to the Peninsula 12 years ago, she started working for Haro’s and during her eight years with the restaurant, she moved into a head chef position. Though she loved the cooking and camaraderie, she couldn’t see herself working such long hours for another eight years. She was also less interested in having the expected head chef personality, and preferred the “well-being of the staff and human aspect” of the job over having a stressful work environment.
At 37, Emily went back to school and became an EA. She did her practicum at Sidney Elementary School, and after a brief stint at another school, ended up back at Sidney Elementary on a permanent basis. She says it’s an amazing, busy school and it’s great that it’s a five-minute walk from her home.
In November of 2023, the government provided grants to Sidney Elementary and other schools to start breakfast programs. Emily enthusiastically took up the challenge as a way to use her love of cooking to support kids who would otherwise come to school without breakfast. Emily says there are 60 to 70 students that come every morning to the program. She provides a set weekly menu that changes a few times a year, and includes pancakes, smoothies, bagels and fresh fruit. Kids have their favourite days, and “hashbrown and smoothie day” is always a highlight. Students sometimes pop by during breaks to grab a snack if there are leftovers and Emily says she has “been known to give a bag of pancakes to a kid on their way out the door” at the end of a school day.
Emily says that she loves being able to provide kids with breakfast so they have the energy to get through the school day, but her full-time job is working as an EA in the classroom. She sometimes takes kids with challenges regulating behaviour to sit in the quiet of the kitchen during the day so they have a calm zone to do their work. Students know that they can usually find Emily there and sometimes come by just to say hi or have a chat during breaks. Like many teachers that support kids before and after school outside of their “normal” hours, Emily is not getting paid for any extra hours that she puts into the breakfast program.
Emily’s joy in blending her former career into her new one is evident. She says that the “kids that come are the kids that really need breakfast” and she makes sure there is always enough food for everyone. Sidney Elementary has the highest need of all schools in the district, and donations from food banks and the community help supplement the government’s support. Parents help supervise and clean up after breakfast, but sometimes Emily and the other EA are the only ones there to cook, clean and serve the students. They are always in need of hands and donations to keep the program running strong.
Going from working in upscale kitchens to making simple meals for students, Emily could not be happier. Even working overtime, she says it’s easy compared to her old life. Outside of work she loves to cook for others, even after full days at the school. Emily is truly a great example of what a Peninsula neighbour should be – feeding kids with a smile on her face and a lot of love in her dishes.
