May 22, 2007 - Langara College becomes first college in Canada to go cage-free
Chartwells Education Dining Services first to crack cage-free egg market
The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is crowing at today’s announcement by Langara College that Chartwells Education Dining Services, providers of catering in the college cafeterias, are now using shell and liquid eggs that come from cage-free hens.
“Langara College’s decision is an important advance in the growing movement away from battery cage confinement in the egg industry," commented Bruce Passmore, the Farm Animal Welfare Project Coordinator for the VHS. "Both Langara and Chartwells should be applauded for helping to improve the welfare of hundreds of birds—as well as sending a strong message to consumers about how easy it is to help end the cruelty of cages."
Approximately 98 percent of Canada’s 26 million egg-laying are kept in small wire cages where they can barely move or flap their wings, perch, dust bathe or nest. Alternatives include certified organic, SPCA certified, free-range and free-run.
“This really is a simple issue for us,” says Linda Holmes, Langara College President. “As a place of higher learning that is committed to the concept of sustainability, we must set the bar when it comes to progressive decisions. I challenge all other academic institutions to meet or exceed what we have done.”
In March, the University of Guelph, Canada’s premier agricultural university, committed to cutting whole eggs from caged hens from campus cafeterias as of September. Langara has exceeded Guelph’s initiative by using cage-free shell and liquid eggs and starting immediately.
“We strive to make each campus dining program unique,” says Chris Koroneos, Chartwells’ Director of Food Services at Langara College. “Langara made it clear that animal welfare and sustainability are key concerns for them, and so we have worked to help them meet their commitment to these values.”
Langara’s decision comes ahead of a number of other universities and colleges racing to become the next cage-free egg campus, including Simon Fraser University, the University of BC, the University of Ottawa, Concordia University, McGill University, BC Institute of Technology and the University of Toronto.
Contact:
Bruce Passmore, Vancouver Humane Society: (c) 604-603-5401, (o) 604-266-9744
Cindy Harris, Compass Group Canada (Chartwells): (o) 905-568-4636 ext.432, (c) 647-262-7927
Linda Holmes, President of Langara College: (o) 604 323-5215
