Meet the woman connecting remote North Coast BC communities to fresh, local food – and what's next for 2026
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Sharing the Harvest: Dianne and the North Coast Food Hub
On my tour of the emerging North Coast Food Hub, Dianne Villesèche drove me through the rain to show me five school sites across Prince Rupert, BC, where something remarkable is taking root.
“And this,” she gestured to the squared-off foundation next to the defunct Westview School, “will be a 25×98-foot greenhouse. All the food grown here will be distributed through the school food programs, the Friendship House, Salvation Army, and Food Bank, and sold at a community market.”
It was November. 1,300 garlic bulbs had been planted, and vegetables growing in greenhouses were seeing only 10.5 hours of daylight filtered through rain clouds. By summer, these northern gardens will have 18.5 hours of light – and a community coming together to grow food for a school food program, and those who need it most.
Working alongside School District 52, the City of Prince Rupert, Indigenous communities, teachers, and students on Ts’msyen territory, Dianne is helping to shepherd a school-centred food system for a remote city facing BC's highest rates of child poverty and food insecurity. From her grandmother's teachings to fishing the coast to gardening in the Yukon, her life has prepared her for this collaborative work.
And they're just getting started.
New & Noteworthy
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Careers: Join our team on the docks
Are you looking for a job working outside directly with fisheries and eager to gain experience in the environmental field? We are hiring part-time seasonal Dockside Monitors for the T’aaq-wiihak and other fisheries on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, located in Tofino or Gold River.
Where we work
“Long ago, people travelled these paths to trap, trade, and spend time on the land. Today, the forest continues to provide refuge for wildlife, humans, and plants. I caught my breath and a new sense of purpose as we carried onward." Read more about our time in the upper Skeena watershed region in BC with our partner in A Week in the Wilp Gwininitxw Protected Area: Lessons from the Land.
P.S. Reply and let us know if we should write more profiles like Dianne's – or if you'd rather see deep dives into our programs.
Proving the Possible
Ecotrust Canada works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities toward building an economy that provides for a healthy and resilient natural environment; sustainable and abundant energy, food, and housing; prosperous and meaningful livelihoods; and vibrant cultures and inclusive societies. We call this approach, building an economy that provides for life.
Thank you for your continued support!
The Ecotrust Canada Team
