We Are IH: Food service supervisor inspired by Elders

Always ready to learn, grow, work and support her team, Nicky has helped the dietary department at CMH thrive. 

The department was one of the few that remained open during the pandemic, allowing Nicky and her team to continue providing meals for the Meals on Wheels program. “Without this service, many seniors in our community would have been left without nutritious meals throughout that difficult time,” she explains.

One of Nicky’s proudest moments was the launch of the Indigenous food menu in 2018. Before she became a supervisor, there were discussions about adding traditional foods to CMH’s LTC menu. After stepping into her new role, Nicky was invited to a First Nations meeting to discuss how to introduce the menu. She’s deeply grateful for the dedication and passion from all those involved in making this a reality.

"From the Elders who shared their traditional recipes like deer and elk stew, salmon chowder, baked Bannock and yeast bread, to the Elder who voluntarily trained our staff on the traditional way to prepare and cook the meals, to the Food Services team who went above and beyond, we launched this important project within four months. I am also proud to say that we continue to provide a traditional recipe once a week for all our LTC residents.”

“When I first started working for IH, there was a beautiful Elder who was a resident at Deni House LTC. I would see her every time I went there to deliver meals. She would sit in her wheelchair every day— morning until bedtime—at the front of the elevators. I knew I would see her every time I went over to deliver. I loved stopping by and talking with her; she was such a sweetheart!

I always thought to myself ‘I think she is just hoping and waiting for that one day when those elevator doors will open and someone from her home area out West will come and take her home.’ I knew that wasn’t going to happen, so I asked one of my very good First Nations friends to teach me some Chilcotin.

I learned how to say, ‘Good morning,’ ‘How are you doing today?’ and ‘You look so pretty today.’

When I would go over and step off the elevator, I would greet her with some of the Chilcotin I had learned. She would have the biggest smile on her face and motion me over towards her and try teaching me the correct pronunciation. We would smile at each other, and I would reassure her that I would keep practicing and one day I would get it right! We would hug and smile and wait until the next time we would meet, and I would try again.

She’s no longer with us, but she was my inspiration when I was given the opportunity to introduce the traditional foods menu. I often think of her and wish she could have been able to enjoy having a family member or friend walk off the elevator, speak to her in her own language, and dine with her over one of her traditional dishes. I am sure she would have loved that!

There are only a few of us in the department who remember her, but she is still an inspiration and helps us stay focused on making the traditional foods menu an ongoing success.”

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