At the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, the Cégep de Valleyfield is welcoming two new products for its student clientele. The first is hairy, while the second will help reduce food waste.

Over the past few days, the college has added a new employee to its staff: Gustave, an assistance dog. This zootherapy pilot project is deployed on the main campus, and its mission is to support students.

Numerous studies have shown that contact with an animal greatly reduces stress. “Gustave belongs to Camille Deschamps, one of our specialized educators, and will sometimes accompany her to the office. He will visit the various departments, as well as supporting students in need. He will also be present at important events. We tested this pilot project last spring with some of our students with reduced mobility, and it was a great success. So we decided to bring it back this fall,” explains Cégep de Valleyfield General Manager Marc Rémillard.

The second initiative to be deployed this fall at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield campus comes from the Les Complices alimentaires organization. “The mission of this organization is to recover fruits and vegetables from market gardeners that cannot be sold, for example because of a defect, but are still edible. Once this is done, the organization's social integration workers cut them into small portions for freezing. All the bags are then placed in a fridge and sold in public places such as the Cégep de Valleyfield,” he adds.

Interestingly, the products are offered at various prices depending on the recipient's financial situation. “For example, if a student has more financial means, he or she will pay the full asking price, while another who is more vulnerable, will be able to pay less for the same portion. It's a great way of reducing food waste, as well as giving our students access to healthy products.”