
Smoked tomato soup was one of 12 soups available to sample at Stone Soup 2015. PHOTO: Nolan Bicknell
You could say that it caused quite a stir in downtown Winnipeg over the lunch hour.
The third annual Stone Soup event, which raises funds for the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, took place on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Manitoba Hydro Place lobby.
During the event, Hon. Peter Bjornson, Minister of Education and Advanced Learning, announced the Government of Manitoba is increasing the amount of annual funding it provides to the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba by $200,000, bringing the annual total to $976,000.
“We all know how important it is for children to have a good meal when they start their school day,” said Bjornson. “We’ve been very proud to support the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, who works tirelessly to achieve this goal.”

Hon. Peter Bjornson, Minister of Education and Advanced Learning, makes funding announcement at Stone Soup 2015. PHOTO: Nolan Bicknell
For a minimum $10 donation, Stone Soup attendees had the chance to sample three bowls of soup from a variety of local restaurants and chefs, along with bread and fruit. A cookbook with recipes from some of the chefs was also included for a minimum $20 donation.
Over 12 soups were available for attendees to choose from, including the judges’ choice, solyanka (a hearty Russian meat soup) from chef Jess Young at Buffalo Stone Café, and the peoples’ choice as voted by attendees, a chicken ragu with cashew kale chips from chef Fern Kirouac at Inferno’s Bistro. Eight other restaurants took part in Stone Soup, along with the culinary arts programs at Red River College and R.B. Russell Vocational High School.
River City 360 interviewed Viola Prowse, the Executive Director of the Child Nutrition Council, prior to the event, where she discussed how the council works to provide children with access to healthy meals and the significance of the Stone Soup moniker:
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Tune in to River City 360 this Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on 93.7 CJNU-FM for more coverage from the event.
The Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba is one of 860 charitable organizations that received a grant from The Winnipeg Foundation in 2014.