Falls Food Hub Operations Lead Ashley Saunders speaks to the crowd at the facilities official opening.
The Falls Food Hub has officially opened its new Smiths Falls home, turning years of planning, fundraising and construction into a permanent community space at 41 Chambers Street.
The Table Community Food Centre marked the grand opening Thursday with donors, volunteers, municipal representatives, business supporters, board members and staff. The celebration came a couple of weeks after a soft opening allowed the new site, located in the Giant Tiger mall, to begin serving the community.
Operations lead Ashley Saunders has been closely involved in getting the Smiths Falls program established and says the work has become personally meaningful.
Thursday’s opening also brought back former executive director Ramsey Hart, who was involved during the years when the project was still being developed.
Executive director Rob Rainer joined The Table in June 2025 and quickly learned the Falls Food Hub would be one of the organization’s major projects.
Past and Present: Former ED of the Table CFC Ramsey Hart and current ED Rob Rainer.
Renovations began last September and accelerated early this year before wrapping up near the end of July. General contractor 2B Canada Construction helped transform the former space into the hub now in use. Rainer says t’s exactly what they hoped for.
Saunders says the hub is being operated with a small staff, making its growing volunteer base an important part of delivering programs.
Close to half a million dollars was raised for the renovations. Support included Farm Credit Canada, the federal government, Commonwealth Insurance, United Way through its Hard Hat Heroes program, individual donors and the Town of Smiths Falls. Rainer says the project exemplifies community spirit.
The new location gives the Falls Food Hub room to continue expanding food, community lunches and social programming while creating more opportunities for people to connect.
Hart says that work is driven by the people behind it.
Saunders says residents are encouraged to stay connected, ask questions and take part in programs.
With the opening complete, she is already looking ahead. Saunders expects to take a slightly slower pace for a few weeks, but says plans are taking shape and 2027 is looking bright for the Falls Food Hub.
For those who helped get it there, the grand opening offered a chance to celebrate how far the project has come — and what can now grow from its new Chambers Street home.
