Hub Staff

Saugeen Shores Council has tentatively approved a Nut Aware and Education Policy within its municipal facilities.

In a report to Saugeen Shores Council May 14, the policy compliments the existing Allergy Aware Policy and states that promotional material will encourage guests and staff to avoid bringing foods that contain nuts into facilities including the Plex, Centennial Pool, Southampton Town Hall, Southampton Coliseum, and active park canteens.

The report also stated that vending machines have been removed to avoid cross contamination and that signage has been installed in visible locations indicating that the facilities are “nut aware.”

Saugeen Shores staff have been trained on how to deal with anaphylaxis and canteen providers as well as groups and individuals booking municipal facilities have been made aware of the policy.

“Patron safety is of utmost importance,” said Saugeen Shores Mayor Mike Smith in a Saugeen Shores media release. “The Nut Aware and Education Policy will help to protect those with allergies when using municipal facilities, and demonstrates our continued commitment to inclusion,” he added.

Southampton’s Elly Ward, along with Owen Sound’s Jennifer Trenbeth, was involved in the City of Owen Sound implementing an Anaphylaxis Policy which states that nuts and products that list nuts as an ingredient will not be sold by vendors in city owned facilities such as Julie McArthur Recreation Centre and the Harry Lumley Community Centre; and that the city will take action to educate the general public about Anaphylaxis. Ward brought her plea to Saugeen Shores.

See: Moms making moves for a safer, “nut aware” community

“As a mother of a child with a life threatening peanut allergy, I approached the Town of Saugeen Shores in early 2017 asking that they create nut aware spaces,” said Ward in a statement May 15. “My son has previously reacted at a public space simply by touch with a severe anaphylactic reaction followed by a secondary biphasic reaction hours later. Two ER visits in one day are too many for a child,” she added.