Chef Shane Chartrand
I came, I saw, I cooked
[ Bio ]
Away from and between the Alberta cities of Edmonton and Calgary most locals are just a stone’s throw from the dusty summer trails, wheat fields and pastures that are the hallmark of the Canadian mid-west. Shane Chartrand grew up here, on an acreage in the midst of the Canadian prairies.
Shane’s family raised chickens and water fowl and hunted wild game. Throughout his childhood Shane learned to grow, prepare and respect food. Later, moving to the city, he pursued a culinary career.
Chef Shane Chartrand
After graduating from the Culinary Arts Program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Shane worked with award-winning chefs, trained in fine restaurants and hotels, and honed his culinary skills.
Once established with a respectable and growing reputation, Shane reached out to his community. He began by participating in special events, supporting local charities, and teaching Aboriginal youth to fend for themselves in the kitchen. Shane remembered that success is more than simply framed credentials. He knows the meaning of shared responsibility and the power of giving back.
Culinary competitions, charitable and otherwise, play a prominent role in Shane’s desire to expand his experience and training. The winner of numerous culinary awards, he is regularly featured in editorial columns, magazines, and videos and blogs easily found online.
He continues to spread the word and worth of his craft, teaching cooking classes and writing food columns for SAY magazine, Native Peoples magazine, and the First Nations Drum newspaper.
He includes aboriginal dishes in the menus he prepares (a feature he calls “Progressive Canadian Indigenous”) and enjoys sharing recipes with an enthusiastic new generation of aboriginal youth.
“Cooking is all I have ever done,” he says happily. “I cook, see, learn, and cook some more!”
Shane supports Kids With Cancer, the Make-A-Wish foundation and the CNIB. It’s the same devotion to community that is so proudly reflected in the way he promotes his indigenous cuisine and ancestry.
Twitter: @chefchartrand
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