Chef Wes knows his way around a professional kitchen. But after decades as a Red Seal Chef, educator, and program developer, he also knows that some of the most important things students learn in a kitchen have very little to do with recipes.
Today, Wes is bringing that experience to the Ottawa Catholic School Board, helping create hands-on culinary opportunities where students can build practical skills, explore possible careers and discover talents they may not have known they had.
As part of the OCSB Culinary Co-op at the Board Office, students have the opportunity to learn alongside Chef Wes, Chef Jennifer and Chef Chris, and while gaining real-world experience in a professional culinary environment.
For Wes, it is the latest chapter in a career built around a simple idea: learning looks different for everyone, and sometimes the right opportunity can open a door a student never expected.
From Professional Kitchens to the Classroom
Wes began his career in professional kitchens before bringing that experience into education as a hospitality professor at Algonquin College.
Over the years, food became more than a career. It became a way to teach practical skills, build confidence, connect people with culture and create opportunities for learners who may not always thrive in a traditional classroom.
That philosophy has taken Wes into some very different learning environments.
In 2016, in partnership with Indigenous elders, Wes helped develop the Indigenous Cooks Program, described as the first full-time program of its kind, centred on Indigenous perspectives and featuring Indigenous chefs teaching traditional foods and ways of knowing.
He also developed The Art of Barista, an international applied-learning experience in partnership with Costa Rica that combined training at Algonquin College with hands-on learning at a coffee plantation.
At Algonquin, Wes created a Kitchen Steward Program designed to provide students with learning challenges with practical experience in a supportive environment. He also developed culinary training for Syrian refugees, connecting hands-on skills with employment opportunities and a new beginning in Canada.
Different programs. Different learners. Different communities.
But the idea behind them was remarkably consistent: meet people where they are, give them the opportunity to learn by doing and help them see where those skills might take them.
Bringing That Experience to OCSB
Now, Wes is bringing that same approach to OCSB students.
In July 2024, he helped develop the OCSB Culinary Skills Program, building on his years of experience creating practical learning opportunities for people with different strengths, needs and goals.
For Wes, culinary education isn’t simply about teaching students how to cook. The kitchen becomes a classroom for skills that travel well beyond food: teamwork, communication, responsibility, creativity, problem-solving and confidence.
It can also give students a chance to see themselves differently.
A student who may struggle to find their place in one learning environment can discover that they are a leader in another. Someone who has never considered a career in hospitality can suddenly see a pathway. And a student who simply loves working with their hands can begin to understand that those skills have real value.
Wes has seen that happen throughout his career. Now, he has the opportunity to help make it happen for OCSB students.
“Chef Wes, you are a leader, mentor, veteran and have great humour. I love your teaching and appreciate you as a person greatly.” Says Jayden, a Culinary Co-op Student.
Building More Than a Culinary Program
There is something fitting about a chef being asked to help build a program from scratch.
You start with the ingredients you have. You understand who you are serving. You create, adjust and learn along the way.
Chef Wes has spent much of his career doing exactly that.
From professional restaurants and post-secondary education to Indigenous-focused culinary programming, newcomer training and applied learning for students who need a different way to learn, his career has consistently brought food, education and opportunity to the same table.
At OCSB, that experience is helping create new opportunities for students to learn in ways that are practical, meaningful and connected to the real world.
It is also a wonderful example of what it means to Nourish New Beginnings. Sometimes, a new beginning starts with discovering something you are good at. Sometimes it starts with someone giving you an opportunity to try.
And sometimes, the most important thing you can give a student isn’t a recipe.
It’s a Place to Begin.
Students interested in the OCSB Culinary Co-op at the Board Office, where they can train under the guidance of Chef Wes, Chef Chris and Chef Jennifer, are encouraged to fill out this form, and speak with their guidance counsellor to learn more.
