Barb’s Journey of Healing Through Food and Community
by Titash Choudhury
Barb and Colin celebrated their first year living in Killarney a year ago. Barb’s partner, Colin, is an English professor at Mount Royal University. Barb is a chef, a teacher, a farmer, and so much more. Her kids are twenty-two and twenty-five, both in college. For her, Killarney was a moment of finding home, feeling a deeper connection to the neighbourhood, and beginning to build roots in a community where she finally feels at ease.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Barb moved to Calgary and spent many years in the southwest, living in Altadore and Marda Loop. She often drove through Killarney via 26 Avenue and always thought it was a lovely neighbourhood. On the day she and Colin moved in, they were greeted with warmth by their neighbours, and she immediately knew this would be their home for a long time.
Barb Sheldon has spent her career connecting people to food across cultures and communities. She runs a community garden in Sunalta for marginalized groups, recently completed a Master’s degree in food security, and is also an author and the host of the podcast Food Stories. Over the past twenty-five years, she has worked as a nutrition educator, researcher, writer, recipe developer, curriculum designer, caterer, lecturer, and advocate. Her teaching has taken her from home kitchens and food trucks to inner city schools, international restaurants, and universities.
Her work is rooted in food justice and building stronger local food systems. After teaching across North America, Barb realised that a nine-to-five job did not offer the freedom she needed to make impact in the food access world. Opening her kitchen allowed her to centre food literacy in everything she does. Shaped by her own experiences, she committed to supporting minorities who struggle to access education and groceries.
Barb shared that while Killarney Glengarry is diverse and, in many ways, well off, food insecurity is still a quiet reality as many face barriers to food access. In Calgary and Alberta, one in four households experiences it. Prices keep rising, and even homeowners feel the strain. For newcomers, the challenges grow with rising costs, limited transit, and language gaps.
Barb believes Calgary’s Food Resilience Strategy is a good first step, but there is much more to do. That is why she started the Rainbow Garden Society, a community garden run by queer and marginalized groups. It offers free cooking and gardening programs, and all the food grown is donated back to the community.
She has learned that collaboration is key. She is inspired daily by the people in her garden program who, despite facing deep challenges, show kindness, help others, and lead change. Sharing seeds and working with other groups makes Calgary feel like one big garden.
The biggest barriers she sees are a lack of funding and people not feeling they deserve support. To her, belonging is as important as money. She dreams of food festivals led by equity-deserving groups, where diversity is not just welcomed but celebrated. She wants to see more neighbours step into leadership and feel seen.
As a Killarney Glengarry resident, Barb and her partner support local spots like 28 Beans, a small café on 28 Street that sells fresh-roasted coffee on an honour system, and Buffalo 9, her favourite tap room. She dreams of more volunteer-run gardens, a community fridge or pantry, and spaces where food is shared freely. She says, “food, culture, and community belong together at the table, at a potluck, anywhere neighbours gather. When you know better, you do better.”
They love the neighbourhood, walking their dog, biking the streets, and trading rhubarb and potatoes with neighbours. If you meet Barb, she will give you a warm hug and definitely feed you.
Photos courtesy of Barb Sheldon.
Thank you for taking the time to read our new series, Humans of Killarney. Share your story, your neighbour’s story, or the story of inspiring community members with Humans of Killarney. Contact Titash Choudhury at [email protected] to nominate someone for Humans of Killarney.
As the KGCA celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, we’re excited to deepen our commitment to the community by introducing new events, programming, and initiatives designed to connect us all.
Stay tuned for next month’s issue!
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