Led by members of the Community Oriented Response and Engagement Unit (CORE), the Spring Forward Food Drive has, over the past four years, collected more than 67,000 pounds of food and $42,000 in cash and gift card donations from generous members of the public and local businesses.

This year, CORE officers are once again teaming up with 10 local food banks and 13 grocery stores to help address the growing need for food support across the Niagara region. Unlike traditional food drives that focus on the holiday season, Spring Forward was created to tackle year-round food insecurity affecting families and individuals in our community.

The NRPS encourages everyone in Niagara to participate and, if able, consider making a donation to support this important initiative.

Stephen Metelsky is a professor, author and contributing writer at The Hamilton Spectator and Hamilton City Magazine. He will be discussing his book Undercover and presenting the five-part Hamilton Spectator crime series that ran in February 2025 involving the RCMPs largest undercover mafia project in Hamilton.