Taffinder honoured for Dunrobin cooking class

DUNROBIN – On Sunday, Oct. 27 the Dunrobin Cooking/Life Skills Class celebrated its 10th anniversary, and participants celebrated the woman at the heart of the program, Tracy Taffinder with a surprise party that moved her to tears.

The cooking program is volunteer run and is just a part of the unique specialty programming offered by the Dunrobin Community Association (DCA). It is popular not just in West Carleton, but across the city, because of the accessibility and the affordability, due largely to the volunteer effort led by Taffinder.

West Carleton Online visited the cooking class in 2019, and you can read that story here. For Centrepoint’s Mari Dressler, the program has meant the world to her. Her son Keenan is a Day 1 member.

“Tracy developed and started this program at the Dunrobin Community Centre 10 years ago,” Dressler told West Carleton Online Tuesday (Oct. 29). “It has grown to be an incredible learning environment for her students. This is a place for students to safely explore the world of cooking, expand their culinary skills and enjoy their exploits.”

The six-week program runs three times a year, once in fall, winter and spring and teaches participants, not only some cooking skills, but also making budgets, shopping and independence.

“My son was one of her first students,” Dressler said. “He’s been there ever since.”

And Dressler says she’s noticed a difference in Keenan.

“Oh my gosh, I believe he gets independence, a sense of accomplishment, and he can do what others can do – he can cook his own meal,” Dressler said. “They have to shop, pick out ingredients, read, measure and cook. They’ve barbecued steak, they’ve made ice cream, Tracy changes the themes. One year it was meals from around the world. It’s so varied. It’s incredible. My son can make me breakfast. It’s been phenomenal.”

And Dressler gives most of that credit to Taffinder.

“She’s such a huge driving force,” Dressler said. “I don’t know what inspires her, but the one thing you can see is her passion. She could run the program herself. The kids love it. She does everything she can to encourage the kids and makes sure everyone has fun.”

Taffinder’s daughter Laura is also a participant.

Dressler says next week will be the first time her son Keenan has missed a class in 10 years.

“Every year there’s something new,” Dressler said. “People across the city have reached out to her to see if they could copy the program. It’s that well done.”

Dressler says the surprise celebration worked.

“She was crying as soon as we said happy anniversary,” Dressler said. “It was a surprise, and she had no idea. She’s a diamond and we treasure her. She means everything to the parents and the participants.”