2015-2017

From Guadeloupe to Haiti, Northern Quebec to the Northwest Territories, Moms of Montreal invites visitors into the kitchens of families in Montreal through photography, food and storytelling.

The inspiration for this project came from making samosas with my mom. Samosas, are the snacks of togetherness in my family, things that people make, eat and enjoy together over a good conversation and delicious chutneys that go along with them. My mom came to Canada from Uganda over 30 years ago, following her family who fled Idi Amin’s violent dictatorship. Since then, she has worked as a nurse in a downtown Vancouver hospital, completely integrating into Canadian society. In the kitchen, it’s another story. Here, the smells, tastes and memories of her country live strong. I haven’t lived at home for a long-time, but whenever I go back I try and learn something from her, to try and learn about her past and uncover some of the culinary secrets she has stirring in her mind.

11 families participated in the project in which children took photographs of their mom cooking a traditional meal, and I photographed the families cooking together as well as captured the story behind the dish and the mom’s journey to Montreal.

This project hopes to create a sense of connection and understanding about different cultures in Montreal through multiple senses - taste, touch, sight and smell.

This project is currently under redevelopment. If you would like to learn more about the project you can watch Salima speaking about it on CBC Montreal's Our Montreal.