The University is offering a new service to help keep Queen’s and the broader Kingston community stay safe: Campus Market.

Implemented by Queen’s Hospitality Services, Campus Market is a contactless grocery delivery service available to students within a four-kilometre radius of the University, at a two-dollar fee. It seeks to maintain social distancing protocols and reduce numbers in local grocery stores amidst the pandemic.  

“We are keeping this fee low to be as accessible as possible to students on a budget,” Kimberly Gascoigne, marketing coordinator for Hospitality Services, wrote in a statement to The Journal. 

Students can select a date and time for delivery at checkout, available Monday to Friday, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Staff members package orders in brown paper bags and follow the delivery instructions for a specified delivery spot. 

Hospitality Services follows all Public Health guidelines and offers contactless deliveries to maintain safety measures.

According to Gascoigne, the dry goods and meats come from Sysco Canada and produce is provided by long-time local partner, Tony Deodato & Sons. 

“Fresh vegetables and fruit from Deodato’s are provided from a variety of up to 27 different farms from across Ontario and Quebec,” Gascoigne wrote. “Produce deliveries are made daily to Ban Righ dining hall, allowing us to return fresh produce to students.” 

The program, an extension of Hospitality Services’ QGift program, aims to offer a convenient and safe grocery option to students living on- and off-campus. 

The program is currently in use by students and parents, with several students using meal plan FLEX dollars to purchase groceries, according to Gascoigne.

“Parents are able to send their students groceries as well as care packages through this program,” she wrote. 

Addressing the challenges presented by COVID-19, Gascoigne said the program was implemented after recognizing that students needed to access a safe alternative to going to the grocery store. 

To further address student dietary needs, Hospitality Services added prepared meals and snacks from the campus on-site commissary, new Campus Bake Shop items, and grocery gift cards to the service. 

“The long-term goal is to continue this program is to use it as a platform that supports our students on and off campus, year-round,” Gascoigne wrote. “We are currently reviewing feedback from our students about the program and are looking to continue to expand and meet the changing needs.”