The following has been contributed by Steffani Cameron, who lives and works in Victoria. Just before the pandemic she completed a 4-year worldwide adventure that she has chronicled at FullNomad.com.
The Old Grist Mill Pantry Share
There are folks with passions and there are geeks. Chris Mathieson is a geek. His whole career has been a series of geek-outs – Executive Director at Vancouver’s Police Museum, Assistant Director at a gifted teens’ excursion called the Satori Camp in Spokane, Washington. Today, he’s the head geek and chief nerd of all things food, history, and garden at the Old Grist Mill & Garden in Keremeos.
These days, that means rolling up his sleeves and creating great edible delights from the bounty grown at the Old Grist Mill and the surrounding farms and offered through their delectable “Pantry Share Program.”
If you’ve never been, the Old Grist Mill in Keremeos is a wonderland where heritage agriculture meets history in Canada’s food basket of the Similkameen Valley, adjacent to the famous big sibling, the Okanagan. Nestled in a valley the Crowsnest Highway slices through, the Grist Mill and Keremeos are often overlooked by those in hot pursuit of wine-tasting in the Okanagan.
But it’s a highly recommended stop.
When it’s not a pandemic, that is.
The grounds are gorgeous – the perfect place to get out and stretch your legs after a long drive. Explore the heritage gardens, learn about the importance of seed-saving in significant agricultural regions like the Similkameen and Okanagan. But then eat in their terrific restaurant – good, honest fare that’s well-priced and locally sourced.
Proprietor since 2013, Mathieson loves the Grist Mill’s gardens and its food-history contribution to BC. In his early years, restoring the grist mill was a labour of love done to precision. Today, he’s using a well-earned grant to expand their historical gardens.
As a true history geek, of course his first step in creating the new grant-driven gardens was to dive into research at the provincial archives in Victoria, where I caught up with him and took a delivery of some of the world-class preserves he’s been cranking out of their kitchen.
Mathieson is outspoken and passionate on everything from heirloom vegetables to social responsibility, so he’s been first in line with cancelling camping reservations or closing their doors when public safety has a priority. But doing the right thing doesn’t mean the pandemic hasn’t taken a toll on his tourist-driven business too.
Luckily, his knowledge of food and food history meant he could turn to something else to raise funds – the art of preservation.
Latching onto the trending “Consumer-Supported Agriculture” (CSA) programs out there, he launched their “Pantry Share Program” three years ago, but it exploded in popularity during 2020, thanks to the pandemic.
How the Pantry Share Works
Essentially, you pay in advance for guaranteed product from their upcoming harvest. So, you pay to secure $200 or more worth of preserves from whatever harvest the Grist Mill has this year. That puts you front of the line for this year’s Lilac Jelly or “Cowboy Candy” Candied Jalapeno. You choose the products you want – out of some 120 or so products.
The Old Grist Mill is a purveyor of preservations of a different ilk. With over 200 edible plants and fruits, many being heirloom varieties, on the Grist Mill’s 12 acres of heritage gardens, plus a strong showing from Keremeos’ local producers, they’re banging out over 10,000 jars of artisanal preserves a season.
Running the joint since 2013, preservation isn’t new to Mathieson, since that’s what historical food was all about. But he’s been ramping their project up every season.
From chutneys to powders to jellies and puddings, his curiosity and ongoing quest for innovation means he loves product research and experimentation.
As is explained on the Grist Mill Pantry Share page, “For every $100 in your share, you can expect to receive an average of ten jars (110mL jars for jellies, 375mL and 500mL for pickles, and 190mL for almost anything else) of product across all of our kinds of products.” It works out to about a 15% discount off retail pricing.
The products include jellies and jams, salsas, chutneys, powders, and even seasonal products, like their famous boozy Christmas fruitcake. Learn more about the program and sign up here.
Being a food nerd myself, I was chuffed to try out some of the Grist Mill’s products that Mathieson sent my way. Turns out, when you’ve got a history nerd with a passion for cooking, it results in some tasty and unique product!
Please help keep an important part of BC’s food history alive in Keremeos. All it takes is buying and eating delicious things to support one of BC’s great food communities.
Win a $200 Pantry Share Credit
You can join the Pantry Share! Miss604 is giving away a $200 credit, which means you’ll get a delivery of this wonderful, delicious bounty right to your door when they do their next run. Here’s how you can enter to win:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a $200 @Old_Grist_Mill Pantry Share credit and get the bounty of this heritage garden in the Similkameen Valley delivered right to your door http://ow.ly/JRMC50EGRmB” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
One winner will be drawn at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, May 13, 2021. Winner must live within the delivery area which is Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley or Okanagan. UPDATE! The winner is Heather.
This weekend BC Youth Week wraps up dozens of events for youth, by youth, organized in communities across the province. But as one series of activities ends, another begins! Burnaby Village Museum is now open, there are some cool new online talks, workshops, and arts programs opening up, and there’s a drive-through food truck festival in Chilliwack! Find all of these and more things to do in Vancouver this weekend below:
As British Columbians plan ahead for summer travel, Malahat SkyWalk will open in July 2021 as the newest outdoor experience on Vancouver Island providing the ‘ultimate natural high.’
Malahat SkyWalk Photo credit Malahat SkyWalk
Malahat Skywalk to Open Summer 2021
“Malahat SkyWalk will provide British Columbians with a new, world-class tourism experience to enjoy right in their own backyard,” says Ken Bailey, General Manager. “Local guests will have the opportunity to be the first to visit, giving us the chance to connect with our community. We want to be something British Columbians are proud of and bring their family and friends to experience.”
Located 35 minutes north of Victoria, this new attraction will immerse visitors in nature along a 600m long accessible, elevated walkway through an Arbutus and Douglas Fir forest, leading to a 10-storey, architecturally-inspiring spiral tower lookout – the first of its kind in British Columbia.
The unique setting on the traditional territory of the Malahat Nation offers opportunities for local storytelling, cultural celebration and natural interpretive education.
Rising 250m above sea level, guests will enjoy 360-degree views of two countries, including Finlayson Arm, Saanich Inlet, Saanich Peninsula, Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands, Mt. Baker and the Coast Mountain range. On the descent, guests can opt to return to ground level by taking an exhilarating ride on a 20m spiral slide.
Guests will find a deeper connection to nature learning about the trees, birds, animals and marine life of this coastal region unique to BC. Malahat SkyWalk is located on the traditional territory of the Malahat Nation and their Indigenous stories will also be embedded throughout the experience.
Bailey says this project is investing in Vancouver Island at a time when the economy is challenged by a global pandemic. “We are taking a long view, contributing to the sustainable, long-term growth of the tourism industry in BC by giving locals another exciting day-trip destination and offering future travellers a new reason to visit the island and stay longer.”
Malahat SkyWalk will confirm the exact date it will open in July in the immediate weeks leading up to opening. Once open, it will welcome guests seven days a week, 365 days a year, adhering to the BC Provincial Health Order and all required health and safety protocols.
Update – Tickets Available Now
July 1, 2021: Today, Malahat SkyWalk announced it will officially open to the public on Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 10:00am as the newest outdoor experience on Vancouver Island providing the ‘ultimate natural high.’
Tickets are available now for advance purchase and will also be for sale on-site at the Welcome Centre upon opening. Tickets offer flexibility to guests as they are valid for one-year from date of purchase eliminating any need for reservations or timed entry.
Admission to Malahat SkyWalk is $31.95 (adult), $28.95 (senior 65+), $18.95 (child age 6-17), $86.00 for a Family Pass (two adults, two children) and to add-on a child to a family day ticket is $18.00. Malahat SkyWalk also offers an Annual Pass for $87.00 (adult), $79.00 (senior), $52.00 (child) and $225.00 for a Family Pass. Children age five and under are free. Taxes are applicable to all tickets and passes.
5 Beautiful Destination Hikes Near Vancouver Off The Beaten Path
Punch Bowl Pass is one of 55 hikes in a new book, Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia. Photo: Stephen Hui
With everyone raring to get outside these days, solitude can be difficult to find on some trails. Nevertheless, wherever there’s a popular trail, a “hidden gem” of sorts is often just a valley or two away. Here are five less-trafficked but well-established trails near Vancouver.
Cover courtesy Greystone Books / Stephen Hui photo by Sarah Palmer
Mount Nutt Viewpoints
Golden Ears. Photo: Stephen Hui
A very long day hike (or overnighter) and scramble to the top of Golden Ears is not essential to admire the rugged beauty of these twin summits. A shorter option is the trail to the ridge south of Mount Nutt, in Golden Ears Provincial Park and the territories of Katzie and Stó:lō First Nations. It’s a steep grind, but the payoff isn’t exactly peanuts.
Punch Bowl Pass
Punch Bowl. Photo: Stephen Hui
The pleasant hike to Punch Bowl Pass traverses sections of the historical Whatcom and Dewdney trails in Manning Provincial Park and the territories of the Nlaka’pamux, Stó:lō, and Syilx peoples. The often steep route heads up the valleys of Snass Creek and its east fork. Visit old-growth trees and subalpine meadows on the way to the pass overlooking the pretty lake at the headwaters of the Tulameen River.
Mount Lincoln
Fraser Canyon. Photo: Stephen Hui
Mount Lincoln offers commanding views of historic Yale and the foot of the Fraser Canyon. Steep and fun, with an average grade of 37%, the trail to the top makes for a satisfying little outing that’s off the beaten path. Lying in the territories of the Nlaka’pamux, Stó:lō, and Yale First Nations, Mount Lincoln is not for acrophobes due to a precarious section with aging ropes.
Crooked Falls
Sigurd Trail. Photo: Stephen Hui
The hike to Crooked Falls is about both the low-elevation destination and the not-so-long journey. There are ancient trees to hug and luxuriant mosses to feel en route to the waterfall. Follow the Sigurd Trail into the Squamish Nation’s Esté-tiwilh Wild Spirit Place, set aside as a spiritual and cultural sanctuary.
Eaton Lake
Eaton Creek. Photo: Stephen Hui
Eaton Lake fills a large mountain bowl in the Skagit Range, near Hope. It’s a sweet spot to float on your back and gaze at the sky. This trail, in the territories of the Nlaka’pamux and Stó:lō peoples, is demanding, but it repays your efforts by visiting old-growth trees and waterfalls en route to the satisfying destination.
Important reminders: Check current conditions, take the 10 essentials, leave a trip plan with a responsible person, and make sure to leave no trace.
My competitive side loves a good trivia night and when it supports a cause it’s even better! Use your knowledge for good by signing up for Aunt Leah’s Virtual Trivia Extravaganza — happening over two nights this month — to help raise funds to support foster youth and young moms with education.
Aunt Leah’s Virtual Trivia Extravaganza
When: May 15 and May 29, 2021 Where: Online Tickets: Register here for $20
While the in-person Aunt Leah’s Trivia Extravaganza couldn’t happen in 2020, they have moved online for two virtual events in May. Register and encourage your friends, family, coworkers, and social groups to play and donate to a great cause.
Can’t make one of those dates? You can host your own trivia event to support Aunt Leah’s. If your calendar is packed and can’t accommodate a trivia event, you can still be a superstar and support foster youth by participating in the online auction or donating.
Scotiabank has generously offered to match every donation dollar for dollar up to $25,000 in support of the SEFFY (Supporting Education for Foster Youth) Program. Aunt Leah’s Place helps prevent children in foster care from becoming homeless and mothers in need from losing custody of their children. To support them on their journey to self-sufficiency, they provide supported housing, job training, and coaching on essential life skills.
Miss604 is the proud Media Sponsor of the Virtual Trivia Extravaganza
Giveaway
I have two tickets to give away to the May 15th trivia extravaganza! That way you can sign up and also have a friend or family member join the fun from their screen at home. Here’s how you can enter to win:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to @AuntLeahs Virtual Trivia Night Extravaganza http://bit.ly/TriviaExtravaganza2021″ quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 9:00am on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. UPDATE the winner is Nicole-Ann!
