Canadian Yachting February 2021 - 14

DESTINATION | SALT SPRING ISLAND

SALT SPRING ISLAND
- WITH GOURMET FOOD & DRINK -

Story and photos | Marianne Scott
Salt Spring Island, the largest among
the Gulf Islands, has a certain mystique-
much of it having to do with locally produced food. It started thousands of years
ago when the Coast Salish First Nations
used the Island as a summer camp, collecting wild foods while also processing
the abundant sea-food for winter sustenance. In the 19th century, five main
groups settled here and began farming:
Northern Europeans-some of whom had
abandoned gold rush dreams; Hawaiians
brought here by Vancouver Island's second governor, James Douglas; Black
Americans who left California to find freedom and dignity; and Japanese who liked
the climate for farming. It's a temperate
rain-forest climate, with wet winters and
hot, dry summers. Farms continue to dot
the landscape. An enterprising couple has
even planted a successful olive grove with
a plentiful harvest in 2019. Who would
have imagined " Made in Canada " olive
oil?
Captain Passage leads boaters to
Ganges, Salt Spring's " capital, " and is
one of our favourite waterways. We've
hooked down in several anchorages, as
well as docked. This time, we arrived in

late summer on a brilliant day, the water
transparent, the chain of islands on starboard full of birdlife, a few leaves turning
golden among the jade-green conifers.
Ganges Marina is conveniently located
near the town's shops and restaurants.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 had cancelled
the Saturday Market, normally one of
Ganges' great attractions featuring local
foods, crafts and music. I wandered
around in the downtown area, peeking in
at the wonderful art galleries and Mouat's
Trading Co., but missed the bustle of the
usual summer tourist season.
For that reason, I signed up for something different. While my husband made
a boat repair, I went on the Salt Spring
Culinary Tour. It was a good decision.
I met the tour owner, Carolyn Flam
Sharp, at the dock and we climbed into
her spacious BMW SUV. Her company,
GOPacGolf, also organizes personalized
golf vacations that may also include the
culinary tour. Normally, Carolyn runs
three customized culinary tours a week
from June through September. The tours'
itineraries may vary, depending on customer preference. If people want to experience and taste farm products, the tour

CANADIAN YACHTING | FEBRUARY 2021

differs from those wishing for introductions to Salt Spring wine and spirits producers. This time I was the only guest; we
physically distanced by my sitting in the
rear seat and both of us wearing masks
when in the car's confines.

" They went organic
decades before
supermarkets decided it
was trendy. "
On the way to our ﬁrst stop, I learned
more about the Island. It's a highly diverse
community. In the 1960s and '70s, Salt
Spring was a popular destination for hippies and US draft dodgers, many of whom
stayed raising livestock and establishing small businesses. They went organic
decades before supermarkets decided it
was trendy. Artists and artisans number
in the hundreds. But not only the browneggs-and-beads people discovered the
pleasures of island life. Recently, Salt
Spring-based InDro Robotics was the first
Canadian company to employ drones to

Canadian Yachting February 2021

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