You may be surprised to learn that Gabriola is at the forefront of a worldwide movement in food, a movement that honours local, organic, seasonal, sustainable and ethically produced foods; a revival or renaissance of grassroots thinking.

            We are hunter-gathers who shop from farmgate to farmgate, preferring foods that travel the shortest distance between their point of origin and our table. We also enjoy and understand the importance of knowing the history of everything we feed our families. This may sound somewhat exaggerated and over-analyzed, but if you really think about “shopping Gabriola,” and the importance we on Gabriola put on buying fresh from the market and other local vendors, you may find that this describes you!

            Jordan and I had reservations for the big ferry and so had to kill some time before we could arrive at the terminal. We were “killing” time in my favourite hunter-gatherer way: shopping. One of my favourite shops in Nanaimo is McLean’s on Fitzwilliam. They carry the most amazing inventory of condiments that I have ever seen, and cheeses that you won’t find anywhere else. I was selecting some of the Stilton I like, when I saw what I knew was a wheel of cheese (from my girlhood in Ontario dairy country), but what many others might be hard pressed to identify. I was obviously curious about this large grey cylinder that looked more like something you would tie a boat to than something edible, and Sandy McLean, with some help from her husband Eric, happily explained about aging cheddar using cheesecloth wrapping as opposed to the more appetizing looking and usual wax. She assured me that the wrap would be removed and discarded when they were ready to cut into the block. I say “happily” because you can tell immediately that this woman loves her job and is proud of her shop and the quality of her products. She knows the history of everything she sells: top-quality imports and plenty of Island products.

            As I listened to her, Jordan was thumbing through an attractive book from a pile at the till: An Edible Journey, by Elizabeth Levinson. A McLean’s business card was conveniently placed to open the book at a section on Nanaimo and McLean’s itself. When Sandy noticed our interest in the book, she segued into a story about the book release party at The Glow, a Nanaimo restaurant featured in the book, and from there, she went into an amusing anecdote about some confusion between The Glow and The Globe. It is easy to see that people don’t return to this shop solely for the food. I quickly read through the index, and seeing Gabriola listed, I purchased a copy for our trip.

            I read that book from cover to cover on the ferry. The author, who lives and writes about food in Victoria, had taken trips around the islands, from Sooke to Cortes; Tofino to Saturna. Her focus is clearly on island food growers and producers, as well as cafes, restaurants, B & B’s, inns, shops and farmers’ markets, where she has found people who are dedicated to providing the best in Island products and who believe in the importance of local, seasonal and organic. When local is not available, she respects the efforts made to source out the best in organic and artisanal substitutes. I found stories about the people who grow and produce island cheeses and ice cream; flour and baked goods; honey and eggs; wine and beer; poultry and meats; tofu and mushrooms; garlic and herbs; vegetables and flowers; coffee and teas. Not only is this a good travel guide, it is also part biography and part recipe book. There are delicious recipes for specialities of many of the chef’s, bakers and café owners she introduces us to. The stories of those she interviews make interesting reading. It is fun to learn how such a diverse community of people have come to Vancouver Island and the smaller islands to make a fresh start, in search of a simpler and better way of life for their families.

            I was happy to find that Gaetan and Linda and their Wesley Street restaurant had a nice write-up. You may remember them from their time running Latitude at Silva Bay. And then I flipped to the next page, and there we were, Gabriola Island. It sounds like she visited in the winter months; too bad for her, but she writes glowingly about our Garlic Man, Ken Stefanson, and our Flower Lady, Rosheen Holland. I was disappointed that she hadn’t interviewed my Herb Lady, Jocelyne of Auld Alliance Farm or Ike of Berry Point Farm. They seem as though they would both have interesting backgrounds. Maybe in another book?

            I read about Hazelwood Herb Farms in Ladysmith. The couple that runs this business were the guest speakers at the last Garden Club. I know that the author must have good taste, because she enjoyed The Tak on Cortes and the lentil-walnut burger served there. We had spent a lovely evening there with friends during our boat trip two summers ago. The recipe for the burger is included.

            This book could make an interesting itinerary for anyone wanting to explore the resources of Vancouver Island and the islands of the Gulf. It might even be enough to entice family to come for a visit, if that is a problem for you. It has also inspired me to consider making all of my own Christmas gifts this year and I can’t wait until the six grape vines we purchased at the market this year become our very own vineyard. Ok, I realize that this euphoria of grassroots stuff may well pass before I actually make those gifts, and that it is going to be years until I can make my first grape jelly, if the deer don’t get to the vines first, but please don’t burst my bubble. I would prefer to be known as a hunter-gatherer rather than a shopaholic anytime.