Edible Vancouver Island July/August 2024

EDIBLE FEATURE

Promoting Canadian food and community WORDS CAROLYN B. HELLER Food Day Canada I n 2003, food writer, cookbook author and culinary crusader Anita Stewart launched what she called “the world’s largest barbecue,” encouraging Canadians–wherever they might be in the world–to grill Canadian-raised beef or other local products. Thousands of Canadians living across the country and in locations as diverse as Australia, Japan and the U.K. joined in this Canadian food celebration. That barbecue evolved into a broader festival showcasing Canadian farmers, fishers, chefs and other food producers–the now annual event known as Food Day Canada. Food Day takes place across the country every summer; this year’s event will be held August 3, 2024. For her work championing Canadian cuisine, Stewart received the Order of Canada and a host of other honours before her death in 2020 at the age of 73. Today, her legacy lives on: inspired by his mother, Chef Paul Stewart, the youngest of Anita's four sons, went on to train at the Stratford Chefs School, and his brothers Jeff and Mark also chose culinary careers. Now living on Vancouver Island, Paul serves as Food Day Canada's chair, working with his brothers to continue their mother's mission and amplify her message. The evolution of Food Day Canada Twenty years ago, when the first barbecue took place, Paul Stewart says that Canada didn’t have much of a food identity. “What Mum tried to showcase is that although we're a young country, we're a wonderful mixture of different ethnicities that are using Canadian ingredients," he says. He credits his mother with helping advance the idea that “we're more than maple syrup and beaver tails. We have a diverse food culture from coast to coast to coast.” Organizations like Food Day Canada have educated the public, chefs and other culinary professionals to be proud of Canada’s food bounty and its evolving food traditions, he continues, quoting one of his mother’s favourite sayings: “Canada is food, and the world is a richer place for it.” This year, Vancouver Island will celebrate Food Day Canada with an all-day event at Heritage Acres on the Saanich Peninsula, with farmers selling fresh produce, chefs cooking with regional ingredients, opportunities for food education and activities for the whole family. "It’s inclusive, and it’s a way to celebrate together as Canadians. Sometimes, as Canadians, we’re pretty humble, but it’s a good

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30 JUL/AUG 2024 EDIBLE VANCOUVER ISLAND