Act Now to Influence Positive Change: Save Agricultural Land and ReThink the Campbell Mountain Landfill

Posted on March 30, 2020 by rozsmallfry

From Munson Mountain parking lot looking toward Campbell Mountain Landfill it all looks quite benign until you take a closer look and realize the extent of agricultural land below

The opportunity to reflect upon our actions as a community presents itself more strongly as many of us find ourselves spending more time at home these days. Let’s put a pause, too, on actions that are not in the best interest of our health today nor for the future.

What You Can Do

• Join the conversation to discover better solutions (Be sure to read and react to the Act Now section at the bottom of this post.)
• Sign a petition to preserve ALR for agricultural use (Sign the petition)
• Share this news with your friends and contacts
• Promote a healthier and sustainable view for the Okanagan
• Elect representatives brave enough to be visionaries

Please hear me out. The Campbell Mountain Landfill and the recent steps by the RDOS to expand it are ill advised and short sighted. My previous post Above Naramata Bench Lies the (RDOS) Region’s Dirty Little (Not So) Secret outlined concerns about our region’s approach to the landfill.

Since then, I attended the January 2020 RDOS (Regional District Okanagan Similkameen) meeting relevant to the topic with a neighbour. We attended knowing fully well it was an exercise in futility. What was interesting was to see how they positioned it.

Signed, sealed, delivered

It was apparent that the closed meeting held earlier solidified the angle the RDOS directors would spin. There was absolutely no larger discussion of the blight that the landfill places on the region’s current landscape and future livelihood.

Directors spoke in favour viewing it as wonderful to get organics recycling going in the region. They were thrilled it was the least expensive route. They were congratulating each other as if it was an honourable approach being taken.

There was no mention that human waste from the waste treatment centre is in the equation – it was as if they were only looking at household organic recycling.

Also, they are totally sold on the idea that “in vessel” mitigates the odours entirely. Apparently, they’ve never driven by “stinky truck” from waste management where the waste is contained “in vessel”.

Impact is far-reaching

Clearly, directors were viewing the situation as a NIMBY problem of the immediately adjacent neighbourhood. Either they just don’t comprehend the broader impact or they’ve chosen to put their success in the next election ahead of it. While I was there for the meeting, a young man I know who works for the RDOS made the comment that I must be particularly disappointed living in the area above the landfill.

His reaction shocked me and I didn’t know quite what to say. Here was a family man with a couple of small children with at least a portion of his livelihood dependent on the ongoing economic health of the region. I realize many folks don’t care about a legacy for future generations. However, such an attitude was mindboggling from a man with children.

What’s new and upsetting

The RDOS proceeded to get permission to buy a ranch adjacent to Campbell Mountain Landfill and if purchased, are pursuing building a Regional Composting Facility on site. The ranch is in the agricultural land reserve (ALR)and historically a cattle ranch. This use flies in the face of preserving our limited ALR.

With little to no advance public warning, the RDOS erected a sign up the entrance to the property, 1313 Greyback Mountain Road, as a Notice of Exclusion Application Regarding Land in the Agricultural Land Reserve. It states that comments in writing must be made by April 3, 2020. Is it just me or does that timeframe seem rather unreasonable especially in the middle of a pandemic?

Quietly and quickly, the RDOS erected a sign up the entrance to the property, 1313 Greyback Mountain Road, as a Notice of Exclusion Application Regarding Land in the Agricultural Land Reserve, with a tight deadline to respond by April 3, 2020 amid COVID-19 isolating at home initiatives

From above, the ranch that the RDOS is looking to purchase. A former cattle ranch, it is also an active BC wildlife corridor

Thin edge of the wedge, slippery slope?

To discover this land is being eyed for purchase in anticipation of expanding the landfill real estate and the notice placed so quickly and quietly sets off all kinds of alarms. It’s as if the RDOS has a pre-agreement in place with those folks who should be protecting our ALR at all costs.

Given it is intended to serve the entire RDOS region from Peachland to Manning Park to Anarchist Mountain to the US/Canada border, one wonders why here? Why are the staff and directors not exploring decommissioned mines and other blighted sites where the land is already desecrated?

If even a small portion of this ranch is taken out of the ALR for this usage, it’s safe to predict it is just the “thin edge of the wedge”. Once the ranch is officially part of the landfill soon other operations from it will drift over to that site. Soon folks driving up Spiller Road, will be driving through the middle of a landfill and not just skirting it.

Speaking of “slippery slope”, where do folks think leaching from the landfill is most likely to travel? It’s not going to leach uphill to my house. It’s going to head downhill to all that ALR land below. You know, along the famous wine region, the Naramata Bench, seeping into vineyards such as La Frenz Winery, Three Sisters Winery, Da Silva Vineyards and Winery, Township 7 Winery, Little Engine Winery, Maple Leaf Spirits, Red Rooster Winery, Ruby Blues Winery, and countless others. Remember there are wineries outside the region that source grapes from Naramata Bench. Then there’s what little is left of our precious orchard industry.

All landfills leak: Read this blog by the Conservation Law Foundation: https://www.clf.org/blog/all-landfills-leak-and-our-health-and-environment-pay-the-toxic-price/

Just one example of what can happen is the house just below the entrance to the landfill which got caught in a slide of materials from the site. It was so damaged the former owners couldn’t sell the property through normal channels and the City/RDOS eventually bought the property. That move was no doubt a big relief to the owners while it remains a sad reminder of the risks below the landfill.

Mount EverRust

Then, there’s compression and compaction. Recently, the Penticton Herald carried a story on how wonderful it is that the RDOS developed biocover as a unique solution to landfill gas: http://www.pentictonherald.ca/news/article_874b5c9c-6fb5-11ea-87ce-2b2aedf77300.html

When you stack weight on top of something it compresses and any moisture within the base must find some place to escape. While landfills attempt to capture leachate in tailing ponds and treat it before releasing it, there’s a percentage of loss. As we watch Mount EverRust rise continually more in sight from the valley below at Campbell Mountain, there’s little doubt that the weight is squeezing toxins out of what’s below.

Mount EverRust rises at Campbell Mountain Landfill looming into sight in our Penticton region tourism corridor

In addition to leaching out, some of those noxious materials will evaporate and release into the air. Plus, the toxins are carried farther afield by insects, birds and other wildlife. So, if you think it’s just the immediate area that is being desecrated by stretching out the life of this landfill, think again.

Like a virus, out of sight, out of mind?

It’s no longer a dirty little secret for residents. Penticton, Naramata and region, visitors witness the growing mound of rubbish. If locals didn’t value tourism before, perhaps the rollback of our economy given the COVID-19 virus and all the event cancellations as a result might be a wakeup call.

It is time for RDOS directors, the ALR and other decision-making bodies to act for the greater good. It has been 48 years of piling up the trash at Campbell Mountain Landfill, it’s time to set the clock for the minimum of 50 years it’ll take to get close to remediating this precious view property.

Rather than compounding the problem, Campbell Mountain Landfill needs to be isolated in place not expanded upon. This is about keeping our area healthy now not just for future generations.

Expand the Trails not the Trash

The RDOS needs to be creative and lead the charge to compel residents and visitors to reduce, reuse, and recycle. It’s time to turn the tactics to brownfield reclamation here and finding a more suitable and less damaging site for the region’s waste. Brenda Mines hasn’t been operational for years. Could that or another already damaged location far from the orchards, vineyards and citizens be a potential option?

Oh, and about that ranch the RDOS is interested in purchasing, how about some community agricultural project? Or perhaps a wildlife reserve we could hike? There’s a head start with that parking lot and pedestrian crossing already installed.

Hope rings eternal: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/federal-contaminated-sites/success-stories.html

______________________________________________________________
Act Now

My neighbour Jacquie Jackson has taken the initiative to coordinate a campaign to the ALR and to ensure the RDOS hears community input. Copied here is her urgent email of March 28, 2020 asking for your immediate response for the April 3, 2020 deadline.

Please join us! Respond to jacquiej62@gmail.com

BIOSOLIDS FACILITY
ACT NOW PLEASE and forward me your opposition to the RDOS removing 1313 Greyback Mountain Road from the ALR.

Here are some things that may not have been realized:

1. The RDOS wants to install a Regional Composting Facility on 80 acres at 1313 Greyback Mtn Rd making this a very large industrial site. Prior to now, this has been a cattle ranch;
2. This Regional Composting Facility will consist of Biosolids which is organic matter recycled from sewage;
3. The facility is to be an “in-vessel” facility which WILL impact atmospheric air quality, water and soil;
4. The soil at 1313 Greyback Mtn Rd is sandy and therefore predisposed to harmful leachate problems;
5. This area is comprised of fractured bedrock so any leachate will contaminate runoff, can pollute water wells in the area, and can pollute the City of Penticton Water Reservoir (Penticton Creek);
6. There are several properties below the Landfill that are already contaminated;
7. This facility would serve the entire RDOS region, from Peachland to Manning Park to Anarchist Mountain to the US/Canada Border;
8. The trucks that currently bring Biosolids to the Landfill are “in-vessel” trucks that consistently leak sewage sludge onto the roadway and are extremely smelly;
9. There will be an excessive increase in the amount of large heavy truck traffic on Reservoir Road due to the huge Region this facility will service. The trucks may operate on off-peak hours due to traffic congestion;
10. This facility will be operational 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year due to the biosolids material having to be continually heated, mixed and disbursed;
11. A large amount of carbonaceous material will be stored and used at the facility which creates the potential for fires in the storage areas as well as in the active composting mass;
12. Residents above the Landfill have no other roadway access and will be forced to drive through the dump with the Landfill on the West and the Biosolids Facility on the East. The Canadian Horizons subdivision that is proposed north of the Landfill is encountering difficulties getting road access up to Spiller Road;
13. The RDOS has advised that the current Landfill and this facility will share the weigh scale. This means that truck traffic would cross Spiller Road, going to and from the Biosolids Facility;
14. There will be additional noise from trucking, mixing the biosolids with heavy equipment, exhaust fans, product curing, optional screening and/or bagging with heavy equipment;
15. As the current Landfill is not meeting the provincial guidelines, how can we be assured that this Biosolids Facility will conform to present and future air quality, water, noise and soil requirements?;
16. Eight (8) properties are directly affected by sight lines to this proposed facility and many more will be affected by the odours and noise generated by this huge facility;
17. Property values are sure to be decreased.

It is interesting to note that:

1. The RDOS had been withholding the location of the proposed Biosolids Facility until now;
2. The RDOS has been classifying 1313 Greyback Mtn Rd as a “nuisance” property. How can this be as it only had an agricultural operation on it?;
3. The RDOS makes no mention that this Regional Composting Facility will be made up of Biosolids (sewage waste);
4. The RDOS did not post notices in the newspapers until inquiries were sent to our Area E Director Karla Kozakevich and the Agricultural Land Commission. A notice appeared in The Penticton Western Newspaper on March 26, 2020;
5. When advised by Karla Kozakevich to get more information from Andrew Reeder, Manager of Operations for the RDOS, an email was sent to him on March 20, 2020 but to date Mr. Reeder has not responded.

If we can stop the RDOS from taking 1313 Greyback out of the Agricultural Land Reserve we have a chance at stopping this Biosolids Facility from being put in this fragile agricultural location.

Jacquie________________________________________________________

Please join us! Respond to jacquiej62@gmail.com

Viewing the Campbell Mountain Landfill from above demonstrates the issue goes beyond the immediate neighbourhood to Naramata Bench, Penticton and beyond

Sign the petition:

 

 

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Above Naramata Bench Lies the (RDOS) Region’s Dirty Little (Not So) Secret

Posted on January 9, 2020 by rozsmallfry

Campbell Mountain Landfill looms above Naramata Bench, one of the world’s most beautiful wine regions, and rather than relocating it, officials are discussing expanding it.

Back in 1972 when it opened, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) might have been forgiven for thinking it was tucked away out of sight. Today, as the mountain of trash – I nickname Mount EverRust – stacks higher and higher, it is in plain vision from Naramata Road and beyond.

How much it has grown was driven home to us when a friend who hadn’t visited us in the Okanagan for two years, noticed it immediately as we drove by. His words, if I recall correctly, were “Holy Crap, that’s a mountain now. When will it landslide down on to the wineries below?”

We live above this abomination and must pass it every time we go down the hill. When we bought our land in 2001, the word was it was slated to be closing. Soon after our purchase, we read the disturbing news in the Penticton Herald, officials felt it had another 50 years!

Clearly our concerns relate to our vested interest in the area. Of course, it hurts our land value and more importantly our quality of life.

Health At Risk

“Living near a landfill could damage your health: Health is at risk for those who live within five kilometers of a landfill site” was a finding in a Science Daily article. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160524211817.htm

Lest you put down our objections as NIMBY*, let me assure you the impact of this landfill is far broader. (*NIMBY is that acronym for “Not in My Back Yard” looked as a phenomenon of people just not wanting bad things to occur in their local area.)

Outdated

First of all, it is an outdated design. For example, it is an unlined landfill. The RDOS has worked with consultants on several factors such as drainage prevention and leachate control. Contaminated ground water has left the Campbell Mountain property. A leachate capture system and drainage diversion was designed. Yet, all of us who took any basic science at all or watched a waterfall know water flows downhill.

RBuchanan_CampbellMountainLandfill_4493

What’s downhill from the landfill? Yes, agricultural land reserve (ALR) populated mostly with vineyards and wineries now and still a few orchards and gardens. Seriously, do you think that leachate isn’t impacting the quality of that soil? And we haven’t even touched on the airborne pollutants.

There’s an amazing initiative in the Okanagan championed by Summerhill Pyramid Winery organicokanagan.com with declarations including “the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada is an ideal agricultural and residential region to demonstrate a model of returning to living in harmony with nature, thereby creating A DIAMOND ON OUR EMERALD PLANET!”

The leadership decisions we witness coming from those responsible at the Campbell Mountain Landfill definitely aren’t in concert with that philosophy. In fact, at an Open House about it held by the RDOS on April 24, 2017, one of the principle male staff was quick to point out that he wasn’t even born in 1972 when the landfill opened as if that excused not taking action to do something about its dire condition.

For a long time, rather than writing anything about this issue I just stewed. I thought if I can’t come up with practical solutions maybe it’s best if I keep my mouth shut. Then I remembered in my last full-time job as a communications strategist in Environmental and Safety Management at The City of Calgary, I worked tirelessly to find better ways of doing things. Our team was charged with that responsibility as paid employees.

RDOS, It’s Your Job to Get Creative

So rather than do the RDOS job, let me just share my concerns and some observations. It is time that the RDOS and the City of Penticton, a partner in the landfill change the way they perceive and manage the outdated site. The community must be engaged in their decisions, resources must be leveraged and partnerships with other agencies pursued.

Without consultation, biosolids from the Penticton Wastewater Treatment Plant in addition to the food and yard waste have been processed outdoors. RDOS may have slipped this process in, however, the stench has given it away and complaints from the neighbourhood have increased. We’re not just talking neighbours on Spiller Road rather along Naramata Bench and up in the Okanagan Highlands. When we moved on to our property in 2009, we rarely noticed smells from the landfill. For the last two years, there are days it takes your breath away kilometres away.

Now the RDOS is talking about buying an ALR parcel of land adjacent to the Campbell Mountain Landfill to build a new and indoors organics and biosolids waste composting facility to minimize odours. Note the use of the word “minimize”.

It’s also not that reassuring that the Penticton Herald article stated, “Reeder is urging directors to act quickly, because the Agricultural Land Commission as of Jan. 30 is tightening up its rules surrounding exclusion applications, which could be “problematic” for the RDOS if it applies for non-farm-use status for the site after that date.”

Bad for Okanagan Soil

Basically, the RDOS is recommending rushing this through because it is a bad idea for the health of our agriculture land. Yikes!

In a report for the 2015 International Year of Soils, https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC98077/lbna27530enn.pdfsome quotes were given in the preamble to set the tone for how important some of the findings were:

  • This land was the best in the world, but in comparison of what then was, there are remaining only the bones of the wasted body. All the richer and softer parts of the soil having fallen away, and the mere skeleton of the land being left. – Plato, 360 b.c.
  • The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • When soil becomes sicker, so too do the people who rely on it. – This week Editorials. Nature, Vol 517, 22, January 2015

By the way, in that same document are some remarkable case studies for remediation of brownfield sites like landfills. It reported on the process in Kölliken, Switzerland of the complete dismantling of a hazardous waste landfill in a residential area.

Theft of View Property

The views alone from the Campbell Mountain are a compelling reason it should be closed – perhaps mined for valuable metals and antique recyclables buried underneath – and definitely remediated. The region is missing a world-class golf course designed with the latest in environmental considerations. Imagine the draw of walking paths, biking trails, ornamental gardens and a golf course with that vista!

The same RDOS staffer who said he wasn’t born when the landfill opened also responded to me when I talked of remediation, that it would take at least 50 years. Given my previous job the 50 years didn’t alarm me. It was the fact that he thought that reason enough not to do it. My thoughts were then we must start the process immediately!

Tourism Matters

The importance of tourism to local economy is becoming increasingly apparent and tourism organizations across the world are lauding the benefits of culinary tourism. Isn’t it a bit ironic our RDOS leaders are okay with extending the time that this blight is on our landscape in view of world-class wineries?

I’m not sure why all of the wineries in Penticton and Naramata aren’t lobbying to get this eyesore cured. Second thought add the Summerland wineries because that mountain of trash can be seen from their terraces.

Another irony for me is that a parking lot was created at the intersection of Spiller Road and Greyback Mountain Road for all the hikers, cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts who use the Campbell Mountain trails. Wouldn’t you think these health enthusiasts would take exception to that despicable landfill in their environment?

RBuchanan_CampbellMountainParking__4496

Do It for Wildlife

Landfills are not healthy environments for wildlife either. It changes their natural eating and hunting practices and robs them of wildlife corridors to roam freely.

Economic Development

Penticton and region has not grown so quickly as some of its sister cities in the Okanagan. Still, those responsible for economic development really need to have a long-term vision with a big picture perspective.

Not closing this landfill site and beginning remediation devalues all the adjacent area to it. In close proximity, there are stalled developments with spectacular vistas. Why would leaders put another barrier in the way of developers considering such parcels?

Acting is expensive. Not doing something about it is even more expensive in the long run.

Options to Explore

There is a good deal of research suggesting that abandoned mines, which are typically outside the active community, can make good landfill sites.

“From the analysis of twelve landfill sites, it was determined that, under the proper conditions, modern landfill design techniques make it possible to locate a solid waste landfill in a formerly mined area with no increased risk of environmental contamination. Landfills have been successfully constructed in limestone quarries, surface coal mines, an open pit iron ore mine, and in a clay pit.” http://pdf.library.laurentian.ca/medb/conf/Sudbury95/MiningSociety/MS1.PDF

Yes, transportation of refuse could increase. Wouldn’t it be worth it to have a better solution? Such expense could be mitigated by looking at vehicles run with biofuels, electric or other innovations.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

No one is kidding anyone. The real problem is our over consumption. Of course, we all need to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

A National Geographic article busted us with an article Canada’s dirty secret that stated: “Canada leads the developed world in per capita production of garbage. What’s behind our nation’s wasteful ways?”

If you still thinking I’m just being NIMBY, when those trucks travel from Penticton and region with those biosolids and other waste, whose house do you think they’re passing by to get to the dump? You don’t think there’ll be any smells and spills?

Oops, I said the “dump” word, which it seems to be again. At first, I thought the RDOS was running the Campbell Mountain site as a landfill with an end date in mind. Now it seems unable to find alternatives and just continues to top up a dump. It doesn’t even care if it takes up ALR land to do it!

Benefits of Brownfield Reclamation

A report on brownfield clean up noted: “Parks, playgrounds, trails, community gardens, natural habitats and open land can provide aesthetic, recreational and quality-of-life advantages that complement or even surpass economic benefits. With effective planning, brownfields can be converted into open greenspaces to benefit human health and the environment

Once cleaned up, these areas are safe for kids, animals and adults, and they offer benefits such as promoting healthy communities through active recreation, restoring habitats and providing environmental education. Open space also can increase neighboring property values.”

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/epa_oblr_successstory_region9_openspace_v2_508.pdf

It pointed out such benefits as:

  • “Health: Removal or reduction of exposure to contamination; Increased access to open space; Active recreational opportunities.
  • Environmental: Habitat and ecosystem restoration; Improved land and water quality; Reduced heat island effects; Reduced greenhouse gas emissions; More sustainable environment.
  • Social: Improved aesthetics; Creation of public space; Provision of trails, art and amenities; Environmental education opportunities; Improved neighborhoods; More vibrant, livable communities; Enhanced quality of life ; Addressing of environmental justice issues.
  • Economic: Job creation; Increased transportation options; Improved property values; Spurred economic development.”

Seems pretty compelling to me. What are your thoughts and ideas for an improved plan?

RDOS Meeting Today

Today, RDOS will meet behind closed doors to make some decisions such as purchasing the land for the expanded facility. Even if they take that step, it’s not too late to rethink how that land could be used to enhance our region.

There is an RDOS Board meeting in the afternoon at 2:15 to 4:30 pm, 101 Martin Street. Our neighbourhood was informed the public can attend in the gallery although it would not be an interactive meeting and parking in the area could be an issue.

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Great Kitchen Party Competition in Kelowna: Taste the Talent

Posted on November 12, 2019 by rozsmallfry

Canada’s Great Kitchen Party hits Kelowna November 15 — with all the ingredients for gastronomic dreams of foodies. You can experience the sights, scents, tastes and textures firsthand of an esteemed competition.

This regional qualifying match for the Canadian Culinary Championships to be held February 2020 in Ottawa, brings together some of the Okanagan’s most talented chefs:
• Brock Bowes, CrAsian Food Concepts
• Chris Braun, RauDZ Regional Table
• Andrea Callan, Red Fox Club at Indigenous World Winery
• James Holmes, Salt & Brick
• Kai Koroll, BLOCK ONE at 50th Parallel Estate Winery
• Jeff Van Geest, Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek
• Rob Walker, Big White Ski Resort

I am privileged to know all of these chefs and lucky enough to experience their culinary acumen on several occasions. I am confident that the bar is set so high by each of them individually of what they’ll bring to the table, it’ll be a privilege to see it unfold in person. To me, it beats being a couch potato watching competitions on television or online of chefs I may never get the opportunity to check out in their own restaurant environments.

If still available, an individual ticket ($300.00) is a splurge. Still, it’s less expensive than a Michelin-Star paired experience and showcases broader talent. Where else can you get front row seats to such a high level of competition and entertainment with access to the amazing cuisine and music all in support of great causes. In this event, the city unites “to provide Canadian youth the opportunity to be extraordinary in sport, music and food”.

Plus, it offers students in the Culinary program of Okanagan College an unparalleled opportunity to learn from of the country’s premier chefs.

Okanagan College culinary students assist at Canadian Culinary Championships

The toughest test for ticket holders will be which chef to root for most and how to pace consumption to truly taste the last dish as precisely as the first. Expect exquisitely conceived and executed elevated cuisine.

Another unique benefit of attending is the music with the opportunity to listen to such fabulous performers in an intimate setting. Musicians include the highly gifted roster of Jim Cuddy, Neil Osborne, Anne Lindsay, Devin Cuddy and Sam Polley.

Emcee for Kelowna is the Okanagan’s own outstanding athlete Kelsey Serwa. Co-Chairs are Daniel Bibby, Tracy Clark and Renee Wasylyk. Judy Burns is Honorary Co-Chair with Harry McWatters, who passed away suddenly this year and is sadly missed. No doubt his legacy will be highlighted at the event.

Harry McWatters was always on hand to support the Canadian Culinary Championships. Shown here with his partner Lisa Lalonde

For a tribute by David Lawrason, read https://www.winealign.com/articles/2019/07/25/in-fond-memory-of-harry-mcwatters/.

My own tribute can be found at https://gonzookanagan.com/harry-mcwatters-gonebeforehistime-not-before-his-time-winery/.

Based on the National Judging criteria, Kelowna judges: James Chatto, Chef Bernard Cassavant, Judy Burns, Jennifer Schell, Chef Mark Filatow and Chef Jeremy Lyupen will be rating each dish and beverage pairing. It’s always fun to see how your personal favourites compare to the judges’ decision.

Added to the excitement, are some exceptional auction opportunities such as exclusive trips.

Held in the beautiful conference facilities at Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort. For more information and access to purchase tickets or sponsorship, see https://greatkitchenparty.com/ca/cities/kelowna/

Last year’s Canadian Culinary Championships were held in Kelowna and you can check out my account of it here: https://gonzookanagan.com/best-chef-best-wine/

Presentations at culinary competitions are truly exquisite

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Help Sate Hunger at The Fork and Spoon Gala 2018 Kelowna

Posted on October 10, 2018 by rozsmallfry

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A simple breakfast, many of us take for granted, is a luxury for some.

This Saturday, October 13, 2018, in Kelowna, I’m excited to attend as nine local chefs convene to cook at The Fork and Spoon Gala in support of the Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB). Event organizer Cody Pollard of Fermented Dining was motivated to present this fundraising opportunity by his belief that no one should have to go hungry.

Says Pollard, “As a member of the Okanagan Chefs Association, I try to support as many initiatives as I can that ensure people have no need to choose between other expenses and food. We all need to eat to survive plus food is delicious. In this case, I decided to step up and plan a fun and creative event to directly align with the food bank’s mission.”

Nine talented chefs from around the Okanagan and the Okanagan Chefs Association have rallied around the cause to present nine courses with local wines, entertainment and a silent auction.

The special twist on this nine-course tasting menu is that our creative chefs can use only ingredients that the Food Bank currently has in the warehouse, drawing from these donations for inspiration.

While Food Banks strive to provide food that is fresh such as milk, eggs, bread, fruits and vegetables, we’ve all seen the stacks of macaroni-and-cheese boxes, peanut butter and soup tins in donation boxes in stores and offices. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the cuisine of almost all of these gifted chefs so I can’t wait to see what they’ll cook for us within this challenge!

For more details and to purchase tickets with all proceeds benefitting COFB, click https://trellis.org/campaign/The%20Fork%20and%20Spoon%20Gala/5b6c8496414d544161c1153d (Price is $250 each or purchase a table of eight for $1,900.)

 

Learn more about the Central Okanagan Food Bank at Central Okanagan Food Bank which operates Kelowna and West Kelowna warehouses. You might be surprised, for instance, to learn that 33 per cent of clients are children under the age of 15. An incorporated society, registered charity, it is governed by an elected Board of Directors, and is a member of Food Banks Canada, Food Banks BC, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Westside Board of Trade.

Join in the fun, if you can! If attending is not possible, please support your local food banks in whatever way you can manage.

#jointhefoodmovement

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7th Annual Barrel Bash celebrated at Da Silva Vineyards and Winery

Posted on October 2, 2018 by rozsmallfry

After an eventful season that included the addition of the new brand Da Silva Vineyards and Winery to the successful Misconduct Wines on the Naramata Bench to mark its 10th Anniversary, owners Richard and Twylla da Silva welcomed guests to the 7th Annual Barrel Bash, Saturday, September 29.

Says Richard and Twylla, “We’ve unveiled this new brand to highlight our evolution, winemaking and family’s history. Our Da Silva label presents ultra-premium, small lot wines centered around the 11 diverse vineyards we manage.”

It reflects their belief that the geography of a grape’s growth is one of the most important factors in its resulting quality. Richard and Twylla are dedicated to creating wines that are reflective of the personalities of their vineyards, using low intervention winemaking techniques and extended cellar aging.

The da Silva family immigrated in 1955 to the Naramata Bench from Portugal arriving with a suitcase and a strong work ethic. Applying hard work and farming to make their way, the first family farm was purchased in 1959.

“Today, we continue the tradition with a deep-rooted connection and respect for the land”, says Richard da Silva, Proprietor and Vigneron of Da Silva Vineyards and Winery. “Twylla and I drew extensively from this heritage when creating our winery in 2008 and the evolution of our journey and wines are a testament to our long family lineage. Our journey has been a true discovery of place.”

Upon entering the winery, guests were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine – the lovely Narrative by Okanagan Crush Pad given that the da Silvas have yet to produce their own bubbly. After brief words of introduction, the party spilled into the dining room where beautifully decorated tables adorned with wine glasses and charcuterie awaited.

Chef Abul Adame of The Kitchen presented six delectable courses with an Italian theme paired with wines from Da Silva Vineyards and Winery including the inaugural release of 2012 Black Label Merlot.

Chef Abul Adame with the lady who inspired him into the kitchen — his Mom

Enrichening the evening was music by Violet Finch, a Vancouver trio, who were also willing to accept requests from the guests.

Vancouver musicians Violet Finch

During a break, the Violet Finch team sorted out requests

We sat at a table with two couples whose vineyards supplied Da Silva with grapes and truly enjoyed the conversation. One of vineyard owners had recently sold his property to the da Silvas and was delighted to see the legacy continue.

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1st course

Antipasti: Warm mixed olives, Toasted walnut and roasted garlic spread, Salami Loveto and Gorgonzola, Anchovies in citrus vinaigrette
Paired with 2015 Massacre Rosé

2nd course

Tomato velouté with basil coulis and toasted pine nuts
Paired with 2016 Misfit

3rd course

Mixed green salad with polpettine di Melanzane, duck confit with Amarena cherry gastrique
Paired with 2015 Pinot Noir

4th course

Capellini, mushrooms, sage brown butter with Grana Padano cheese
Paired with 2016 Chardonnay

5th course

Red wine slow braised beef, soft polenta and maple roasted squash
Paired with 2012 Black Label Merlot
*Inaugural Release*

6th course

Espresso Tiramisu
Paired with 2014 Inverno Icewine

Thanks and Salutes

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