Recap: Salmon Pressure Canning Workshop

On September 22nd, Land to Table joined the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and Interior Health’s Indigenous Food Security lead at the Neighbourhood Kitchen in Revelstoke for a hands-on salmon pressure canning workshop with 8 different local community food organizations and projects. Together, we created a space for community partners to learn the process, ask questions, share their own experience, and get comfortable with a skill that plays an important role in food security and in preserving local and regional foods.

What stood out most was who was in the room. Many of the folks who joined us came with the intention of carrying this knowledge back to their own networks and food programs (to can for elders, school food programs, food banks, for education, etc.), and it was amazing to see so many people eager to learn so they could share it with others. Kris Wilson, the Food Program Coordinator with Rise Up Indigenous Wellness shared: “This day was exactly what I needed to build my confidence. This is why collaboration is so important.”

That ripple effect is at the heart of this work: food skills grow stronger when they are passed from person to person and community to community.

This workshop was funded and coordinated through the North Okanagan and Columbia-Shuswap United Way British Columbia Regional Community Food Hubs (RCFH) with spokes and partners from across the Southern Interior. We were so excited to be joined by members of the ntámłqən Community Garden & Food Hub team (another UWBC RCFH) and the Revelstoke Food Commons project, connecting the Indigenous food champions in our region and spokes through knowledge sharing and skill building. 

A huge thank you to Fiona Goorman at FNHA and Kristi Christian at Interior Health for facilitating. Their expertise and generosity made the day possible, and we are so grateful for their partnership. Thank you to Austin Luciow for hosting us at the Neighborhood Kitchen and supporting the procurement of salmon.

Thank you to Tia Felix, Brenon McIntyre, and their family, for sharing beautiful salmon from Sq’éwqel Seabird Island Band.

The fish contributed to the day were canned for the participating organizations with excess processed to support the Okanagan Indian Band wildfire recovery efforts. Between the frozen springs and the salmon canned in this workshop, more than 120 lbs of fish were contributed to local food security efforts. 

Thank you to everyone who came out to learn, share, and get involved. We look forward to more opportunities to build food skills and strengthen relationships across our region.