SUBMITTED BY SALT SPRING HERITAGE FOUNDATION
Each year, Heritage BC celebrates Heritage Week in mid-February. This year the event is focusing attention on food — and the sharing of food — with the theme of Stir the Pot.
Food brings us together. It links us to the land and to traditions, ties us to our families and ancestors, and connects cultures and communities. This year’s Heritage Week theme is an open invitation to celebrate food as a form of heritage that is both deeply personal and widely shared. From heirloom seeds and traditional cooking and harvesting methods to community feasts and intergenerational recipes, food reflects who we are and where we come from.
As well, the Stir the Pot theme suggests advocacy. It is a call to spark conversation, to bring overlooked stories to the surface and to address issues of food security, cultural recognition and access. By stirring the pot together, we not only honour traditions but also create space for dialogue and discussion.
As a celebration of this year’s theme, the Salt Spring Heritage Foundation has focused its planned activities on What’s in the Pot: A celebration of Salt Spring Island’s farming tradition. The foundation is providing an open invitation to the people of Salt Spring Island and beyond to visit the Salt Spring Island Museum to learn about the impact of agriculture on the island’s history. The museum on the Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute grounds on Rainbow Road will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday, Feb. 16 through Sunday, Feb. 22.
Museum exhibits provide an opportunity for visitors to learn about island farming traditions; to discover the forgotten stories of people, families and communities and discover little-known facts about Salt Spring’s amazing food harvests.
Along with its extensive collections, the museum will be displaying some key facts and information regarding agricultural production between 1860 and the 1950s. Volunteers will offer tours and answer questions at the family-friendly event. Drop-ins, school tours and youth are all welcome to stop by.
Admission to the museum is free, but donations to support museum activities are always welcome.