MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018 MLCM 117 words :: Taylor Godber There is romance in the union of eating a freshly caught salmon over an open fire on an empty beach. Broken away from the constraints of modern society, encapsulated by the aroma of the smoked fish and the softness of the sunset sky – it conjures a moment in a weekend adventure, an escape where nature and real food meet. This sort of active, participatory dining is also deeply rooted in human history, although lately, in an any-food- anytime supermarket society, it seems to be a lost art. “There is a sense of pride when you are eating that meal that you have made from start to finish,” says ocean guide Oren Lawson. “It tastes better than anything you can buy at the store.” And he would know. Lawson and his siblings were raised on Wickaninnish Island off the coast of Tofino and instilled with a connection to the land and ocean from a very early age. During the summer months, the Lawson family would gather 80–90 per cent of everything they needed to survive. He recalls fishing, driving boats, helping with foraging, canning, smoking salmon, and preserving food well before the age when most kids start packing their own school lunches. Lawson insists that be it garden to bowl, farm to table, or ocean to plate – the process of cultivation and the patience, knowledge and elbow grease required, all give a meal earned its own special flavour. And even looking past what the 12-letter preservatives and alien-sounding ingredients of packaged foods do to our palates and bodies, conscious decisions of what we put on our plates can have a tangible effect on the survival of this planet. HEART FIRST, STOMACH SECOND WHAT WE PUT ON OUR PLATES AND HOW IT CAN HELP SAVE THE WORLD FREE ADVICE Unless human behaviour starts changing drastically it's highly unlikely the children of tomorrow will be able to enjoy the same ocean resources their parents did. NICTEICHROB EXCEPT FOR FAR LEFT BY LINDSAY HENWOOD