BY JEANNETTE LEBLANC
The resilient, remarkable,
Similkameen Valley A n early sun crests the rocky range as Mount Chopaka greets a new day, her silhouette shining over the valley below. Life stirs slowly, on ranches and at vineyards and in orchards, breathing into the land a persistent energy. This is the Similkameen Valley on an elemental level. There’s a transcendent beauty to it, one echoed in the character of those who call it home. “If we don’t know where we come from, we don’t know where we are going.” Lower Similkameen Indian Band Before roads or rails, and prior to the expansion of the Hudson’s Bay Trading Company and the Gold Rush, it’s estimated 800 to 1,000 Smalqmix (of the Sukwnaqin-x) made the first encampment in what’s now Keremeos. Today, there are 11 reserves totaling 15,000 hectares over 90 kilometers. The descendants have an active Band and
28 Culinaire | May/June 2020
engaged community. Forged eons ago by volcanic activity and glacial flooding, the region is rich with mineral deposits. The Similkameen River, with headwaters in Manning Park, and fertile soils attracted first ranching, farming, and then viticulture. It feels remote while still being accessible, and most want to leave a low environmental footprint. Hot summers means the Similkameen is ideal for tree fruits and viticulture. As early as 1916, at least one larger fruit grower mailed recruitment brochures across Canada with the promise a company town would be built for family settlers. By the 1960s, the valley was an organic farming hub and vineyards appeared around the 1980s. Some fruit growers crossed over, and every year brought more acres planted to vines. Organic practices and certifications were, and continue to be, common. By the early 2000s, some eager
