New and old fans of beer and ale will find a West Coast flavour to excite their interests and palates at this year’s Great Canadian Beer Festival, Friday and Saturday in Victoria.
“Ontario has probably the biggest numbers when it comes to breweries, but it doesn’t have the diversity you find in B.C.,” says Gerry Hieter, chairman of the Great Canadian Beer Festival, now marking its 26th year.
“In terms of quality and diversity of beers, B.C. is now the best, with proportionally more national awards than any other province.”
The Great Canadian Beer Festival is the longest-running event of its kind in the country. With 75 breweries and two cider makers, mostly from B.C., represented at Royal Athletic Park, swillers will have more than 250 flavours and varieties to sample.
“People are very knowledgeable and sophisticated about craft beer these days,” Hieter says. “But if you don’t know anything about beer, the festival is a prime opportunity to learn.”
Craft beer is brewed in a traditional manner without the use of industrial machinery. Brewing usually takes place in a small operation, often attached to a pub.
This year’s Great Canadian Beer Festival will give those brewers a chance to showcase individual varieties, many of which are in the “wild” or “sour” category.
These types of beer are made sour by the addition, at various stages of the brewing process, of yeast types beyond the traditional brewer’s yeast.
Hieter explained the term “wild” comes from the fact that many of these yeasts are found in the natural surrounding environment. Some brewers regard these wild yeast varieties as contaminants. But they can also add a new flavour, typically one that’s tart or sour.
“So there is a whole range of beers that are meant to be sour in taste,” he says. “They have a totally unique flavour and there is a large demand for it.”
Hieter says Belgians have a long tradition of brewing sour beers. Belgian brewers have also long added fruit to beer, a pairing that works especially well with a beer that is tart.
This year’s beer festival will feature a number of Canadian craft brewers presenting their own sour and fruit brews.
Hieter says the U.S. is now leading the world in craft beer. Its 6,000-odd brewers are working hard to innovate with new yeast varieties and brewing techniques to create new, interesting flavours.
But he says Canadian brewers, while smaller in number, can still compete with the Americans in quality and distinctive flavours. This year’s festival will host brewers from across Canada and up to the Yukon.
The festival has established an international reputation, with tickets sold to beer lovers in England, Germany, Holland, France, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
The Great Canadian Beer Festival takes place Friday, Sept. 7, from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 8, from noon to 5 p.m. at Royal Athletic Park. For more information, go to gcbf.com.
— Richard Watts
Metchosin hosts old-fashioned fair
Everything that makes Metchosin special is on display for petting, eating, watching and taking part in on Metchosin Day Sunday.
“There’s only 5,000 people in Metchosin and 5,000 people have been at the fair,” said co-chairperson Mary Gidney.
“Metchosin Day offers everything and it doesn’t cost a cent to enter or to park or for entertainment,” said Gidney. “It’s what makes Metchosin so different.”
Started in 1967, the free fair offers activities for the whole family at the municipal grounds behind the fire hall at 4450 Happy Valley Rd.
The fair kicks off at 8 a.m. with a five-kilometre run from the community hall to the Metchosin community house — victorious adults win vegetables, while kids win trophies. Vendors arrive at 10 a.m. when the fair takes off, winding down at 6:30 p.m.
Gastronomic delights run throughout the day, from a pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. to a $20 salmon and lamb barbecue with all the fixings at 5 p.m. — or bring a packed picnic for the family.
With more than 100 vendors and exhibitors and events, organizers say there is loads to look forward to this year — from a farmers’ market to pet shows, children’s games, hayrides, sheep shearing, gymnastic and horse demonstrations, wool spinning, dancers, and pottery, jewelry, meat and produce on sale as well as soaps and jams.
At 11 a.m. is a fair highlight with the pet show.
Bring your cat or rat, dog or hamster, frog or bird and compete for the happiest, cutest, longest-haired, loudest bark, nicest purr, longest tail, smoothest coat — everyone wins with special prizes for best-in-show, best costume, most unusual pet and most rural pet.
Most costs are nominal — 25 cents for a hayride or 50 cents to use the excavator — “It’s a really big hit.”
“There’s even chicken bingo where the chickens poop in a spot and you can win money,” said Gidney. “It’s like an old-fashioned country fair.”
At 2 p.m., Metchosin Mayor John Ranns will honour the citizen of the year, the volunteer and volunteer group of the year, and the so-called “friend of the Earth.”
Times Colonist columnist Jack Knox is the celebrity judge for the popular pie and cake contest, with first, second and third-place ribbons in five categories, including “prettiest pie.” There’s also a vegetable, produce and photography contest.
You don’t have to be from Metchosin to enter.
There will be steam engines on display, classic cars, an equestrian petting farm open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. by donation to B.C. SPCA Horse Rescue and equestrian shows in the ring from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For those wanting to kick back and listen to tunes, the pavilion on the Village Green is the place for everything from blues to jazz. Thirty Six Strings is last up at 5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., while the beer tent is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Metchosin Day hats to support the event are on sale for $20, or two for $30. Pets are allowed at the fair, but must be on a leash.
Automobile parking with “space for hundreds” is free, with vehicle entry and exit via Rocky Point Road, while bike parking is behind the Metchosin Community House.
— Cindy Harnett
Pride fest comes with karaoke, poetry on Salt Spring
Join a celebration of diversity and inclusion at the Salt Spring Island Pride Festival, which runs Thursday to Sunday at various venues on Salt Spring Island.
Organizers say their event is the most people-powered, non-commercial Pride festival in British Columbia.
The event is hosted by the island’s LGBTQ+ community.
Events taking place today include Gender Revolution — an open-mic queer poetry reading hosted by Julian Paquette and Ali Blythe at 7 p.m. at the public library, and Drag and Alter Ego Karaoke Night, which runs 8 p.m. to midnight at the Salt Spring Legion.
Friday hosts Coming In: A Queer Community Gathering for Feasting and Weaving Connection from 5:30 p.m. at Fulford Hall.
The whole family is welcome to the Salt Spring Island pride parade and party in the park, which starts at 1 p.m. in front of the public library on McPhillips Avenue.
A Pride dance takes place at Fulford Hall from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
On Sunday, attend the Unitarian Pride Service at the Seniors’ Centre, 379 Lower Ganges Rd.
For more information, go to daissi.org/salt-spring-pride.
Seating and believing: Furniture program in spotlight
Camosun College’s respected fine furniture program is marking its 30-year anniversary with an exhibition at UVic’s Legacy Art Galleries.
The program boasts that it has turned out more than 500 graduates.
Thirty-seven of those grads were invited to create new works that celebrate the process of designing and building seating, a foundation of the program.
Organized by retired Camosun instructors Ken Guenter and Cam Russell, the Making It show has been running since July 14. It wraps up on Sept. 22.
The gallery, at 630 Yates St, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
The UVic Legacy Galleries has a long-standing relationship with the instructors and students of the Camosun program.
It hosted the first exhibition of local furniture-makers in 1982, which helped to found the Vancouver Island Woodworkers Guild and the renowned Camosun program.
