Guide - 416

The What's On Digest is Vancouver Island's #1 source for events and things to do in your community. Promoting active living island wide.

From major festivals to small club gatherings. From the youth to the elderly, there's something for everyone! 

Jam with local musicians or see the local art. Swim with the fish, or learn how to catch 'em! Go for a walk, or dance at a show. Play games on ice, or see a movie in the pool. Join a sport or take a course. Touch the animals, or ride a horse. Volunteer for a community project, or be part of a fundraiser.
Perhaps you'd just like to join Betty and Frank for a game of bridge at your local legion. 

No matter what age or who you are, you'll find something fun and fulfilling that's right in your city. Look inside your What's On Digest magazine today.

A specialty coffee shop and community hub located in Nanaimo's Train Station, White Rabbit Coffee Co (WRCC) is a one stop shop; whether you need a place to study, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a refill before hitting the trail, you're covered. 

WHITE RABBIT COFFEE CO
321A Selby Street, Nanaimo, BC 
whiterabbitcoffeeco.com 

With gluten-free and vegan snack options, expertly concocted drinks, and a calming and sweet atmosphere that you’re guaranteed to enjoy.

If you’re in the market for authentic, old-world, true sourdough bread made with fresh onsite stone-milled organic flours and heritage grains, then a trip to Wild Culture Artisan Bakery in Qualicum Beach should be on your calendar.

WILD CULTURE ARTISAN BAKERY
692 Bennet Road, Qualicum Beach, B.C. | (250) 752-0077
wildculturebakery.com 

And it’s not just the extraordinary breads that keep people flocking there. The quaint patio garden setting draws you up the path and into the friendly retail shop. Once inside, the choices are abundant. Savoury sausage rolls and scones, cakes, flourless hazelnut tortes, lemon cream tarts, cinnamon buns to die for and truly addictive coconut macaroons, all made in house with real butter.

They also have several tasty gluten-free and vegan sweet options. On Fridays only, they make delicious sourdough pizzas, but order early because they sell out fast! The new online shop option is easy to use and they even have a pick-up window. 

Wild Culture is a truly unique destination bakery, nestled into a beautiful 6-acre property. Open year round from Wednesday to Friday, noon–5pm.

Wildflower Bakeshop & Café offers a wide variety of all the comfort classics. Their menu is deeply tied to their local farmers, showcasing fresh, seasonal, and organic produce and meats.

WILDFLOWER BAKESHOP & CAFE
5047 Argyle St, Port Alberni | (250) 724-5047
www.cafewildflower.ca

It is complemented with specialty coffees, classic cocktails, and a selection of local beers and wines. For the sweet tooth, their pastry case is filled with a variety of cookies, bars, donuts, and laminated pastries, as well as organic sourdough breads, made from scratch in house daily. Wildflower also offers a variety of custom orders and catering options, as well as retail goods. Takeout and curbside pick up options are available, as well as seating either inside their cozy dining room or in their garden patio.

Wild Mountain Food & Drink, overlooking the Sooke harbour, is a Slow Food restaurant serving local West Coast Canadian cuisine. It is home to Oliver, a chef, husband, farmer & forager; his wife Brooke who is the sommelier, cook and gardener; and their incredible team of servers, chefs, gardeners, farmers, foragers and friends. Their love of food brought them together and made Wild Mountain a possibility—and one of our favourite restaurants in the area!

Growing up on a honey farm in the North Okanagan, Oliver was fortunate to experience the fruits of the orchards they pollinated, the vegetables of his grandma’s garden, and the meat they bartered for with neighbours. His food is still informed by these fresh, unfettered flavours, which were in time with the seasons and the land. Oliver’s skills encompass his food philosophy: butchery, charcuterie, preservation, fermentation, and also raising, growing and foraging for many of his ingredients. Flavour begins in the seed and the soil!  

Joining Oliver on his culinary escapades is his wife, Brooke. A native of Vancouver Island, her love of food and country living brought them together. She is the community leader for the local Slow Food board and founding member of Slow Fish Canada. 

Wild Poppy Market offers thoughtfully delicious grab & go meals, baked goods and drinks, including their wildly popular gluten-free products.

Wild Poppy Market is also a part of our Island Eats Series, giving you an inside look into the local products they use in their delicious recipes. 

The Island Eats Series is proudly sponsored by Gordon Food Service Canada.

The market makes it a priority to partner with numerous local food producers providing passionately prepared goods such Cowichan Milk Company, Salt Spring Pie Company, Qualicum Pickles and many vegan and gluten-free products, beverages and local cheeses.

WILD POPPY MARKET
541 1st Avenue, Ladysmith | (250) 924-8696
wildpoppymarket.ca

Stop in to pick up some delicious local products and fresh baked goods, and say hi to Owner and Chef Kate Cram. Kate has extensive experience in her industry, having attended the Culinary Institute of America and then also becoming a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. She is passionate about developing menus that reflect the best nutrients food has to offer to help aid our health. Together with her husband, Goeff, they have taken the challenges of COVID-19 as an opportunity to pivot their business into it's new model as a market, but still promise to provide the service and quality you've come to expect from the establishment.

Wild Renfrew

The Renfrew Pub is the homey gathering place for locals and visitors at the heart of Snuggery Cove. Friendly and inviting, it’s the sort of place even first-timers swear they’ve been before. The waterfront pub and restaurant occupies an enviable spot, right next to the dock. The great room — with cathedral ceiling, gleaming 10-tap draught system, pool table and flat screen TVs — offers up micro-brews, tasty fare, and nautical charm.

There isn’t a bad seat in this house. This is the spot to shed your shoes, grab a pint or glass of white, and enjoy a natter with friends. Don’t be surprised to see an eagle cruising overhead or a curious harbour seal popping up in the inlet to say hello.

On chilly evenings when the fog rolls in, the illuminated Renfrew Pub sign beckons with the promise of conviviality in the cove. On special nights, live music spills into the night. With cedar shingles and warm-lit windows, this public house is like a woodsy cabin shared with friends. Make your way down there and check it out for yourself.

Woodfire Restaurant & Catering is tucked into the heart of the village on Gabriola Island. The contemporary restaurant offers comfortable but elegant dining, and is the destination dinner location for locals and tourists alike. Their menu features dishes that combine Mediterranean flavours with West Coast flair.

WOODFIRE RESTAURANT & CATERING
Unit 1 - 500 North Road, Gabriola Island | Inquiries: (250) 247 0095 / Takeout: (250) 247 0093
woodfirerestaurant.ca

Regardless of which dish you choose from their menu, you'll find yourself satisfied with the fresh, quality ingredients. Enjoy a woodfired pizza, a hearty Italian dish or a beautiful seafood dish. Complement your meal with a selection from their various international and local beer, cider and wine options. 

Woodfire also provides catering services with custom menus specific to your needs and budget, whether you're hosting a small gathering or a large event. Look for their custom line of spices to purchase as well for your own culinary experiments when distance keeps you from enjoying a dinner directly at Woodfire.

Woodshed Provisions is a small family-run business on Salt Spring Island that creates delicious food based on the seasonal and local ingredients available around them. They have three locations to visit: their original Woodshed location, the Woodshed Shop, and their food truck (which can be found in Fulford Village).

WOODSHED PROVISIONS

The Woodshed Shop
Open Wednesday - Saturday 10am-5pm
319-#2 Upper Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island

The Woodshed
Open Thursday - Monday from early morning into the evening 
243 King Road, Salt Spring Island

The Woodshed Foodtruck
Open Saturday and Sunday 11-5
Fulford Village, Salt Spring Island

Woodshed Provisions is also part of our Island Eats Video Series, where chef Haidee Hart explains how to adapt their recipe contribution to the Island Eats cookbook according to the fresh ingredients available during any particular season.

The Island Eats Series is proudly sponsoredd by Gordon Food Service Canada.

Established in 2020 by Chef Tim Harris, Yellow Deer Mustard is quickly becoming a staple in many island households. 

YELLOW DEER MUSTARD
Qualicum Beach | (604) 346-9642
yellowdeermustard.ca

They offer seven flavours, including Whisky Maple made in the Dijon-style, semi-grainy Creole, sweet Ethiopian Berbere and Ol’ Yeller, their version of an old school yellow mustard. Yellow Deer Mustard is made using Canadian mustard seed and is all-natural with no additives or preservatives. Except for their honey mustard, all are vegan. Proudly made by hand right here on Vancouver Island.

Yellow Point Farms is a local family-run farm that grows blueberries, garlic, and other seasonal produce. Plus, they raise miniature goats, sheep, pigs, and poultry. Their quaint farm store opening fall 2021 is a must-visit when in the mid-Island area. They sell what they grow and raise themselves as well as source from other local Yellow Point farmers and artisans. Some of their wares include fresh produce, local pasture raised meats, wool products from their babydoll sheep, and goat milk soap! 

YELLOW POINT FARMS
4756 Yellow Point Road, Ladysmith | (250) 619-9155
yellowpointfarms.com 

You can also visit and interact with their sweet miniature livestock by visiting the petting farm at the same time. The friendly goats are a highlight, and one of their most renowned offerings is a session of baby goat yoga in the spring! It is such a unique and fun bucket-list experience. All of the animals serve a purpose and play an integral part in their farm's ecosystem. They have a mission of creating a well-balanced ecosystem and rich soils that produce nutrient-dense foods while treating the environment and the animals with respect.

Integrity. Quality. Craftsmanship. Relationship. These are the powerful words that Todd Marzoff uses when describing the legacy of his father’s work that he is determined to continue in his business, Zoff’s Greenhouses.

ZOFF'S GREENHOUSES
Port McNeill | (250) 230-0085
zoffsgreenhouses.ca

Recently, Todd asked his father if he would help him build a greenhouse for a friend. They used their small Wood-Mizer sawmill and some yellow cedar logs they already had, which turned out to be the perfect choice for a greenhouse, as it’s known for both its beauty and durability. From that 12-foot-wide greenhouse came further interest for 8-foot-wide ones, and Todd now offers both sizes in any length, with the ability to be added on to later. These custom-milled greenhouses will stand up to the wet and windy conditions familiar to those of us who live on the wet West Coast.