A Taste of our Past

Old-Fashioned Goodness

[Photo Credit: National Archives]

Visit the Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson City, Yukon, to see where the gold rush started in 1896 after gold was discovered. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police didn’t want problems with all the men flooding into the area, so they insisted each person had to bring a year’s worth of food along. Men with gold in their eyes dragged along kilograms of tinned beans, bacon and other long-lasting foods.

Bannock, a simple biscuit-like bread, was a common food for First Nations and fur traders. Today, bannock is popular all over Canada, especially at powwows and other celebrations. The Kekuli Café (its motto is “Don’t panic . . we have bannock!”) in Kelowna, B.C. specializes in different flavours, Bannock Burger in Edmonton uses it instead of burger buns, and there’s even a restaurant called Bannock in the perfect location — a Hudson’s Bay store in Toronto.

At Upper Canada Village near Morrisburg, Ont., you can see all kinds of interesting old buildings and learn from people in costume about pioneer life. But the tastiest parts are the bakery and cheese factory — you can take home bread and cheese made the old-fashioned way!

[Photo Credit: Upper Canada Village]