• Learn about Biinaagami, a new initiative to connect to and protect the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed
• Read about The Food Network Canada judge Chef Alex Chen, the backstory of his restaurant Boulevard, and the key to his continued success as one of the country’s top chefs
• Discover more about the 1903 Frank Slide, the deadliest landslide in Canadian history and a town that endures
• Looking for your next adventure? Read about Great Canadian Trails and how you can journey through the Canadian Badlands and Rocky Mountains 

Announcing a new initiative to connect to and protect the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed

In the embrace of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed, we find ourselves guardians of a global treasure: the planet’s most expansive freshwater ecosystem. The sheer diversity of life interwoven within this natural tapestry is nothing short of miraculous. But with the privilege of residing in this blue heartland comes an inherent duty to protect and sustain it. This is the essence of the Biinaagami initiative — our call to action to honour the waters that cradle life in its myriad forms.

Biinaagami — a term bestowed upon this initiative by Anishinaabek grandmothers Barbara Nolan and Donna Debassige of Mnidoo Mnising (“Island of the Great Spirit” or Manitoulin Island) — translates to “clean, pure waters” in Anishinaabemowin. It stands as a testament to our undertaking, not just in name but in spirit. The grandmothers’ wisdom implores us to recognize water’s soul, its nurturing feminine energy, and to engage with it through reverence and respect. They urge us to adopt a “two-eyed seeing” philosophy, harmonizing Indigenous and western sciences, ensuring our actions are guided by a comprehensive and inclusive vision for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed.

The Food Network Canada judge discusses how he found his passion for food, the backstory of his restaurant Boulevard and the key to his continued success as one of the country’s top chefs

Buttery bits of crispy-crusted cornbread fall to my plate as I quietly consume the muffin, intentionally over-iced with salted butter. I am awaiting the arrival of Chef Alex Chen, unsure of how much time he’ll have to speak with me. After all, he’s a busy man, currently working simultaneously as the Executive Chef of Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar in Vancouver and Partner and Chef of Wild Blue Restaurant in Whistler. Seated at a quiet corner table at Boulevard alongside Liz, Chef Chen’s wife, and Leila, a mutual friend, we laugh in unison over our shared inability to resist reaching for another cornbread muffin just as Chef Chen approaches, wearing a wide grin that’s as bright as his chef whites.   

I’m ready to launch into questions about his newly-appointed Michelin Recommend, but Chef doesn’t want to talk about that yet. Instead, he begins with the backstory of Boulevard, focusing on the talents of his teammates. I’m immediately reminded of what makes him stand out. For Chen, uplifting those around him is a priority, and mentorship and relationship building are recurring themes throughout our conversation as he talks about his ongoing success as one of Canada’s top chefs.

In the early hours of April 29, 1903, 110 million tonnes of rock slipped off the eastern side of Turtle Mountain and onto the sleeping town of Frank, Alta. Those woken by the chaos heard what sounded like steam howling under high pressure, resonating 200 kilometres away to Cochrane, Alta. When the slide came to a halt just two minutes later, it had buried three square kilometres of the valley some 14 metres under — in some places as deep as 45 metres — homes, cottages, work camps, farms and businesses.

From above, the slide altered the skyline forever, splitting Turtle Mountain into two peaks. From below, it became the deadliest landslide in Canadian history. The death toll remains uncertain — estimates range between 70 and more than 90 — and only 18 bodies were recovered. Those cacophonous two minutes have defined Frank for 120 years, the coal town becoming colloquially known as Frank Slide.

Today, giant chunks of limestone line the highway built amid the rubble, above the bodies. Pull-outs along the road allow tourists to stop and take in nature’s disaster.