ocean wise CANstruction inukshuk, REVEALED!

Unique design sculpture benefits food bank while celebrating Vancouver’s Olympic emblem and the culture of Canada’s Arctic

Today the Vancouver Aquarium revealed an enormous Inukshuk sculpture made entirely of cans of Ocean Wise recommended seafood in a display of Olympic spirit. Created by an Aquarium design team, the Ocean Wise Canstruction project will be available for viewing from now through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The seafood was generously donated by Raincoast Trading. Following the exhibit the canned fish will be donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.

“You can tell our team and partners had a lot of fun creating this amazing spectacle to share with locals and visitors during the Games,” said Aquarium president, Dr. John Nightingale. “We are able to show our Olympic spirit and support the Food Bank, while showcasing the importance of choosing sustainable seafood. Overfishing is the number one problem facing the world’s oceans today. Ocean Wise makes it easy for Canadians to play an active role in conserving them now and for future generations.”

The canned seafood was supplied by Raincoast Trading, the first retail product to have the Ocean Wise recommended logo on their labels.  Mike Wick, owner, commented, “Raincoast is delighted to be part of this unique initiative.  If we can help a good cause while letting consumers know how easy it is now to make sustainable seafood choices when shopping, then we’ve accomplished two really important things with this terrific project.”
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society acknowledges that this contribution to their ongoing efforts to feed the hungry is not only fun, but needed.  “We haven’t stopped talking about this since we first heard about it!” says Doug Aason, Director of Community Investment. “To see these community leaders come together to support us is just amazing!  We thank the Vancouver Aquarium and Raincoast Trading for supporting us through this display of Olympic spirit.”

 

The Ocean Wise Canstruction Inukshuk will remain on public display during the Olympic Winter Games from today through February 28^th.  Vancouver Aquarium visitors will find it on the outdoor beluga habitat at the entrance to the Canada’s Arctic exhibit.

 

It took many hands and a lot of cans to build the Ocean Wise Canstruction Inukshuk. So many cans, in fact, that the Aquarium is giving the public the chance to guess the total number used in the “CAN You Guess?” contest open now through February 13. The winner will receive two tickets to an Olympic speed skating event at the Richmond Oval courtesy of BC Hydro. Anyone can enter the contest by dropping off the ballot in person at the Vancouver Aquarium or online at www.visitvanaqua.org.

 

 

 

 

 

About Inukshuk
Inukshuk is an Inuit word that means “that which acts in the capacity of a human.”  In the Arctic, people build Inuksuit (plural of Inukshuk) from rocks, stones, and other materials such as antlers or bone. Inuksuit are wayfinders, markers, message centres, and hunting assistants.  Today, the role of the Inukshuk has expanded even further.  It inspired the logo of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. It is a symbol of the people of the Arctic, and a way for Inuit and non-Inuit to mark their presence across the country. Our Inukshuk is built entirely of cans of Ocean Wise recommended salmon and tuna. Like the wayfinders of the Arctic, it marks a path: one that leads to healthy oceans through sustainable fishing practices.

 

About Canstruction

Canstruction is a world-wide design competition and exhibit where teams build structures
from food cans to support the local food bank.

 

About Raincoast Trading

Raincoast Trading sells premium wild seafood products since 1978. Based in Vancouver, Canada the company is owned by a fourth generation fishing family proud to offer sustainably-harvested, gourmet canned seafood. Raincoast Trading adheres to the highest sustainability standards when catching, processing and packaging its seafood. Raincoast Trading is the first Canadian packaged retail seafood company recommended by the respected Ocean Wise™ conservation program as an environmentally-friendly seafood choice for retail grocers and consumers around the world. Learn more at www.rainscoasttrading.com

About the Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium is a global leader in connecting people to our natural world, and a self-supporting, non-profit association dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display and interpretation, conservation practices, education, research, and direct action. Learn more at www.vanaqua.org

About Ocean Wise™

Ocean Wise is Canada’s leading sustainable seafood program.  The Ocean Wise logo on a restaurant menu, deli-counter or seafood product is the trusted symbol of ocean-friendly seafood choices for discerning consumers.  Launched in Vancouver, BC in January 2005 by the Vancouver Aquarium, the Ocean Wise program has grown from a small, local initiative to a national program now working with nearly 300 partners at over 2700 locations. Learn more at www.oceanwise.ca

The Governor General of Canada invites Robert Clark to Ottawa for a dinner in honour of the Prince of Wales

Clark sat yesterday with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at a dinner that celebrated the Nation’s Table. The group indulged in culinary creations based on the fresh, seasonal and organic diversity of distinctly Canadian products.

The honour also included an invitation for Clark to sit on a Canadian Advisory Committee for future Governor General Awards. These awards are given to outstanding contributions to arts, literature, sports, humanities and sciences. Clark will assist the committee going forward in selecting recipients for awards concerning the arts as they relate to culinary talent and products from around the country.

C Restaurant made a splash at the Vancouver Aquarium with the debut of its new cookbook, C Food.

Over 200 guests came out in support of C’s highly-anticipated book launch, celebrating with champagne and canapés as they admired cleverly displayed copies of C Food submerged in fish tanks. Keeping with the ocean-friendly theme, a scuba diver wowed guests by diving into the largest tank to retrieve the first-ever copy of C Food.

To celebrate the release of the book, C Chef de Cuisine, Quang Dang, has created a six –course tasting menu inspired by the recipes inside. For $128, guests will receive a copy of the book as well as a chance to savour items like Chilled Fennel Consommé (page 22) and Honey Glazed Sablefish, a combination of two recipes (page 32 and 60).

For reservations, please contact: C Restaurant at 604-681-1164

C Restaurant offers expert catering services with the innovative design and upscale contemporary cuisine that clients have come to expect. The perfect solution for any event, be it corporate, retail or a festive gathering amongst friends, C Restaurant is prepared to rise to any challenge. C works with their clients to custom design menus while offering exceptional service that includes assistance with wine selection and recommendations for event suppliers and potential venues.

To book C Restaurant for your next catering event, please email Curtis Wong, Director Sales and Marketing for C Restaurant at curtis@crestaurant.com.

Give the gift of ethical luxury – C Restaurant is pleased to announce a special offer beginning November 15, 2009. For every $100 gift certificate purchased, C will add a complimentary $25 on the house. Gift certificates are valid at C Restaurant, Raincity Grill and nu restaurant + lounge.

Raincity Grill announces its participation in the CSA Grain Initiative

The CSA Grain Initiative is Vancouver’s first locally sourced flour distribution system established with the help of Jim Grieshaber-Otto of Cedar Isle Farm in Agassiz. As one of 200 shareholders participating in this local coup, Executive Chef Robert Clark is certain the scope of Raincity Grill’s 100-mile menus will now increase.

“The real story is that we are demonstrating, as a community, the importance of both supporting local food and participating in its production,” says Clark. Starting in October 2009, expect Raincity Grill to creatively incorporate local wheat into its ever-evolving 100-mile menu.

For more information about the CSA Grain Initiative visit www.urbangrains.ca.  For interview opportunities about the initiative and/or to speak with Robert Clark please contact Stephanie Jagger at stephanie@taitpr.com

Local potato farm makes a debut at Market Mondays – Raincity Grill will continue the popular Market Mondays event by featuring local supplier and darling of the potato world, Helmers Organic Farm. Helmer’s Organic is a small, family-run farm located in Pemberton, B.C. They produce 16-18 varieties of specialty potatoes as well as root crops, mixed vegetables and honey.

Market Mondays happen at Raincity Grill on the last Monday of every month. $65 per person (including wine). Reservations can be made by calling 604-685-7337. www.raincitygrill.com

For more information on Helmer’s Oganic Farm please visit www.helmersorganic.ca.

C Food Cookbook from C Restaurant

From the restaurant the Globe and Mail calls “the most original and exciting fish and seafood restaurant this country has ever seen,” comes a highly anticipated cookbook by owner Harry Kambolis and executive chef Robert Clark.

C Food brings the bold avant garde concepts of C Restaurant to the printed page in a stunning book full of images and recipes that are guaranteed to inspire. The book challenged executive chef Robert Clark, owner Harry Kambolis and photographer Hamid Attie to see ingredients from a different perspective. The result is an artful cookbook that is equally perfect for any kitchen or coffee table.

The book also showcases C Restaurant’s commitment and passions, which go far beyond the aesthetics of the plate. From its inception, C has led the way in serving sustainably harvested seafood from local waters and using ingredients that are homegrown. Sustainability is at the forefront of every menu created and the restaurant prides itself on its ability to serve up ethical luxury.

Readers will be inspired to think beyond conventional recipes like: Bayne Sound Scallop with Coriander Grapefruit Jelly and Pacific Oven Roasted Halibut with Parmesan Tuile and Arugula Puree.

Limited editions of the book are available for purchase from C Restaurant (604-681-1164) and Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks (604-688-6755) beginning in late October. Other retailers like Chapter, Amazon will be releasing the book in late November.

C Food is already receiving international accolades with invitations to events like the International Festival of Culinary Photography held in Paris each year.

Robert Clark is a graduate of George Brown College’s culinary training school. After apprenticing with some of Canada’s finest chefs, including Jamie Kennedy, Marc Thuet and John Higgins, Robert helped to open the celebrated Star Anise Restaurant before being recruited to C Restaurant in 1997. He proudly promotes Vancouver as a world-class culinary destination by participating in events in international culinary hubs like New York, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Beijing. As a founding board member of the Chefs’ Table Society of B.C., Clark’s belief in the importance of supporting a sustainable food system is being realized with the support of his fellow members. He works tirelessly to create new initiatives that bring local farmers and fishermen closer to the table.

Harry Kambolis is the owner and proprietor of C Restaurant. He has led the restaurant to win Vancouver Magazine’s Seafood Restaurant of the Year award for ten years in a row, as well as garnering countless additional accolades. A passionate environmentalist, Harry is currently collaborating with Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program and aims to make C Restaurant a flagship of sustainability.

Staying Accountable at C

“Counting every fish has to be one of the cornerstones of any sustainable management plan,” says C Restaurant’s Executive Chef Robert Clark.

Clark has been working with B.C. fisheries in an attempt create a system that tags fish in order for them to be properly accounted for. “This allows us to go one step further to protect both our oceans and our fish,” says Clark.

C Restaurant is thrilled to announce that as of September 1, 2009 they will be serving the first ever, tagged B.C. lingcod from local fisheries. Through an Ecotrust (www.ecotrust.org) tagging initiative that insures the provenance of fish Clark now feels that the restaurant can responsibly serve lingcod to their valued guest. Using the tags chefs are now able to identify the exact fishery that the lingcod came from and the exact fisherman and boat where it was caught.

Chef de Cuisine, Quang Dang has created a Tip to Tail lingcod menu in honour of the announcement which includes delicious menu items like:

Crispy Skin Ling Cod, crushed north arm farm sunchokes, smoked ham hock froth

Hook the Book at C

The Chef’s Table Society of British Columbia has put out a second helping. As a follow-up to their first successful cookbook, Vancouver Cooks 2, features recipes from 70 chefs around the province including, C Restaurant’s Robert Clark and Quang Dang.

What’s the hook? Get your book at C Restaurant for a steal. Simply order the Vancouver Cooks dinner menu from Friday, September 11th through to Friday, October 9th and they will give you a signed copy of the book for free. The $99 menu is 6-courses and features many of the C Restaurant recipes from the book.

Of course you can also purchase just the book from C Restaurant for $40, but what’s the culinary fun in that?

Looking for Chef Clark and his team?

Feast of Fields – Join chef Robert Clark and team as they cook the day away for the annual Feast of Fields event. This year the wandering harvest festival is being held at the UBC Farm on Sunday, September 13^th from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Hosted by Farm Folk/City Folk (www.feastoffields.com) the event gathers chefs, vitners, brewers, farmers and city folk from around the province to sample the best in sustainable, local food. So grab your glass of wine and your best linen napkin and head out to the farm.

A Shore Clean Up – Chef Robert Clark will be working with the Vancouver Aquarium at the 16^th Annual TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup (www2.vanaqua.org/cleanup) this Saturday, September 19th. Known as one of the largest shoreline cleanups in the world the goal is simple: walk the shore, pick the litter up and put it in the bag.

Passionate for a Cause Called Passion Cause  – Join chef Robert Clark and the team from C Restaurant on Sunday, September 20th as they donate their time to one of the best fundraising events of the year. Clark will work alongside other top culinary talent at the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation. Information about the event and tickets for the gala can be found online at www.drpeter.org.

Delicious and Localicious  – Join chef Clark as he supports the World Wildlife Fund Canada in their inaugural national event. From Friday, September 18 through Sunday, October 4 Raincity Grill, C Restaurant and nu restaurant + lounge will all participate in a celebration of locally grown harvests and the cultural diversity of cuisine served across Canada. It’s a sustainable food revolution across the country. For more details on the event head to www.wwf.ca

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