Stillwater steelhead make national headlines
West Coast Fish Culture supplies major chains
By Isabelle Southcott
Last month, steelhead from a fish farm on Lois Lake was the focus of a healthycooking demonstration on Canada AM. The CTV morning show which broadcasts across the country, featured one of Canada's most celebrated chefs Rob Feenie.
Feenie, Canada's only Iron Chef, is the food concept architect for the Cactus Clubrestaurants. He was in Powell River in August to visit West Coast Fish Cultureto see how the steelhead served at Cactus Club are raised.
Ward Griffioen has been called a visionary for his ability to see where the market for fish farming is heading.
As founder of West Coast Fish Culture, Ward saw the need for a year round market coming and began raising steelhead at his Lois Lake farm seven years ago.
"We have to be able to adapt and change, to figure out where the market is going three years in advance. It's a matter of survival. Somehow we've survived when a whole lot of other people didn't," says son-in-law Bill Vandevert, company president.
Ward first started West Coast Fish Culture in saltwater salmon farming in 1977 in Tofino. In 1988 he started rearing smolts in Lois Lake and selling the smolts to other farms. He also farmed rainbow, coho, chinook, and Atlantic salmon before shifting to the steelhead program.
At one point there were 180 fish farms on the coast, says Ward. "It was the ideal cottage industry. Now there are four or five large ones and four or five little ones."
Ward is a fish farmer through and through. "I'm a biologist at heart. I like to grow fish and figure out what works. With the steelhead (company vice-president) Bill Ferris decided to develop the market first and buy the eggs."
That decision has paid off.
In the hatchery
Everyone who enters the fish hatcheries must dip their shoes in disinfectant, leave them aside and don special boots before entering the building. Alex Wadden, assistant manager, assists in running the hatcheries under manager Ryk Mooring. Alex has been with the company since 1993 and is in charge of caring and hatching the eggs and the young fish. "These ones came in as eggs in May, they're now about three grams," he says.
To grow, of course, they must eat. The feeders used in the hatchery were made by Red Dragon Machining, a local company. "The warmer the water, to a point, the faster they grow," says Alex.
The fish are vaccinated before they are moved to the lake. They are identified with a clipped adipose fin.
The fish are closely monitored at every stage and information is entered into the farm's data control program. When they are large enough they are moved to net pens in the lake.
Across Canada and beyond
These days, West Coast Fish Culture supplies fresh steelhead to big name national chain restaurants such as Joey's Seafood Restaurant, Earl's, Cactus Club and Costco wholesalers in Canada and the United States. Plans are in place for sales locally before the end of this year from the company's Lang Bay processing facility.
These steelhead are organically fed a diet that mainly consists of sustainable fish meal. The fish have no ocean grow out, no antibiotics and are never given growth hormones.
West Coast Fish Cultures conforms to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization's code of conduct for responsible fisheries. The farm has also earned Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise conservation program's seal of approval. The Ocean Wise symbol assures consumers of an environmentally friendly seafood choice.
"We would like to offer a certified organic fish but there are no certifying bodies in Canada yet," says Bill Ferris.
Industry leader
Ward, who has been retired for three years, is looked at as a leader in the industry, says Bill Vandevert. "So many people know him throughout the industry. The farm at Lois Lake is a Powell River success story but still, some people don't even know it exists.
"Lois Lake is a buzz word around the international fish market but some people in Powell River don't even know where Lois Lake is located," says Bill.
Family-owned business
West Coast Fish Culture is a family owned and operated business in more ways than one. Not only have Ward's own children worked at the farm but so have all of his sons-in-law at one time or another. Bill Ferris is the company's vice president and the heart and soul behind the steelhead program. "My kids and grandkids have worked here. They have a good time while they learn to work," says Ward. Bill agrees. "There aren't many places where you can work with your mom, dad, aunts and uncles."
Melissa Boisvert works for West Coast Fish Culture at the company's Lang Bay processing plant and Lois Lake. The fish are loaded on a truck, which is barged over to dry land and then driven from Lois Lake to Lang Bay where they are processed before being shipped to the lower mainland. Melissa and her family have a long relationship with the business. "My dad Dan Hatch used to work here. My brother David is in charge of harvesting the steelhead and my husband Michael just started working here," she says. "My brother and I used to come here as kids to all the Christmas parties."
Nanette Wadden is in charge of the processing plant at Lang Bay. Her husband Alex helps run the hatcheries back at Lois Lake.
"We have a fantastic group of people. Some of them have been with us for decades; they really make it go," says Bill Vandevert.
September 7 was a special day at the processing plant. "This load puts us over the four million pound mark since we started four years ago," said Nan. A cake was made to celebrate the milestone day.
Renovations are already underway to enable secondary processing at the plant. "We'll be doing a fillet line," Nan explains. "It will be a ready-to-cook, bone-free product."
Looking for freedom
Ward, who was born and raised in The Netherlands, has been around fish for as long as he can remember. "My grandfather, my father and uncles were all fishermen and transported live fish on trucks and railroad cars throughout Europe. As a kid it was a thrill to be in amongst them."
Ward came to Canada in1958. He worked at an aquarium in Calgary as a fish technician for several years before moving to Nanaimo to work at the Pacific Biological Station in the late sixties.
"At that time they were looking at the potential for fish farming in BC," explains Ward. "We set up an experimental fish farm in the sixties that is still in operation."
Ward learned what he could from the scientists and staff and then moved out on his own in developing farm projects in saltwater. In 1988 he began looking for a place to set up a fish farm in fresh water.
He raised the necessary funds with the help of friends and a government loan--the government gave interest free loans in those days--and that made it possible to start the farm at Lois Lake.
"We put a small trailer on MacMillan Bloedel's old Camp B and I started building fish pens with Maryke (his wife) and Dan Hatch," says Ward pointing to the shoreline. "Then after we did that for a year or two, my sons-in-law said, 'This looks like a good way to make a living, can we help you?'"
That was 21 years ago.
One can't help but notice the feeling of pride family and employees have for the business that Ward began all those years ago. "It comes a bit at a time," says Bill Vandevert. You make a change here, a change there."
Across the country
"I have seen Lois Lake steelhead marketed in Chicago and San Francisco papers and we have sold them to Hawaii and Japan," says Bill Ferris.
There have been several tours through the farm since August when Earls Restaurant brought 26 of their staff to the farm for a field trip. "We had chefs from Toronto, Winnipeg, Seattle, Vancouver and Alberta here. They chartered a plane and flew them in," said Bill Vandevert. Then they went to the Ferris's home in Lang Bay and the family and staff treated Earls to a steelhead BBQ.
In September, 13 chefs and senior management from Cactus Club came and toured the farm. "It was pretty neat to have that connection with them. It was great for our staff, and me too, to see how much they appreciate the care we take in producing our product." Afterwards the Cactus Club chefs cooked and treated the Lois Lake staff to an "unbelievable" steelhead dinner.
Touring groups of people through the fish farm has been taking place for years. "When our kids were at Kelly Creek we'd bring their whole classroom out. Bill Ferris would put on his dive gear and bring up surprises for the kids from the bottom of the nets! The kids would be amazed."
Innovation, always
Ward and the Lois Lake staff are creative in their approach. For example, the rearing tanks are reconfigured silage tanks from the Prairies. Other examples include a very effective live haul system and an up to-date recirculation hatchery was developed on site.
These days they are working on fish composting. The fish by-products from the farm and processing plant are mixed with hog fuel. Fish oil is also extracted from these by-products and is being used in many different ways, from pet foods to Ward making biodiesel from it. Alex said the company has found another use for the fish oil now. "It is heating the water used to grow the next group of fish, replacing some of the costly propane use."
Lois Lake steelhead is a local farming opportunity with national significance.
