The herring are coming, the herring are coming!
No, don’t look out toward Howe Sound, but rather to the Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG) on Saturday (March 19) at 7 p.m. for the Third Annual Herring Festival. The event is a celebration and recognition of the hard work the Squamish Streamkeepers have done to bring herring back to Howe Sound in recent years.
“The festival was Thor (Froslev)’s idea, originally,” said Jack Cooley, co-chair of the Streamkeepers. “He wanted to celebrate the return of the herring to Howe Sound and everything we were doing to make that happen.”
Cooley said his group was responsible for “90 per cent” of the herring that now call Howe Sound home, attracting orcas, dolphins and other ocean creatures to the area as a result. The group’s success stems from wrapping creosote pilings in the sound with a special material that the herring latch their eggs onto, thereby improving spawning numbers.
The Herring Festival will feature the fish prepared in a variety of ways, from rolled to pickled, sauced, soused, baked and more.
“Dorte (Froslev) is an amazing cook,” said Cooley. “She has all sorts of ways to prepare them.”
In addition to the Scandinavian-style feast, the Herring Festival also features a presentation by Streamkeepers’ other co-chair, Dr. John Matsen.
“It’s always a fun time,” said Cooley. “And the food is always great.”
Seating for the event is limited, and tickets are available at BAG or Xoco.
