What's on the menu? This Chatham-Kent woman dines on weeds
14 hours ago
Duration 1:55
Many people might consider dandelions, lambs quarters and burdock to be weeds.
But to Rashel Morin-Tremblay, they're food.
The Chatham-Kent woman is an avid forager who was first introduced to the practice by her father when she was a child.
"There's things in nature that you are not going to taste anywhere else," she said.
"You might not like it, but you might find something you really love."
Chatham-Kent and Windsor-Essex have plenty of foods to forage, she said, from violets to service berries to sunchokes.
On a recent stroll through the O'Neill Nature Preserve in Chatham, Ont., with the CBC's Mike Evans, she pointed out choke cherries, black cherry and sumac berries.
"People make them into lemonade," Morin-Tremblay said of the sumac berries.
"This has a lemony flavour."
Of the black cherry, she said, "Does it taste as good as cherries? No. But birds love it."
People can even eat invasive species, Morin-Tremblay said, which helps remove them from the ecosystem.
"For example, garlic mustard is one of the most problematic invasives," she said.
"It's not really garlic, but it has … some flavour to it. It's great for making pesto and throwing in your salads."
People who aren't sure whether or not a plant is poisonous can use an app to identify them, she added.
They can also taste a very small sample.
"There's no plant here that a small taste is going to kill you," she said.
In addition to eating plants, people can also use some of them topically, according to Morin-Tremblay.
Jewelweed, she says, can be used in creams and tinctures and as a treatment for poison ivy, while plantain can help bee stings.
Morin-Tremblay's passion for foraging has grown slowly over the years, beginning when her children were young, she said.
The family was into green smoothies, and she decided to see what they could pick in their yard instead of going to the grocery store.
Gradually, she became more and more curious about other plants, she said.
Foraging is a great way to save money, she said, because greens are expensive and often go bad in the fridge.
It's also a great way to get nutrients.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Grand River Transit to add Chicopee bus loop
Skiers may have an easier time getting to the slopes this year. CTV's Ashley Bacon explains. Skiers may have an easier time getting to the slopes this year. CTV's Ashley Bacon explains. Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort will soon have its own dedicated stop for Grand River Transit buses. While it won't officially open until spring 2026, a newly poured sidewalk along Morrison Road will make it easier than ever to safely walk to the nearest stop for Route 27. ADVERTISEMENT 'We're just so happy that it's come,' said Chicopee's CEO Bill Creighton. 'It's been a long process to even get it constructed. So, if we have to wait a little bit longer, we can do that.' A new sidewalk is the first step in creating what will be called the 'Chicopee Loop,' a $300,000 project. 'This provides us an opportunity to connect directly to the site and then that route will serve Chicopee will also connect directly to Fairway Station, providing seamless connection to ION light rail and ION buses in the community,' said Kevan Marshall, GRT's regional manager of transit development. bus stop kitchener chicopee ski resort route grand river transit bus Sign for Grand River Transit's Route 27 bus stop near Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort in Kitchener. (Ashley Bacon/CTV News) Creighton promised it will be worth the wait. 'We're anxious to get going as soon as we can, because we think it's great for the public and great for our staff. But again, to just have it, we're really grateful.' Work on the Morrison Road sidewalk is expected to wrap up this fall. 'We have a lot of employees that ride the bus to work, they don't have that walk down the side of the road and through the snow, and they can get off right here, and we'll have a trail right to the chalet,' Creighton explained. When completed, buses on Route 27 will let passengers off in Chicopee's main parking lot. Lights will also be added along the sidewalk for those dark winter evenings. 'The loop will serve as the turnaround point,' said Marshall. 'From a rider's perspective, very little change. There's one stop impacted and all we've done is moved it off of Quinte Crescent onto Morrison Road. It's less than a 100-metre walk difference to get to that stop.' Buses will not be modified with racks for sports equipment, but Grand River Transit said passengers can still bring them onboard. 'A ski bag or a snowboard bag, you can hold it onboard,' Marshall said. 'You're welcome to bring it on board as long as it's bagged up.' Chicopee is excited about the change. 'We do have a long-term plan with the resort and actually having transportation and access allows people who don't have cars [and] kids in the summer to come back with easy access,' Creighton said.
CTV News
21 hours ago
- CTV News
Metrolinx adds new express GO buses in Waterloo and Guelph ahead of post-secondary school year
A GO bus is seen in this undated file image. New express buses by Metrolinx may make getting to university or college in Waterloo and Guelph a little faster. As done every year, GO bus service to post-secondary schools will be reestablished beginning on Saturday Aug. 30. This includes new express buses coming in and out of Waterloo and Guelph: Route 25A – Waterloo to Mississauga Express through Milton Route 25C – Waterloo to Mississauga Express Route 30A – Waterloo to Bramalea Express through Kitchener Route 30E – Waterloo to Bramalea Express Route 31M – Brampton to University of Guelph Metrolinx will also adjust train service for updated travel times. This will impact the Kitchener GO train beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Trains are expected to leave a few minutes earlier or later. GO bus route 17B, University of Waterloo to Burlington GO will also be wrapping up for the year on Sunday, Aug. 24. Metrolinx encourages commuters to view schedules on the GO transit website for these changes.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Windsor MP says public deserves answers on Gordie Howe bridge opening date
'Straight answer' needed on opening date of Gordie Howe bridge, says Windsor West MP 12 hours ago Duration 1:44 The MP who represents the area that includes the Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ont., says the public deserves "a straight answer" on exactly when the new border crossing will be open to traffic. "This construction project is more than just a simple bridge, it's a vital economic lifeline for Windsor and Canada – given the volume of trade that flows through our border," Windsor West Conservative MP Harb Gill said in a statement to CBC News. "Our community deserves clear, consistent communication, not conflicting timelines." Despite promises the bridge will open this fall, a firm date has yet to be announced. The opening of the bridge will cap off a highly anticipated megaproject that has been in the works long before construction began in 2018. The bridge will provide a third vehicle crossing between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, supporting a crucial corridor for Canada-U.S. trade. The cost for the six-lane, 2.5-kilometre crossing was estimated at $6.4 billion as of last year, with the Canadian side footing the bill. On Tuesday, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) — the Crown corporation overseeing the project — said it's too early to provide an opening date but "work is progressing well towards our anticipated completion in fall 2025." "We have an estimated two per cent of construction work remaining," Heather Grondin, chief relations officer for the WDBA, said in a statement. Grondin added that the agency prioritizes infrastructure quality and employee safety. WATCH: What's the best view of the Gordie Howe bridge? What's the best view of the Gordie Howe International Bridge? 9 days ago CBC's Mike Evans went around Windsor, Ont., and neighbouring LaSalle snapping pictures of the Gordie Howe bridge to illustrate unique views of the crossing. He talks about his photo journey with CBC host Amy Dodge. Asked to respond to Gill's comment, the bridge authority said it's "committed to keeping everyone informed as we work toward the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge." Gill said he is awaiting a response from agencies and partners on the project regarding the opening date. "We believe that the people of Windsor-Essex deserve a straight answer," he said. CBSA confirms it's ready to take over port of entry The bridge authority has yet to address an April report by ratings agency S&P Global that suggested the opening date could be delayed until sometime in 2026. That report claimed there were delays in handing over ports of entry to border services agencies that could throw the timeline off course. However, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) told CBC News on Tuesday that handover of the Canadian port of entry facilities began early this year, and staff are beginning to occupy the space. "The CBSA will be ready to provide services at the Canadian port of entry by the opening date," CBSA spokesperson Jacqueline Roby said in an email. On the U.S. side, Customs and Border Protection did not provide comment. What work is happening now? Though the work at the bridge may be less visible following the completion of the bridge deck connecting the U.S. and Canadian sides last year, there's plenty of activity underway. According to the WDBA, the ongoing work includes: On the bridge itself, the installation of electrical, signage, lighting, fire suppression, lights and more. At the Canadian port of entry, interior work such as installing flooring, light fixtures and cabinets is taking place, as well as exterior work like landscaping and paving. Similar work is happening on the U.S. port of entry. On the U.S. side, the "final steps" are underway for the ramps connecting 1-75 to the U.S. port of entry, such as line painting and signage. Work is also ongoing on local road improvements on the U.S. side and five new pedestrian bridges. Building and testing of the technological systems at the crossing. For example, the technology that allows the toll booth to capture and read an RFID tag on a vehicle.
