Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/170490
DeSTInATIOn B ack in the valley, we start our second full day by getting to know downtown grand Forks at the 1912 provincial court house, now home to gallery 2: grand Forks and District Art and Heritage Centre. The visitor centre is here, too, and has a great historic walking tour brochure. First we check out the display of photographs to imagine the city in boom time. We start at Central and Fourth Street, at the Winnipeg Hotel, grand Forks's oldest hostelry, built in 1900. Sadly, the city's only surviving historic hotel is currently boarded up and is scheduled for demolition. The strip south of the Buy-low Foods grocery store was once home to the bustling Kettle Valley railway station, just north of Market Avenue, the commercial section of downtown, which begins at the Edwardian red brick City Hall, built in 1915 as the post office. an old friend, and I feel a rush of that initial sense of wonder from the first time I pried it apart and discovered many more dolls inside. An old bank vault is still part of the décor at The Borscht Bowl restaurant. Here we enjoy a hearty feast of vegetarian russian food: steaming cabbage borscht, voreniki (giant dumplings), pyrahi (tart), and nalesniki (blintzes) filled with cottage cheese and topped with raspberry sauce. "I've been making russian food with my grandmas since I can remember," says Beki Fofonoff, the owner and chief cook, as she whips up another batch of voreniki "from scratch, by hand, old-school," much like her Doukhobor great-grandparents who came here with the influx from Saskatchewan. Fofonoff left to attend university in Vancouver, but she missed this tight-knit community. "It was always my dream to come back," she says. "This is the most beautiful place in the world." G Heading eastward, we stop at Thistle Pot gifts at 337 Market. Built in 1897, it's considered the oldest commercial building in the city and now has a mother lode of goodies from local artists, potters, jewellers, and soap-makers. To the east, there's another fine brick Edwardianstyle building, called The Davis Block. It was one of grand Forks's first department stores. Across the street is The gem Theatre, built in the 1920s as a silent movie theatre. The corner building at 2nd Street was once a drugstore and ice cream parlour and there's still an rx symbol emblazoned on the side. Through the window of a store called Art Effects gallery, I spy a set of russian nesting dolls exactly like one I had as a child, with red babushkas and rosy cheeks. It's a bit like seeing 18 B rIT IS H C olUMBIA MAgAZI NE • FAll 2013 rand Forks is a great jumping off point for exploring the region's spectacular scenery via biking and hiking trails, like the Trans Canada Trail and the Dewdney Trail near Christina lake. But the beating heart of grand Forks is its wide stretch of fertile valley, which, as residents boast, is so sunny and productive because it stretches east-to-west. We spend our final morning enjoying the valley, starting with a stroll alongside the Kettle river, then checking out the city's agri-tourism offerings. The orchards and farms are closed for the season, but the grand Forks Farmers' Market continues on Tuesdays and Fridays until mid-october at gyro Park, with local potatoes, apples, and even cupcakes made by "the cupcake kid," 16-year-old Maxwell Nicholson. Next, we jump in the car and cross the Kettle river to explore. First stop is for cheese at Jerseyland organics dairy (2690 Almond gardens road), then we head to Mrs. B&B's Bakery (5875 Como road) for homemade bread. If the sign says closed, baker Pat Phelps typically leaves the door unlocked, operating under the honour system. It's one of the many perks of this valley, with its beautiful setting and so many treasures nesting within. • top: Russian nesting dolls and other traditional crafts in gift shops reflect the heritage of early settlers. centre: The Borscht Bowl serves authentic Russian cuisine prepared by owner Beki Fofonoff. bottom: The former courthouse (circa 1912) is now home to Gallery 2: Grand Forks and District Art and heritage Centre, a good place to learn about local history and to see art exhibitions.