The Salt Spring Museum is hosting a week of exhibits and demonstrations from February 16 to February 22, 2026, to show how farming has changed on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. The event runs daily from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Bittancourt House, a heritage building originally built in 1884.
Visitors can tour the 10-acre grounds of the Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute on Rainbow Road to see a blacksmith shop, a restored sawmill, and antique farm tools. These displays look at the lives of early settlers between 1850 and 1950, a time when the island was known as a regional breadbasket for its large production of crops and livestock.
According to Heritage BC, a special event called What’s in the Pot? will take place on February 21, 2026. During this session, people are encouraged to bring a copy of their favourite recipe to the museum so it can be photocopied and shared with neighbors to celebrate local food traditions.
The focus on historical growing techniques comes as local groups work to increase the amount of food grown on the island today. The Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust recently reported that its food share program harvested more than 22,000 pounds of food in 2025, which is a significant increase from the year before.
