The summit of a snow-capped mountain, a historic log cabin on the shore of a pristine lake, a sweeping valley of ancient glaciers, a northerly ocean passage lined with towering walls of ice. These places feel remote, rugged, and wild. They’re special, and they deserve our respect and protection.
Visitors from around the world visit these unique wonders, many for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In living their own stories here, they build a personal sense of ownership and responsibility in protecting these unique corners and pockets of the world.
Acting on this ownership comes to fruition through small but deliberate actions in everyday life. At Pursuit, we want to help make these decisions a little bit easier.
Even before leaving destination, guests can rest assured that conscious decisions have been made to help lower our footprint on the world—starting with the meals enjoyed on your adventure. Dining locations across Pursuit feature menus sourced with the quality choices of ingredients, including Ocean Wise recommended sustainable seafood.
Founded in 2005 as a concept launched by the Vancouver Aquarium, Ocean Wise is now a global conservation organization that works with partners to address issues including over-fishing and pollution.
Starting with 16 restaurants over a decade ago, it now works directly with over 650 partner businesses to guide them in making sustainable seafood purchasing decisions, and Pursuit is one of those partners.
Seafood consumption has been on the rise in recent decades. Today, over-fishing is one of the biggest threats our oceans face. Whether perusing a menu or shopping at your local grocery store, choosing food that features the Ocean Wise symbol gives you purchasing power to make a difference in the health of our oceans. Here’s how:
When dining with Pursuit in Banff, Jasper, and Alaska, exceptionality of place and plate blend together perfectly. Dining establishments at the Banff Gondola, Columbia Icefields Centre, and Maligne Lake are sourced with Ocean Wise seafood, and are otherwise sourced from local producers.
Martin Brenner, Executive Chef of the Banff Jasper Collection, says the shift in focus to sustainability on their menus over the past couple of years has been an essential change.
“It’s important to support organizations with values we want to mirror,” says Chef Martin. “Through our partnership with Ocean Wise, we support research on sustainability within the fishing industry, and reduce over-fishing by taking their recommendations for the best ingredient options for our own menus.”
Chef Martin says that every two weeks, guidelines and recommendations from Ocean Wise are updated with the most up-to-date information on the most sustainable species to source. From here, these suggestions are implemented into dishes they serve.
As well, sustainably-caught seafood is used at Alaska Collection cruises and lodges. Local fishing regulations and quotas are very stringent, ensuring Alaskan seafood stays abundant and resilient to fishing pressures. All chefs in the Alaska Collection partner with local fishermen and local seafood companies not only to ensure quality, but to stay informed on how seafood is farmed, and where it is coming from.
As well, sustainably-caught seafood is implemented on menus at Pursuit's Alaska Collection. Wes Choy, Executive Chef at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, says that it’s important to all chefs at Pursuit’s Alaska Collection to partner with local fishermen and local seafood companies.
“All of our fresh seafood is caught and processed here in Alaska,” says Chef Wes. “Quality is important to us, and we ensure a high caliber by staying informed on how seafood is farmed, and where it is coming from.”
Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, Denali Backcountry Lodge, Resurrection Roadhouse in the Windsong Lodge in Seward, and Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge all source ingredients employing sustainable fish farming methods.
At the Columbia Icefields Centre, the all-new Altitude Restaurant features a BBQ Salmon Salad at the Okanagan Salad Station Buffet, and a Canadian Cold Water Arctic Char entree complete with citrus scented quinoa and roasted root vegetable salad.
And at National Historic Site Maligne Lake Chalet enjoy their Market Fresh Sustainable Catch of the Day currently offering a line-caught cod at the lakeside luncheon. Or, try the oven-seared salmon with horseradish mashed potato, braised kale and corn tomato salsa at Maligne Canyon.
At the Banff Gondola’s Sky Bistro perched on Sulphur Mountain’s summit, you can enjoy Canadian Mussels and Pan-seared Kuterra Salmon, complete with asparagus and red hat farms heirloom tomatoes.
The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge serves up Red King Crab Legs, with rutabaga mash, zucchini and snap peas, or enjoy the Alaskan Black Cod with lentils, and grilled truffle endive.
We are building a team of passionate people determined to make a difference in the places we love. Every effort counts. Meet more of them here and discover how Promise to Place is the real deal.
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“Quality is important to us, and we ensure a high caliber by staying informed on how seafood is farmed, and where it is coming from.” -Chef Wes