by Heather Apple

In November 1992, the Heritage Seed Program bought Tsolum River Fruit Trees, a B.C. nursery with 350 varieties of heirloom and gourmet fruit trees. This nursery was started by Renée Poisson who, over the years, gathered together a unique collection of wonderful fruit varieties from around the world and from different periods of time.

Lady is a beautiful little dessert apple grown in the gardens of Louis XIII of France; Lubsk Queen is a juicy aromatic apple from Russia; Kandil Sinap hails from Turkey; and Roxbury Russet is a delicious American dessert apple dating from 1600. Flavours range from the distinctive rich, nutty taste of Orleans Reinette, a French heirloom from 1776, to the sweet, lemony German Lemon Apple and the crisp, tart Bramley’s Seedling from 1805 England. And there are unusual varieties such as Pink Pearl with its juicy, deep pink flesh.

Renée Poisson, a sculptress, decided she wanted to sell the nursery and follow her career in sculpting. The Heritage Seed Program recognized what an incredible and unique collection of fruit trees Renée had gathered together, and we wanted to keep this collection intact.

As well as continuing to run the nursery, the HSP is also setting up a permanent preservation collection of fruit trees. On behalf of future generations, we are making the commitment to maintain and add to this collection over the years. The proceeds from running the nursery will go towards supporting this collection.

The trees, which are fairly small, are being moved from Merville, B.C. to their new home on the land of John Wilcox on Salt Spring Island. This seems a wonderfully appropriate move because Salt Spring Island was once known as the "Apple Capital of B.C." Mike McCormick has agreed to be manager of the nursery and curator of the preservation collection. The skills, ideas and enthusiasm which he brings to this project will help it to realize its potential.

The purchase of the nursery has made it necessary for the Heritage Seed Program to become an independently incorporated organization. Up until now it has been a project of COG. With the blessing of the COG executive, the HSP is now seeking status as a not-for-profit organization and will later seek charitable status. Although separate organizations, the HSP and COG will continue the close and friendly relationship they have had in the past.