As a post-grad in Vancouver, David Cardinal didnB次元官网网址檛 particularly love his job, but it allowed him to spend his downtime in cafes around the city.

HeB次元官网网址檇 frequent java joints that were far from his home if their atmosphere was just right, and it was in those shops where a newfound appreciation for coffee flourished.

That was the start of a lasting love of coffee B次元官网网址� a passion that has taken Cardinal from operating a cafe in the heart of downtown Victoria for 15 years to trekking in Toyota trucks through the Peruvian jungle to visit a remote coffee farm.

More recently, itB次元官网网址檚 led to him starting turtle island coffee, which launched in November. The latest entrepreneurial journey once again sees him elbow-deep in quality coffee beans, but itB次元官网网址檚 also helped connect him with a culture that was almost stripped from his family.

CardinalB次元官网网址檚 coffee roasting company evokes Turtle Island, which refers to the lands making up North America in many Indigenous PeoplesB次元官网网址� creation stories. ItB次元官网网址檚 also a nod to his origin story as a Cree man, but that identity is one he didnB次元官网网址檛 know much about for a long time. CardinalB次元官网网址檚 father was a residential school survivor who was taken at the age of four before he was able to run away from the institution at 13.

B次元官网网址淗e was taught that being native was bad, so when he had children, he didnB次元官网网址檛 really teach us Cree, he didnB次元官网网址檛 really talk about his culture and honestly he didnB次元官网网址檛 learn that much of his own culture,B次元官网网址� Cardinal said.

There was a time when he didnB次元官网网址檛 know what Turtle Island stood for, but starting his new coffee roastery has also been exciting for Cardinal because heB次元官网网址檚 gotten to learn more about his Indigenous roots.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 trying to learn what our background is and it helps in meeting other people and hearing their stories, so itB次元官网网址檚 been helpful to learn more about my own background.B次元官网网址�

The idea of starting his roastery sprung when he received a gift box featuring various products from Indigenous-owned businesses. The box included a bag of coffee, but Cardinal was underwhelmed by the art on the packaging and was even more let down when he tasted the coffee.

That led the former head roaster of multiple Greater Victoria coffee spots to pursue starting a company that would pair high-quality roasts with packaging that showcased wowing Indigenous artwork.

The quality aspect starts with using single-origin coffees, all sourced from Turtle Island, as Cardinal prides himself on knowing the micro-region where his beans are from. He then spends about one day a week roasting batches of beans and packaging them at one of his former workplaces, Level Ground Coffee Roasters.

He always envisioned offering four different roasts, so that lined up perfectly with the idea to link each coffee to one of the four teachings that make up the Indigenous medicine wheel. The next step was working with Indigenous artists B次元官网网址� based in Greater Victoria, Sooke and Manitoba B次元官网网址� to match each brew to a fitting teaching.

For example, the bear in Cree represents courage, which is the name of one of the coffees and is linked to the medicine wheelB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址榤entalB次元官网网址� section.

It was an amazing feeling when Cardinal first held the final product in his hands.

B次元官网网址淭he images we went with, I think theyB次元官网网址檙e great and the artists are wonderful people,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 enjoy roasting, I enjoy coffee and I enjoy putting it all together myself and saying B次元官网网址楬ey, I made this.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

After NovemberB次元官网网址檚 launch, turtle island coffee is taking orders and is currently available in five smaller Greater Victoria grocers.

Cardinal hopes the business will become a full-time job as he enjoys being his own boss. But the coffee lover values working on his own and keeping the company 100 per cent Indigenous-owned and operated. That means, for him, the peak may be having success online and getting his roasts into some more markets that are close to home.

B次元官网网址淚 want my hands on it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t might sound kind of silly but I donB次元官网网址檛 actually want to get that big.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 proud of the idea of doing it all on my own.B次元官网网址�

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