Page 16 - 02_March-2025

he experience wasn’t without
its challenges — Chartrand had
to leave his job to participate,
and two family members passed
around the same time as filming.
“The physical cooking is
grueling, and the emotional
component is difficult, too,” Chartrand says. But
competing was a “checkbox” item he had long
wanted to do, and is grateful for the opportunity.
“I left with valuable insights, proving to myself
and others that Indigenous cuisine has a rightful
place on the global culinary stage.”
Fresh off Top Chef Canada, Chartrand opened
Paperbirch, an Indigenous culinary hub in the
Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. There, Chartrand
focuses on using local ingredients to craft break-
fast and lunch dishes, collaborating with vendors
in the market to showcase their produce, sauces
and meats. The name is a tribute to Indigenous
culture, referencing the first tree that Indigenous
people used to craft canoes.
As one of this year’s Best Restaurants judges,
Chartrand loves to see innovation in the local
culinary community. “I really enjoy people who
make me feel a little jealous because they are
a little bit better than me, or their idea was a
little bit better than mine,” Chartrand says.
“I love when I taste something and think, ‘I wish
I thought of that.’”
This year, Chartrand hopes to bring some
of his own innovation to Edmonton’s culinary
scene and envisions hosting after-hours intimate
Indigenous tasting dinners at Paperbirch. “Guests
will get laughs, tears, and a deeper understanding
of what Indigenous culinary arts represent,”
Chartrand says. “It’s about walking away feeling
better, inspired and connected.”
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Chartrand also plans to host “cooking
experiences” out of the hub later this year, where
he’ll share dishes indigenous to other cultures
(Italian, French, Filipino) the same way he shares
his own. It’s all to further his mission of using
food as a means of teaching and connection.
While Top Chef gave him national attention,
Chartrand’s passion for Indigenous culinary arts
have taken him around the world, including
Egypt for the 27th Conference of the Parties to
the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (COP 27), where he highlighted
the importance of Indigenous traditions and
sustainability. “I talked about how storytelling
and healing and food all go together, and how
we all influence the frequencies of the land. The
more of a positive person you are in your life,
the more of a positive influence you’ll have on
this world.”
But he feels Top Chef was “the biggest show-
case for Indigenous food I’ve ever been a part of,
by far.” And despite 2025 plans for even farther
food-related travel, “I always end up back in
Edmonton, because it’s home.” ED.