Smorgasbord Deli & Country Garden Greenhouse is Closing
Kamloops BC, April 17, 2023 – Recognizing the unceded traditional territory of the Secwépemc, nation whose lands provide us with nourishment, livelihood and recreation, Dalton and Anita Strong are today making an announcement relating to the closure of this long-standing Kamloops institution.
Country Garden Greenhouse has been doing business in the Kamloops area since 1982 when the farm in Monte Lake was purchased. Dalton and Anita Strong began growing bedding plants and selling them at the Kamloops Farmers’ Market which had itself been in existence for only four years at that time. In 1999 the garden centre location on Victoria St. was opened in conjunction with the Smorgasbord Deli. This pairing combines the best of both possibilities, with the Deli taking up the slack in the off-season and the Garden Centre providing a lovely ambiance for a leisurely lunch among the greenery.
“The building has been purchased by a pizza joint and we have to move by the end of August. We have been talking about retiring anyway but may end up just closing up the shop.” says Anita Strong. “Not that we want to, but we don’t have anyone ready to take over in this short amount of time.”
Former downtown resident and long-time customer of the Smorgasbord, Daphane Nelson, approached the Strongs to ask about their succession plans. When she heard that this business may not continue past the summer of 2023, she asked if they would consider hosting an information session about the possibility of cooperative ownership and/or investment options. “I’ve been buying my gardening supplies from Country Garden for almost a decade now, and even though I live in Batch, I still love meeting people at the Smorgasbord for a coffee,” says Daphane, “there must be a group out there willing to take this on.”
There will be an information session for prospective cooperators on Wednesday, April 24th from 5:30-7:30. People will learn about cooperatives generally and the possibility of co-owning the Smorgasbord and Country Garden Greenhouse specifically. Those interested in learning more about this opportunity are asked to pre-register via Brown Paper Tickets at https://savethesmorg.bpt.me.