By Sadie Hejazi

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Where to find dishes from different cultures in Kamloops

Apr 11, 2025 | 12:05 PM

IN 2024, we published the Kamloops Food Assets Index representing a list of local, culturally appropriate food options in Kamloops. This year, we developed a user-friendly map that showcases the locations of cultural food providers in the area. If you want to learn more about culturally appropriate food and the Kamloops Food Policy Council’s efforts to address the cultural disconnection from food practices, be sure to check out our December 2024 article titled Culturally Appropriate Food Goes Beyond the Ingredients on a Plate.

The map was launched for the first time at the Thrive Conference at Thompson Rivers University on March 15th. Its creation was funded by the Kamloops Naturalist Club and the Government of Canada. You can access the map using this link, which opens in your browser or the Google Maps mobile application.

Step-by-step guide for using the map

In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to use the map in two formats: “Browser View,” which refers to accessing the map through the link in your browser, and “Google Maps Mobile App View,” which refers to using the map in the Google Maps application on your phone.

Browser View

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The following screenshots show the initial view of the map when you open the link in your browser. The map displays cultural food providers’ locations in the Kamloops area. On the left panel of the browser view, you will find information about the map. If you click on the red banner (the map title) located at the top left, a small window will pop up with a brief description of the map. You can also expand the gray rectangle below the red banner for additional information.

• Cultural Restaurants representing eateries serving ethnic food.
  
• Cultural, Local and Organic Grocers representing culturally-specific grocery stores
  
• Conventional Grocers representing supermarkets with confirmed International Food Product
  
• Other Cultural Food Assets in Kamloops representing any other culturally food assets that are not the above categories including cooking classes, food trucks, Farmers Markets and events showcasing culturally significant foods.
  

How to use the map in the browser view

When you expand the map legend and select a food provider or click directly on a food provider icon on the map, a new window will appear on the left side of the map view, displaying details about the selected provider. This is the information you need to visit the place, whether you want to enjoy your favorite cultural dish, try a new cuisine, or purchase cultural ingredients to cook at home. This information includes the provider’s name, social media page, category from the map legend, ethnicity, phone number or email, address, and geographic coordinates.

To get directions to the location, click on the “Directions” icon in the red banner at the top, next to the food provider’s name.

How to Search by Ethnicity

In the browser view, click on the “search” icon in the red banner at the top and enter the ethnicity you’re interested in (for example, “Asian”). The search results will display which food providers offer Asian cuisine or food products.

Google Maps Mobile App View

The screenshots below display the initial view of the map when you open a link in your Google Maps application on your phone. Map information is available in the panel at the bottom. You can click on “View map legend” to see the map description and legend.

How to use the map in the Google Maps mobile app view

When you click on a food provider marker on the map, a panel with the name of the food asset will appear at the bottom of the map view. You can access more information by dragging the panel upward, which will pull up details from our map database. To get directions to a specific location, select the “Directions” button. To explore a new place on the map using the Google Maps mobile app, tap on an empty spot where there are no icons, and then select a new food asset from the options that appear.

How to Access This Map on Google Maps mobile app Without Using the Link

When you open the map link for the first time in your Google Maps mobile app, it will be saved automatically. The next time you want to access it, click on the “You” tab at the bottom of the Google Maps application, scroll down, and select the “Maps” feature. You will be directed to the page where your saved maps are located. From here, you can access the Kamloops Cultural Food Assets map at any time.

What’s Next?

Our long-term goal is to regularly update the Kamloops Cultural Food Assets Map and expand it to include low-cost and free food resources in Kamloops. To achieve this, we are seeking funding to implement our plan.

In the meantime, the community can benefit from the Kamloops Meal Calendar, which is published quarterly on the Food Security page of the Kamloops Food Policy Council website.

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the Cultural Food Assets Map, please contact us at admin@kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.