If you’re driving up to Joffre Lakes, you might miss the small signs for Qwal̓ímak Coffee Company. But that’s about to change.
“We just picked proper signs yesterday,” said Claudia Thevarge, the 25-year-old behind the Lil’wat Nation’s new community-minded coffee trailer. “We’re going to have more on the road. So I think tourism will start booming, for sure.”
Thevarge grew up in Mount Currie. After a stint in Kelowna where she worked at a café/grocery hybrid that expanded her coffee chops, she returned home. And when a job at the New Site turned into a suggestion to start a café, she jumped in head first. It took about six months to bring the coffee company to fruition and launch the Nation’s first-ever coffee outlet.
“I’ve had a couple people mention it’s the talk of the community, because we don’t have anything like this," she told Pique. "There aren’t a lot of coffee options around, especially in Mount Currie.
“So, [Qwal̓ímak] is for the Nation and for our guests.”
Locally Sourced, locally fuelled
Being the Nation’s sole coffee shop isn’t the only void the trailer is filling; Thevarge saw a need for a business that could regularly provide farm-fresh food to customers.
“I really wanted fresh food,” she recalled. “I wanted fresh, clean food that’s not super greasy or that’s been sitting for long.”
Fortunately, the Coffee Company is situated on Qwal̓ímak Nlep̓cálten, or 'Mosquito Garden'—a four-hectare Lil’wat food-sovereignty project that grows a wide array of vegetables and provides harvest boxes for community members.
As a result, much of Qwal̓ímak’s menu is built around produce grown on-site or nearby.
“Our mixed greens are coming straight from the farm … our lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes—a couple of those items are not quite ready yet, but as our veggies start to get ready, then we can start using them way more,” said Thevarge.
That local sourcing extends to some of the coffees on offer. The lavender syrup in her iced lattes? Made from lavender picked on the farm, steeped and bottled by Thevarge herself.
Thevarge’s drinks menu runs the gamut of classic coffees—from cortado to espresso—and gets creative with an equal number of teas—from chai to mountain mint. And while she’s not big on “Starbucks-style crazy drink options,” she’s more than happy to make modifications to suit her customers’ tastes.
Using the farm’s produce has come with an additional challenge: Thevarge is embracing creative ways to reduce food waste.
“Sometimes we can’t sell all our cauliflower, for example. So, we freeze it and throw it in our smoothies,” she explained. “We just dehydrated some strawberries for the first time. We’re hoping to utilize everything from the farm.”
The café serves a tight menu of fresh sandwiches, salads and simple espresso drinks.
“We’re not super speedy, because everything is made to order, but we are fresh,” said Thevarge. “Our salmon bagel and Caprese salad are total hits.”
Being located on the farm offers another benefit to the business; proximity to a small, but tight-knit group of friends and family.
Thevarge’s sister, Rosie, 10 years her junior, is one of three summer students working at Qwalímak this season. The rest of the farm crew is just as familiar.
“Everyone on the farm, we all know each other. [We’ve] all grown up with each other,” Thevarge said.
“And it’s my sister’s first café job, and she’s just totally stepped in,” she added. “She’s already steaming milk. And because there’s the age gap, we don’t get to spend a lot of time together, so this has been just awesome.”
Entrepreneurship on the Duffey
Qwal̓ímak isn’t owned outright by Thevarge; it’s operated under the Lil’wat Nation’s Agriculture Department. Thevarge said the ownership model reflects a broader push to empower local youth through meaningful work. She encourages young entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to the department.
“The Nation is totally there to support you,” Thevarge said. “Reach out to the Nation. Tell them your idea, let them know what you want. They can kind of make it happen.”
Thevarge sees the trailer’s successful launch as just the first step towards creating a community and cultural institution.
“We’re getting toilets put in, we’ve got a flower garden going," she said. "Eventually we’ll be selling fresh produce here, too. You’ll be able to grab a coffee and a bag of veggies.”
She hopes to eventually bring the trailer to powwows, rodeos and other community events, but there’s infrastructure work to be done first—like WiFi for digital payments in rural areas. They’re also working on adding in a septic system to accommodate visitors and make it a must-stop on folks’ trip up the Duffey.
“And with people going to up Joffre all the time from here, it’d be really good to come and visit the community as well,” Thevarge said.
“I want to have some signs—some education around the Duffey and Joffre, because people can be sometimes upset about the closure. It could be a really good opportunity for communities to bond. I’m just ready for everyone to get along.
“We can do it just bringing everyone together and sipping on some good coffee.”
Qwal̓ímak Coffee Company is located at 590 Lake Road, off Highway 99, about 10 minutes up from Mount Currie. Thevarge also said to expect the trailer at the Pemberton Farmers' Market on Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. More info can be found on their Facebook and Instagram pages.
