'We feel a lot healthier': Pender Island couple experiments with living off land for full year
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that we can adapt when we have to.
An island couple decided to up the ante last summer when they moved to Pender Island, B.C. to take on the least convenient challenge you can imagine – and they're almost at the finish line.
In August 2020, Chris Hall and Stef Lowey decided to move to Pender Island to challenge themselves by only eating what they catch, grow, harvest or raise for an entire year.
The pair are proof that the answer to feeling healthier, doesn't come off of a store shelf.
"We feel a lot healthier," Hall said on Tuesday. "(Our) energy levels have balanced out, weird things like that, but it makes a difference. Clearer skin I think for both of us too."
Six months ago, CTV News checked up on them to see if they were doing OK. It turns out, they were thriving, and the same seems to be true now.
The pair has been sharing their journey with more than 30,000 YouTube subscribers, and have been showing what creative foods can be made in B.C., like coffee made from dandelion roots.
"I like sea asparagus more than normal asparagus," said Hall.
The couple has also been making dehydrated bladderwrack chips.
"They're not bad," said Lowey.
But, plenty of experiments also went sideways.
"Chris almost set fire to our deck trying to smoke some bacon," Lowey said.
The pair says their greenhouse was also destroyed during the winter.
"So that was a fail," said Lowey.
It's all part of the charm of living on the southern Gulf Island.
The pair's one-year challenge will finish on Aug. 2. The couple has a bottle of champagne ready that they've been saving for the occasion.
Lowey and Hall may also dip into some old favourite foods for a cheat meal a year in the making.
"I definitely still want pizza and hot wings. Maybe some tacos too," said Lowey.
As for getting back on the grid, the pair says they're still not sure what the future will look like.
"I don't think we'll ever go back to the way we were living," Hall said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
BREAKING Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.