Local Love Blog Series – Ocean to Mountain Seafoods

Welcome back to the Local Love Blog Series! 

Being in a landlocked province, the Bow Valley can be a very tough place to find great seafood. This is something James (Jamie) Jenkins and Trevor Whitehead recognized and set out to fix this year by opening Ocean to Mountain Seafoods! 

Offering both direct-to-consumer and wholesale options, they have become a reliable source for amazing seafood. 

Ocean to Mountain Seafoods have quickly made themselves a recognized part of the Bow Valley Community. 

Easily recognizable in their white pop-up tent around town, you can find fresh seafood available four days a week throughout Canmore. They are set up at Valbella Gourmet Foods on Tuesdays, the Banff Farmers Market on Wednesdays, the Canmore Mountain Market on Thursdays, and Canadian Tire on Fridays.

However, this isn’t the only way to get your hands on some great seafood! Online ordering if the best way to have fresh seafood delivered right to your door. The best days to order are Sunday for delivery on Tuesday, or Tuesday for delivery on Thursday! Mondays tend to be trickier for live products, but the guys will often have lots of flash-frozen products at the ready!

Trevor and Jamie came together at the end of 2020 to put together their business plan and launched it in May 2021. 

Originally arriving in Canmore in 2003, Trevor acted as General Manager for many years at two local institutions, The Drake Pub and The Rose & Crown. Eventually, his passion for cooking was undeniable and he returned to the kitchen, most recently at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre. During his time in the Bow Valley, Trevor even competed in a Top Chef-style competition as part of Canmore Uncorked, winning in his first year! Trevor’s impressive experience and knowledge of the food and beverage industry in the Bow Valley helped him recognize the need for a solution to providing the Bow Valley with fresher and higher-quality seafood. 

At 18, he was drafted as a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and attended college in Pasco Hernando, FL. In 2002, Jamie left the coast for the mountains and arrived in Banff ready to explore and learn all he could about the Rockies. 2011 saw Jamie move to Vancouver to pursue an acting and film career, but the mountains called him back 9 years later and Jamie couldn’t resist. Jamie’s diverse experience and a wide array of connections from east to west allowed him to leverage his skills and jump head-first into starting Ocean to Mountain Seafoods. 

Opening a small business in Canmore during the pandemic hasn’t been without its challenges.

Jamie and Trevor have worked hard to be reliable with their product and honest with their customers about availability. Their seafood is flown in twice a week from both coasts, allowing them to offer both live and flash-frozen seafood options. With understandably variable pricing and product availability, the best place to check is their website to order or to visit them at any of their weekly locations above. 

With their combined 35+ years in the Bow Valley, Trevor and Jamie have a few local shout-outs to share!

The first few are clothing brand Pacific & Moss Co., jewelry maker Tiffany Teske, and writer/photographer Jamey Glasnovic. For local businesses in town, they wanted to shout out Bow Valley Moving Company and Evoolution as doing great work! They also can’t be remiss to mention the businesses that have supported them throughout the first few months of opening, including Stonewaters and Valbella Gourmet Foods. 

Primarily looking to build their online inventory and directory to focus on consumer sales, they also have a vision of opening a brick-and-mortar seafood market! The past few months have taught them lessons in managing expectations, staying organized, and not taking anything for granted. 

They have had a great reception from both tourists and Bow Valley locals and are eager to see where they can go from here. Next time you’re looking for fresh seafood to celebrate an occasion or simply treat yourself to something special, look no further than Jamie and Trevor at Ocean to Mountain Seafoods. Make sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for all their latest updates, or place your order online!

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