Canning Workshop

Meet Chef Josée Bonjour!

• My name is Josée, and I am the woman behind J’em. 
• I grew up in rural Manitoba in a small francophone-Métis community.
• Like many around here, I grew up enjoying the garden's fresh harvest incorporated in cooking, baking, and preserves made by my elders and relatives.
• This included homemade bread by Memère Curé, who mixed the dough in a baby bathtub because there wasn’t a big enough bowl… sneaking into Memère Tétraults garden to take fresh peas and share them with Pepère Vic & Memère Bedette who were nearby, then head back in time to enjoy a fresh batch of her barrières aka fry-bread served with homemade pembina jam...
• Enjoying Memère L’Heureuxs crêpes with homemade chokecherry syrup, which were unique as she cooked them slightly thicker and fried them in a cast iron pan with Tenderflake.
• These memories and moments are what inspired me to incorporate them into my business and way of life. 
• What started in 2014 as a seasonal side hustle, J’em Jardin became J’em Bistro in 2019 after completing my formal education at Red River College, followed by employment at Banff Springs Hotel.
• A concept built around made from scratch and locally sourced, offering unique events, dining, and a homey sense of community.
• Since then, J’em La Cuisine has been introduced as an educational aspect and now J’em Nature is launching, offering unique accommodations and excursions in our community, another way to share my teachings.