A trip to Trail Operations isn’t complete without a visit to The Colander, a nearby restaurant rich in Italian flavours and local history.
First opened in 1972, the restaurant served a hungry population strongly made up of immigrant workers, many of whom were skilled tradespeople arriving at Trail Operations in the West Kootenay region of B.C. from Italy in search of employment after the Second World War. That influx brought with it the need for dining options that satisfied the workers’ Mediterranean palates, and from there The Colander restaurant was born.
To meet the demand, chef Angelina Infanti cooked up delicious, classic Italian dishes that won over the hearts and stomachs of newcomers and locals alike, and within two years the popular restaurant had outgrown its humble beginnings and moved to the larger location where it operates today.
The Colander was known for many things but what cemented its place as a Trail landmark was the introduction of the famous “Colander Special”—all-you-can-eat spaghetti, two meatballs, two pieces of chicken, jojo potatoes, green salad and a crusty bun. Trail Operations employees would often take their families out for a dinner special using saved-up “pinkies”, a pink meal ticket which was given to employees who worked a certain amount of overtime and provided them with the equivalent value of a meal.
“I believe what really got people used to going out for dinner was when Trail Operations introduced the overtime meal ticket,” recalls Gary LeRose, manager and owner of The Colander, who has spent nearly 50 years working in the family-owned restaurant, which has a long-standing relationship with Teck.
Gary notes that, as a result, there was a significant increase in business and a shift in how people perceived eating out.
“The pink meal ticket taught locals that it’s okay to go out and eat supper, and that you don’t have to cook at home every day.”
That concept had a positive impact on the restaurant, which in the late 1990s would put through 700 to 800 orders a night, and sell two tons of pasta a month to keep up with demand.
Nowadays, the menu has changed to satisfy the shifting appetites of its diverse clientele, but the restaurant’s special, and its family-style dining, are still front and centre.
“We always say, Family-style first,” says Gary, who smiles when he thinks of the various customers who gather at the restaurant. “We’ve had hockey teams sitting two tables away from Teck senior management. The Teck folks are entertaining people from out of town and the hockey players are singing songs about their win. That’s just the way it goes here.”
Because the familiar favourites are also good served cold, people passing through town will also often take additional food to go. One commonly requested ‘to go’ order and a particular point of pride is The Colander’s spaghetti, which features the LeRose family’s secret sauce recipe, made the old-fashioned way using locally-sourced fresh ingredients.
And while many love the restaurant for its hearty, tasty meals, the connection between Teck and the establishment is often more personal.
“Many Trail Operations’ employees have a special connection to The Colander,” says Carol Vanelli Worosz, Community Engagement Leader with Teck. “Either through work with safety dinners or overtime meals, or sometimes having worked there as a teenager or having a child work there now. There are some things that are iconic when you think of Trail: there’s the Smoke Eaters hockey team, Trail Operations, and then there’s The Colander. It’s true to its slogan—it’s a Trail tradition.”
