When it comes to apples, it seems provincial boundaries in Canada are no barrier to sportsmanship—even it means another province’s growers win the big prize.

B.C.​ ​apples​ ​captured​ ​several​ ​of​ ​the​ ​top​ ​spots​ ​at​ ​this​ ​year’s​ ​National Apple​ ​Competition​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Royal​ ​Agricultural​ ​Winter​ ​Fair​ ​​in​ ​Toronto, including the titles of ​Grand Champion​ ​and​ ​Reserve​ ​Champion​ ​in the​ New Varieties ​category.

But not without a little help from the Ontario Fruit Growers Association.

“I​ ​congratulate​ ​the​ ​orchardists​ ​from​ ​across​ ​Canada​ ​who​ ​participated​ ​in​ ​the National​ ​Apple​ ​Competition,”​ ​said​ ​Glen​ ​Lucas,​ ​general​ ​manager of the ​B.C.​ ​Fruit Growers’​ ​Association.​ ​

“We​ ​express​ ​our​ ​special​ ​thanks​ ​to​ the ​Ontario​ ​Fruit​ ​Growers’ Association,​ ​who​ ​went​ ​above​ ​and​ ​beyond​ ​the​ ​call​ ​of​ ​duty​ ​to​ ​recover​ ​our​ ​lost delivery​ ​of​ ​apples,​ ​enabling​ ​B.C.​ ​to​ ​participate​ ​this​ ​year.​ ​​ ​The​ ​help​ ​that​ ​Ontario Apple​ ​Growers’​ ​Association​ ​provided​ ​shows​ ​the​ ​camaraderie​ ​and​ ​team​ ​approach that​ ​we​ ​have​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Canadian​ ​apple​ ​industry.”

In the competition, Steve​ ​Brown​ ​of​ ​Happy​ ​Valley​ ​Harvest in Summerland, ​received​ ​the​ ​Canadian Horticultural​ ​Council​ ​Trophy​ ​for​ ​Grand​ ​Champion​ ​of​ ​new​ ​varieties​ ​with​ ​his Ambrosia​ ​variety​ ​entry.​ ​​ ​Denise​ ​and​ ​Richard​ ​McDonald,​ ​of​ ​McDonald​ ​Farm in Summerland ​was​ ​awarded​ ​Reserve​ ​Champion​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Salish​ ​entry​ ​in​ ​New Varieties.

B.C.​ ​also placed​ ​top​ ​the​ ​commercial​ ​categories​ ​of​ ​Red​ ​Delicious​ ​and​ ​Spartan, with​ ​BCFGA​ ​president​ ​Fred​ ​Steele’s​ ​entry taking the former and ​David​ ​Bullach​ ​of​ ​Kelowna​ ​taking the latter.​ ​​ ​Spartan​ ​is​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​developed​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Summerland​ ​Research and​ ​Development​ ​Centre​ ​in​ ​1936.

Lucas said B.C.​ ​did​ ​especially​ ​well​ ​placing​ ​first​ ​in​ ​the​ ​New​ ​Varieties​ ​categories​ ​of​ ​Salish, Ambrosia,​ ​and​ ​Aurora​ ​Golden​ ​Gala ​and​ ​in​ ​Other​ ​Named​ ​New​ ​Varieties​ ​for​ ​the Nicola​ ​variety.​ ​​ ​

All​ ​the​ ​New​ ​Varieties​ ​categories B.C.​ ​placed​ ​first​ ​in​ ​featured apples that were​ ​either​ ​discovered​ ​or “bred”​ ​in​ ​B.C.​ ​​ ​

“It​ ​was​ ​great​ ​to​ ​win​ ​first​ ​place​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Salish​ ​variety,​ ​but​ ​even​ ​more important​ ​that​ ​Ontario​ ​growers​ ​placed​ ​second​ ​and​ ​third​ ​for​ ​Salish,” said Lucas. “It​ ​proves​ ​that our​ ​national​ ​apple​ ​breeding​ ​program​ ​is​ ​making​ ​discoveries​ ​for​ ​all​ ​regions​ ​of​ ​the federation.”

In addition to the wins for growers, the​ ​Summerland​ ​Research​ ​and​ ​Development​ ​Centre​ ​placed​ ​second​ ​in​ ​the novelty​ ​category​ ​Most​ ​Unusual​ ​Shaped​ ​Apple.

The​ ​BCFGA​ ​is​ ​an​ ​agriculture​ ​association​ ​with​ ​a​ ​membership​ ​of​ ​470​ ​commercial tree​ ​fruit​ ​growers​ ​in​ ​B.C.​ ​​ ​It​ ​will celebrates ​its​ ​130th​ ​anniversary​ ​in​ ​2018.

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Kelowna Capital News