Canada is the second largest cranberry grower and producer in the world! Just more affirmation that we’re a natural resource powerhouse. But unlike nickel, uranium, oil, lumber or even maple syrup, cranberries are so much healthier. And you know what? They can be made to be just as delicious as maple syrup.
Curious where and who grows these functional food jewels? Let’s take a region-by-region look at Canadian cranberry production — from coast to coast.
A Contribution from the Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous communities introduced settlers to the cranberry’s usefulness — not only as food but also as medicine and dye. They created pemmican, a high‑protein, portable meal made from dried meat, fat, and berries — essentially the original power bar.
Cranberries also acted as a preservative, inhibiting foodborne pathogens. Beyond nutrition, they were used for dye and for medicinal purposes, including treating wounds and helping prevent illness.
The Wahta Mohawks of Bala farmed and processed cranberries for decades in the Muskoka region.
Atlantic Canada
Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley saw the first commercial planting in 1872. By the 1890s, cranberries had become an established commodity, replacing imports from New England.
Today, cranberry farms thrive across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where 25 farms cover 873 planted acres, making NB the third-largest producing province.
Links: cranberryfarm.ca, novascotiacranberries.com, springbrookcranberry.ca, nbcranberries.com/en
Québec
With over 80 farms across six regions, Quebec accounts for 32% of the world’s cranberry market. The Centre-du-Québec region alone hosts 90% of its growers. The growers’ association office is in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes.
Quebec leads in organic cranberry production, with growers earning roughly twice as much per pound compared to conventional berries.
Learn more: notrecanneberge.com
Ontario
Ontario’s cranberry industry includes Johnston Cranberry Marsh in Bala and Upper Canada Cranberries in Ottawa. Johnston’s is well-known for its role in the Bala Cranberry Festival.
Iroquois Cranberry Growers, once the largest cranberry farm in Ontario, operated until 2017. It was a successful Indigenous community-owned business for decades.
Festival link: balacranberryfestival.on.ca
The Prairies
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have only small-scale cranberry farms, primarily hobby or U-pick operations.
British Columbia
BC’s ~80 cranberry growers produce up to 84 million pounds of cranberries annually. While once the top province, it has since been surpassed by Quebec.
Cranberries are mainly grown in the Fraser Valley and on Vancouver Island. Over 95% are exported to the USA for use in value-added Ocean Spray products like juice and Craisins.
From Atlantic Canada to BC, cranberries remain a symbol of Canadian resilience, health, and tradition. Truly, Canadian Cranberries, Eh?