A Metro Vancouver entrepreneur is celebrating the success of her craft soda company by being thankful for her Indigenous heritage that inspired it all.
Heartberry Soda, founded by Nadine Jopson, was launched in June 2024 in New Westminster after she began to listen to a craving to learn more about her ancestors and traditions.
“I started with learning more about plant medicines and the proper way to forage and harvest them while honouring the land,” Jopson told Daily Hive. “That led to tanning deer hides and learning the language.”
“I was also seeing all these sparkling waters and craft sodas become more popular and thought to myself, ‘There isn’t really one that incorporates the meaning and teachings behind their ingredients, and we have so many right in our backyard.’ That’s when the lightbulb moment happened.”
Heartberry Soda is currently available in four flavours made locally at Another Beer Co. facilities in New West: Strawberry & Rhubarb, Raspberry & Fireweed, Lemon & Birch Bark, and Ginger & Rosehips.
Heartberry Soda/Submitted
According to Jopson, Heartberry Soda aims to honour the land and hereditary traditions with every can. The sodas are made with only certain plants native to Canada and the United States, and the company hires experienced Indigenous harvesters who know how to do so ethically and sustainably.
“My inspiration to create these products was to be able to give the Indigenous community something they can connect with and be proud of. Something they can enjoy drinking without increasing the concern of diabetes within the community with its low-sugar content. I also wanted other non-Indigenous people to have a product they could potentially learn more from and enjoy themselves.”
Soda fans can find Heartberry at several Metro Vancouver and Victoria retailers, as well as through its website.
Heartberry Soda founder Nadine Jopson
The name of the craft soda company is a literal English translation of the word Strawberry from Indigenous languages. The founder explains that heartberries get their name not only because of their shape but also because of what the plant can teach us.
“It starts with the mother plant, which sends out a vast system of runners, roots and leaves. We believe that this symbolizes the importance of community, creation and love. Just like our physical hearts are connected to all parts of our body, the heart is at the centre. Which guides us and brings us balance in all areas of life. So I found it very fitting to use this teaching with my journey to create that community, connection, and love with this company.”
Heartberry Soda/Submitted
Jopson was born in Grand Prairie, Alberta, and is Plains Cree from the Alexander Band. She is proud to incorporate as much of her heritage as possible into her brand.
“We included the Cree translation alongside French and English with the names. Around the top of the can, you’ll see the Cree Syllabics for Heartberry, as well as a ribbon-like graphic to symbolize our ribbon skirts, which is a symbol of our resilience, identity and survival.
“Making the products as eco-friendly as possible and including Indigenous harvesters was also very important to me, and I plan to keep making those necessary steps as we grow.”
The Heartberry Soda maker is also commemorating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by encouraging people to learn and to listen.
Nadine Jopson/Submitted
“I believe Truth and Reconciliation Day is important and meaningful for a lot of people and I deeply respect that. I think it’s a good start where our history is finally being talked about more accurately and listened to. Personally, I believe not to rely on one day or organization to commemorate the decades of atrocities my people have endured and are still continuing to endure.”
Jopson is also excited to continue her soda-making journey and to continue meeting the people that Heartberry touches.
“One of my favourite moments was meeting an Indigenous woman at a festival who was from the Northern Territories. She missed her home and said the Raspberry Fireweed warmed her heart and made it full, it brought her back to that comforting place of home. I couldn’t ask for anything better than that!”
For more information about Heartberry Soda, visit its website.