A trail marked by yellow ribbon guides visitors to Saanichs Playfair Park through a field of camas flowers in a Garry oak meadow that has been restored by volunteers. Blue camas was an important food source for First Nations across the Pacific Northwest, writes Monique Keiran. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST “When Chief Factor James Douglas saw six square miles of open camas meadows surrounding Victoria (then called Camosack), the search for the site of the new Hudson’s Bay Company fort was over,” begins local writer Janis Ringuette’s Camas Country, an account of that early history of Beacon Hill Park. “The verdant grasslands were a spectacular sight in spring…. Native grasses and clover grew tall and lush. Colourful blue camas mixed with golden paintbrush, white fawn lilies, chocolate lilies, lupins, buttercups and violets.”