Notes from the Executive Director: March 2022

Spring is around the corner (especially here on the west coast where I reside!) and I can guarantee that in the rest of Canada the weather will change as the months progress. Normally I wouldn’t commence any piece with the weather, but I think that it is worth more than a passing thought that this past year has been particularly bad all over the country, starting with the drought and heat dome on the prairies, floods in British Columbia in November and unprecedented snowfall accumulations and bitter cold in central Canada! These “weather events” are particularly hard on our groaning economy and have especially impacted our baking community. And that’s not to mention supply chain and labour shortage issues!

Our baking community
That said, despite all these challenges there is still grain in the silos, the mills are running, and our suppliers are getting flour and other ingredients to the bakers who keep stocking the shelves. Whether a large or small operation, bakers are showing up for work, using their creative and technical skills for the good of others, often in less than comfortable environments. This humble dedication often takes place during unsociable hours to ensure that Canadian customers can always have bread to eat and a few tasty treats too. Bravo!

I am sure that bakers are not taken for granted and praise is not the reason that they go to work. It would be easier to get a Monday-to-Friday 9-5 job. So, there must be a mystery to why bakers become bakers. We read Sheena Howdle’s story in the January/February issue, and in future issues more bakers will share their reasons for embarking on this chosen career path. There is magic in baking: a desire to share with community and in return feel embraced by that community. Some say it is a calling, not a job.

Our editor has put together a celebration of women in the industry. Although half of the workforce, they are often the unsung heroes, the engines that drive many bakeries, often juggling family life with working behind the bench, running the office or labouring in the shop. They often do not get the recognition they deserve, and as a man in the industry, I can attest that our businesses would not have run as smoothly without the passion, creativity, attention to detail and hard work of the women!

We have recently welcomed three dynamic members to our board. In this issue, we present a micro-biographies of all our BAC directors.

Coming up in the next BAC Bulletin we will reveal our incredibly exciting membership initiatives and, of course, get ready for welcoming you to Bakery Showcase!

Why did you become a baker?
If you would like to share why you became a baker in a future issue, please submit your story to info@baking.ca.