Canada Day baking contest will be virtually delicious

Amateur bakers asked to put newfound skills to patriotic use

During the pandemic, many people have turned to baking as a way to relax, fill newfound free time and sustain their families and friends. With Canada Day just a few weeks away, baking now has a patriotic component.

For the past three years, a butter tart contest has become a hotly followed component of the Canada Day festivities at Cadzow Park. In light of restrictions on social gatherings, the “party in the park” has been cancelled – but the baking competition lives on.

“It’s time to put all those newfound baking skills to good use in celebrating our country,” explains Town of St. Marys Events Coordinator Andrea Macko. “While our judges won’t be able to sample entries, social media users can “ooh and ahh” over your creations.”

The contest’s theme is “red and white” – the colours of our national flag and a nod to the cupcake cake traditionally served at Cadzow Park. Amateur bakers have from now until Friday, June 19 to bake and decorate their creation, take a photo of themselves with it, and submit it to events@town.stmarys.on.ca, along with the recipe and whether they’re competing in the adult or youth (ages 12 and younger) category. Entries can also be submitted via the drop box at the Church Street entrance of Town Hall.

There is a socially distant scoring system in place: all entries will be posted for a week on the Town’s Facebook page (@stmarysontario) starting Monday, June 22. People can vote for their favourite by “liking” it. These likes will account for half the entry’s score. A panel of judges will evaluate the entry’s execution and difficulty, with the winner announced after the traditional raising of the Canadian Flag live on Facebook on July 1.

This year’s esteemed judging panel consists of Cindy Taylor of Kitchen Smidgen bakery, who in 2017 spearheaded the first Canada Day butter tart baking contest; Lauren Eedy, St. Marys Independent “What’s For Dinner” columnist; and Dave “Stu” Grant, whose Nanaimo butter tarts took top prize in last year’s Canada Day contest.

Great local prizes will be up for grabs in both the adult and youth categories, as well as the all-important bragging rights, which will last an entire year regardless of social distancing restrictions.

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Contact

Andrea Macko | Events Coordinator
519-284-2340, ext. 249 | amacko@town.stmarys.on.ca