Rising to the occasion in Nova Scotia

By By KATHLEEN OCHSHORN
Published January 20, 2008

LaHave, Nova Scotia

The LaHave Bakery, at the mouth of the LaHave River, is housed in a historic 1895 building, originally a ship's chandlery and fish processing plant and later an outfitting company. In the early days, schooners transported salt fish to the Turks and Caicos Islands and brought back salt. When Gael Watson and three others purchased the building in 1984, it was settling into the river and spruce trees were growing out of the top floor. The building has been shored up and is a marvelous hub of local art and commerce as well a renowned bakery and cafe.

When you step into the bakery, you step back a hundred years. From the stained-glass transom over the door, to the antique wooden counters and display cases, to the pictures of Winston Churchill and of the original owners in the dining area, this place has been maintained, not re-created.

First Watson, the proprietor, and her famous bread. It's made from locally grown grains, honey (2 tons a year), free-range eggs, sea salt, yeast and some sour starter (which extends the life of this preservative-free bread). Watson is a firm believer in a slow, cool rise, noting that high heat destroys yeast. On a busy day the bakery produces 700 loaves, which are sold across southwestern Nova Scotia. They also make bagels, herbed pita, scones, pastries and cookies.

The place is open year-round and draws locals, tourists and the more gentrified second-home crowd. "People are loyal," she said. She also keeps prices low. "It's not an exclusive place. It's cheaper than McDonald's."

Watson lived in Jamaica as a young woman and was struck by the sense of community there, the way people who had very little noticed each other. She returned to Canada and built a country home "off the grid" - no electricity. She still lives there though she added solar panels a few years ago. She raises animals and has a garden that provides the herbs for the bakery.

In the meantime she has created a new community at the bakery building. She employs near 35 people, about the same number as the old fish-processing plant. A section of her huge building is an arts and crafts co-op, operated by 30 local artisans.

Watson's approach is intuitive and clearly based on the values of sustainability and of providing local, artisan food. Though her bread is the staff of life for many locals, she hardly makes anything on it. So it is a business that's about more than money. If you get to Nova Scotia be sure to stop at LaHave Bakery to taste the goodies and feel the vision.

[Last modified January 17, 2008, 10:52:29]