Dwindling sugar supply taking some of the sweetness out of holiday season for Edmonton bakers
Posted November 28, 2023 9:04 am.
An Edmonton bakery in Old Strathcona is hoping its sugar supply lasts through the holidays.
Workers at one of only three large sugar refineries in Canada that processes imported cane sugar are on strike. The 138 workers at Rogers Sugar Inc. in Vancouver have been off the job since Sept. 28.
The strike has led to supply disruptions on grocery store shelves across Western Canada and is causing difficulties for bakers and other small businesses that rely on sugar.
Sugared and Spiced Baked Goods near the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market is one of them.
“We stocked up,” said co-owner Jeff Nachtigall. “We just bought extra a few times, just added it on to our orders a few times cause we thought we need to get to Dec. 24. So I think we have enough. My fingers are crossed.”
Nachtigall says he’s fortunate to have been on top of things, but not everyone planned ahead.
“We’ve had occasional calls from other bakeries asking ‘are you guys out, what are you doing?’” he said. “So I’m worried about the situation because I think there are probably some folks who are going to run into some problems.”
Not unlike one customer at the bakery this weekend, who was hoping to do some holiday baking of his own.
“I actually went to look for sugar yesterday and couldn’t find any in the store,” Nathan told CityNews.
A key issue for the Rogers Sugar refinery workers – members of Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC) Local 8 – is “continuous shifts.”
Last week the company applied to the BC Labour Relations Board for mediation to help reach a new collective agreement with the union, which also agreed to move forward with mediation.
The mediation has left Nachtigall with hope that a resolution – and sweet treats – are on the horizon.
“I tend to be optimistic, so I hope that means something good,” he said.
