October 27, 2011

algonquin times

Bread youll fall in loaf with

Auntie Loos bakery celebrates two years of making vegan treats
crystel haJJar

17

People from all ages were sampling cupcakes and baked goods at Auntie Loos second birthday, in front of Eastern Ontarios only vegan bakery. The economic hardships did not prevent Mandi Lunan, an Algonquin alumnus, from expanding her business, starting with craft sales, progressing to wholesaling and finally to successfully opening a bakery 5.5 hours for five days a week. This weekend, Auntie Loos is celebrating the second anniversary for opening this bakery, whereas the business has been running for seven years. However, it was a challenging road. Being young and in debt, Lunan had to work harder to prove she can successfully run a business. It is her specialization in vegan baking and targeting this niche market that allowed the business to be successful. It progressed naturally because there really was a demand for it, said Lunan. There are a lot of people with dairy allergies, a lot of people who eliminate foods from their diet for environmental reasons, there are a lot of people with dietary restrictions. Members from the Rideau Valley Roller Girls were there, offering baking samples to the guests, supporting Auntie Loos for being one of their sponsors. Throughout the day, three full sized cakes were given away for the winner of the Find Mattycakes contest. In this contest, the first attendee to find one of the staff with the cake wins. [Auntie Loos] saved my Thanksgiving, my parents wanted to have a fully vegan thanksgiving, so I got a bunch of pumpkin spice cupcakes [for dessert], said Kensi Dickinson, a winner of a 10 rocky road cake made with vegan marshmallows. The family-friendly barbecue event on Saturday was followed by an event at Babylon Night Club on Sunday night, that featured a number of local bands and a burlesque show, as well as free cupcake and square samples. All proceeds from both events went to the Westminster Pet Sanctuary. I have a no kill sanctuary and we dont participate in barbecues that serve meat, so they invited us to this event where were having a vegan barbecue for the animals, said Kelli OBrien, the president of the Sanctuary.

Roller derby bruisers Waterberry Shortcake and Purella Deville offer cupcake samples. The Rideau Valley Roller Girls were supporting their sponsor, Auntie Loos, on its second birthday. Auntie Loos, on Bronson Avenue near Flora Street, is eastern Ontarios only vegan bakery.

College grad now on the waves in Leeds County

Jeff Mackey
Coming to you live from Brockville, city of the 1,000 islands, is Jamison Bridal, Algonquin grad and up-andcoming radio personality. Bridal has been a busy man since graduating from radio broadcasting in 2010. He worked with Ottawa blues radio station DAWG FM, but more recently has been a morning show host with 103.7 BOB FM, Brockvilles version of the far reaching BOB conglomerate. He was never afraid to try stuff, he would jump in with two feet, he experimented in sales, he experimented in production and on-air, he was never afraid to kind of blow through the door, said Dan Mellon, radio broadcasting professor at Algonquin. Both Mellon and Bridal sang the praises of the Algonquin radio program. When a radio student comes to Algonquin they come on the air in the third week they are here. At a lot of the other colleges the students dont get on the air until second year, said Mellon. We say we have the best and I have to say its true. but man was it ever intense, said Bridal, who remembers the grueling hours in the studio and around campus fondly. Bridals passion for radio is clear when you speak with him I remember as a kid we were up in the Gatineau parks one time, we had an old AM radio and we were listening to stuff from Europe, just because we were able to pick it up, and I heard that you could. We were like oh my god were listening to something Swedish, are you kidding me? Radio is weird like that. While Bridal is happy in Brockville, his roots are firmly planted in Ottawa. Career-wise I am really looking to get home, and home is Ottawa, said Bridal, who drives to Ottawa on weekends to visit his fiance, Natalie. The guy is fearless, I am sure the next job will be something crazy too that he will jump into and do very well at said Mellon. Who knows, one day Bridal may join the ranks of well-known Algonquin radio broadcasting grads like Sandra Plagakis, Jeff Mauler, Scott Rush and Stunt Man Stu.