What's Happening in May?

If you are into all things sweet, then you are in luck because there are a few events coming up in the beginning of May!


The Cake Show:


The Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts has it's annual Cake Show on Sunday May 6th - there is lots to see from competition entries, live competitions and demonstrations - be sure to go and check it out!  

The Cake Show is an annual cake design exhibition presented by Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts. This exciting day will involve demos by our talented school instructors, a bake sale, a cake design competition and live challenges featuring fabulous cake designers!This year’s show is on Sunday, May 6th.Artscape Wychwood Barns.This event is open to the public.

Bakery Showcase:


The Baking Association of  Canada has it's bi-annual Bakery Showcase running from May 6th-8th at the International Centre in Mississauga.  

Canada's Largest National Baking Trade Show and Convention Event• Join 5,000 industry professionals including bakers (retail, wholesale, commercial), grocery and foodservice outlets • Visit the trade show - over 200 companies in 100,000 sq.ft. showcasing ingredients, equipment, services, technology and baked goods (fresh, proof & bake, par-baked, freezer-to-oven, thaw & serve)• Event format combines a trade show with Exhibitor produced Product Presentations• NEW Show Feature• Located in the Toronto area, the facility is easily accessible by public transportation (Mississauga Transit & GO Trains), major highways, 5 minutes from the Toronto International Airport and provides plenty of free parking

$250 Shopping Spree Contest - Facebook & Pinterest!

Want to win a $250 Flour Confections Shopping Spree?? Of COURSE you do!!

Simply LIKE our Facebook page via our Contest Link here and you will be entered to win!

Want another chance to win?? Well here goes - visit Flour Confections and browse through our products - find one that you like and PIN IT on Pinterest! Provide us with the URL link to your pin via our contest form for another chance to win - only one entry per day.

Our contest ends on April 30th - Good Luck!!

Internships in Ontario - Know your rights

In our industry (as with many others) the offer of "working" as an unpaid intern comes up from time to time - especially during the busy wedding season.

As employers and "employees" it is important to know the law and your rights.

Here is the statement made by the Employment Standards Act of Ontario:

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/is_unpaidintern.php

Internships in Ontario: What you need to know

• Issued: June 2011
• Content last reviewed: June 2011

There are no regulations pertaining to unpaid internships. The Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA)regulates paid employment relationships between employers and employees. Employees must be paid at least the Ontario minimum wage ($10.25 per hour for most employees).

An "employee" is defined under section 1 of the ESA to include a person who receives training from an employer. However, the definition excludes a trainee who is receiving training from an employer in the skills used by that employer's employees, if all of the conditions below are met:

1. The training is similar to that which is given in a vocational school.
2. The training is for the benefit of the individual.
3. The person providing the training derives little, if any, benefit from the activity of the individual while he or she is being trained.
4. The individual does not displace employees of the person providing the training.
5. The individual is not accorded a right to become an employee of the person providing the training.
6. The individual is advised that he or she will receive no remuneration for the time that he or she spends in training.

Section 3(5) of the ESA also excludes "an individual who performs work under a program approved by a college of applied arts and technology or a university" from the application of the Act.

This exclusion exists to encourage employers to provide the training that an individual enrolled in a college or university program seeks. If employers were responsible for providing ESA minimum standards for participants in these programs in the same way that they are for their employees, such placement opportunities may become limited. This could adversely affect both the students and the teaching institutions that currently benefit from these programs.

Section 3(5) of the ESA requires that a college or university approve the work to be performed under such a program, in order to help ensure that the school will give consideration to allowing placements where the learning provided is of benefit to the individual.

If someone performing work as part of an unpaid internship is unsure of whether they should be excluded from the ESA, he or she can call the Employment Standards Information Centre toll-free at 1-800-531-5551 for further information.

There are many interesting articles on the topic which you can read below:

http://www.yorku.ca/ddoorey/lawblog/?p=2169

http://www.kmblaw.com/news64.html

http://www.youthandwork.ca/2011/07/unpaid-internships-in-ontario.html

http://www.workopolis.com/content/advice/article/732-your-internship-a-gateway-to-great-experience-or-questionably-legal-unpaid-labour

http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/archive/acov/acov11/acov1150.asp