Nestor’s Bakery in Saskatoon is changing ownership as the owners have agreed to sell the bakery to five employees, four of whom are from Ukraine.
Keith Jorgenson said he and his wife Carmen have agreed to a rent-to-own deal, saying they’ll still be involved in the transition period and this will take place over a few years.
Nestor’s Bakery has been a staple in the community, with the business starting in the 1940s.
“My family wants to retire and at the same time want to try to correct a wrong. Many of our employees are displaced Ukrainians who have lost their homes and businesses. Helping them buy our business seems like a small way that we can balance out the harm caused by the war in Ukraine,” Keith said.
He said he owned the bakery for about 16 or 17 years.
“The bakery, by happenstance, has always been owned by Ukrainian Canadians.”
He said a business like Nestor’s Bakery is a lot of work.
Keith said many people come to the bakery for specialty Ukrainian baking.
“It’s a place where you can come and hear Ukrainian being spoken, be served in Ukrainian, but also buy things that have a Ukrainian flavour to them.”