Boissevain, MB
The first hint you get that the Sawmill Café is no ordinary café is the sign by the door that reads “NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. BAGGED LUNCHES WELCOME.” The well-lit interior showcases an array of wooden tables and chairs, along with couches, a piano, stage, shelves of books, and even a pool table. The menu is simple but the maple, bacon, cheddar sticky bun that Jason hands us is large enough to feed a family of four. The combination of flavours is reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s Three Course Dinner Chewing Gum and it’s almost impossible to maintain your composure on first bite as you try to sort you’re your way through every one of the sweet, sticky, salty flavours.
The Sawmill Café is the brainchild of Prairie Partners’ executive director Jason Dyck. Prairie Partners is a non-profit organization that offers programs and support for those with intellectual disabilities. For many years, Prairie Partners have operated a gift store selling furniture and wooden crafts made by clients, as well as an assortment of local food products. However, Jason had a vision. Instead of the traditional approach of these organizations where the clients are often segregated in their work, he wanted them to interact with their community and be a part of it. He recognized the need for a place in the community where people of all ages could come together- especially in the evenings when, like many small towns, the gas bar is pretty much the only venue open. The Sawmill Café was designed to meet the needs of the town and to complement other business in town, not crowd them out.
The building was bought with donated funds. The local RCMP laid the flooring. Volunteers helped paint the walls. The name “Sawmill Café” is a tip of the hat to the history of the town, depicted of many of the beautiful outdoor murals in Boissevain. It was a community effort in every sense of the word. And since its opening in 2010, it is 100% a community space. Not to mention being completely self-sustaining. They also have an exclusive, signature Sawmill Coffee blend that boasts to be the strongest coffee in town.
“We’ll have the knitting ladies in the corner, the red hat ladies having their tea, teenagers coming to play pool and read, and guys stopping to meet for coffee,” Jason says opening his arms to the café. “It’s like the modern day town square.” There is no hiding the pride and passion in his voice as he talks about the success of the Sawmill. “The biggest reward for me is the wealth it has created in the community,” he says. “Of all the things I’ve done in my life, I am most humbled and most proud of this place. Everyone who walks through that door is just as equal to the next.”
Along with Jason, Stacey is an integral part of the café. Growing up in a family restaurant in Calgary and having a pastry chef for a sister, Stacey is no stranger to the food industry. Her education, however, took her through the Disability and Community Support program at Red River College in Winnipeg. When she originally applied to work with Prairie Partners, it was for the residential side of the program. Before she knew it, she was in the restaurant. “I got two promotions in five days!” she laughs. Stacey helps to run the café along with several volunteers, creating menus and collaborative recipes. “Anything we make has to be quick and easy for any one of our employees or volunteers to read by themselves and be able to make,” she says. Like their chocolate chip, coconut, and pecan cookies and there southwest salad.
For Stacey, the job is rewarding in more ways than one. “I love seeing someone enjoy what you’re doing for them,” she says. “Sometimes I just want to peek out of the kitchen and see people enjoying the food. They don’t have to tell me. I just love to see those tiny moments when what you love fills the room.” Seeing the community embrace the employees is also gratifying. In the few hours we were there, they checked on us several times and are quick to share their enthusiasm and personalities with the many people who pass through the door on a daily basis.
The challenges of the café are those of every small town- small customer base and limited menu options. But the incredible amount of community support has made a big difference.
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