After graduation, I spent a good part of my adult life working as a geologist. Eventually, I started longing for something different. That’s when I discovered the truth in Karen Blixen’s words: “The cure for anything is salt water.” I began moving boats around the Maritime Provinces, and eventually across the North and South Atlantic.

Everything changed when our little family of two became three in 2023. I'd heard plenty of geologists and sailors say they wished they’d spent more time at home watching their kids grow up. I took that to heart. It was time to hang up the foul-weather gear and start up daddy daycare.

Fast forward to December 2024. I had two rare days off from full-time parenting and decided to...add a little more chaos to the mix. Baking had become part of our family rhythm. Our little one loved helping stretch the dough and would come running every time the timer went off for the next set of stretch and folds. Somewhere in those flour-dusted moments, the idea of starting a bakery took root. It felt like a beautiful way to show our kiddo how things are made—raw ingredients to finished product, oven to market.

Before diving in, I wanted to make sure I really knew what I was doing. So I trained under a fourth-generation Red Seal Baker and Executive Pastry Chef, who not only sharpened my skills but also convinced me to bring fresh yeasted breads into the bake schedule along with natural leavened breads.

My name is John, I am the owner and baker here at Gorge Oven Spring Bakery. Located on the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples, our microbakery is dedicated to crafting breads that reflect both the land we call home and the care we put into every loaf. We specialize in naturally leavened sourdough and fresh yeasted breads. Using locally sourced organic flours as well as organic grains stone milled in-house. Each loaf is a labor of love, crafted with intention, skill, and a deep respect for the ingredients and community that make it possible.