Wolfville Community Oven offer frequent enough programming. As a result, the oven has remained underused and many community members are unaware of its existence. ❏ Most ovens had free community pizza nights but had a small fee for event booking. This did not appear to minimize the use of the oven for events or party bookings. ❏ One unique oven near JCPI in Toronto traded compost for a five-dollar pizza voucher. The compost was then used for their community garden. This oven was the only one with a garden. The rest of the ovens purchased their ingredients from nearby farmers’ markets with municipal funds or money generated through fundraising.12 Opportunities for Engaging Youth One of the beneficial attributes of the community ovens reviewed in this report was the abundance of youth programs. Many of the community ovens in Toronto, after successfully being accepted into the community, developed youth programs with schools or summer camps that introduce and educate children on the importance of healthy and sustainable food. These programs encourage youth engagement in communities which increases skills, knowledge, self-esteem and community connectedness for youth. By helping youth to become more connected to their communities, they are more likely to further engage in other productive and beneficial opportunities within the community, furthering their educational and professional development. An case example of the youth program developed at Montgomery's Inn Museum is included below: ❏ Montgomery’s Inn Museum community oven in Toronto, Ontario described a large youth program run on the premises which teaches youth how to bake bread at the oven. The bread baked by the youth is then sold at the local farmers’ market to raise money for the continued operation of the oven. Volunteers are also able to take some of the bread which they learned to bake home, increasing food security in the local area.13 Justification It is important throughout this process to be able to justify the reasons for building a community oven to maintain support from stakeholders by reminding them of the subsequent benefits of building a community oven. Below is a list of the aspects that other community ovens have recorded or mentioned as the most beneficial outcomes of building a community oven. ❏ Bayshore Park Community Oven group in Ottawa emphasized the benefits of engaging school groups and summer camps in the food education and preparation process. ❏ Bayshore also highlighted the benefits to community networking and fostering community relationships. The group explained that the oven was a great tool for connecting with community members from different 12 Public Bakeovens. (2015). Lawrence Heights JPCI Community Garden cob oven. Retrieved from http://www.publicbakeovens.ca/wiki/wiki.php?n=LawrenceHeights .CommunityGarden 13 Public Bakeovens. (2017). Montgomery's Inn Oven. Retrieved from http://www.publicbakeovens.ca/wiki/wiki.php?n=MontgomerySInnOven.FrontPage 9 42
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