The sweet aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven is one of the many markers that autumn has arrived in Canada.
Since 1999, volunteers from around North Bay have gathered at Trinity United Church in downtown North Bay to participate in the largest fundraiser of the year. Hundreds of pies are churned out from the 116-year-old kitchen, packaged, and sold to fortunate souls who got their orders in early.
Throughout the years the pies have developed quite a reputation and sell out quickly! In 2023 volunteers made 1,139 pies and raised over $16,000. All of the money goes back into the community of North Bay through Trinity’s 37 outreach programs, including food banks, Christmas bag outreach, addiction recovery and Scouts Canada.
See: Selling homemade pies for the love of church and community
And: Non-pie fundraiser is a twist on a two-decade old tradition
"The entire process works like a well-oiled machine and involves dozens of people with one fearless leader at the helm, thanks Darlene Laferriere," says church member Heather McKercher. "The purchasing of ingredients starts in the spring. In September, the dry pastry is made, then shells are rolled out and hundreds of spice bags are put together. A crew heads to the Collingwood area for one long day of picking about 100 bushels of apples. The final stage involves a four-day extravaganza of peeling and cutting apples, mixing them with the spices, assembling the pies, packaging, distribution, and delivery."
Many volunteers come through the doors only once a year to participate in this important fundraiser.
"It is a reunion of sorts as familiar faces enter the kitchen," says McKercher. "Strangers and old friends come together to work for the common good and the warmth and spirit that fill that old basement are palpable. I also discovered that 'apple pie politics' thrives through a little friendly competition.
"When I first volunteered in the kitchen, I was assigned to dab each pie with butter and lemon juice. I guess I wasn’t keeping up, and when I turned around to place the pie on a table to go onto the next step, I was surrounded by a group of women each demanding that I turn the pie over to her. I didn’t know what to do as I didn’t want to offend anyone, being the newbie and all. One feisty little lady grabbed the pie out of my hands and ran with it to the hooting and hollering of the others! Having fun is guaranteed to those who give of their time.
"In The Book of Joy, both the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu suggest that acts of service open us up to the world of others and alleviate our own suffering."
Albert Schweitzer, 1953 Nobel Peace Prize recipient states, “I am certain of one thing. The only ones among us who will ever truly be happy are those of us who have sought and found a way to serve.”
