Covid-19 Update: The Park Oven is not open yet and we do not have immediate plans to reopen this season.
But the situation is fluid. We are exploring options as things continue to evolve. The safety of our volunteers, student interns, and visitors is paramount to us.
Our community garden and orchard have resumed operations.
When/if circumstances allow us to reopen the Park Oven, we will let you know here.
Stay safe 🔥🍕❤
Teachers from Hawthorn Elementary School present PACO with a $300 donation. L to R – Teachers Pat Power, Cindy Coffin-Were, Bernie (PACO Coordinator), Angela Hayes and Mary Hall
Recently, students, teachers and some parents from Hawthorn Elementary School in Dartmouth made a visit to the Park Avenue Community Oven. Over the course of a morning and afternoon, the entire school came out to bake bannock in the oven as part of their end of year celebrations.
We could not be more thrilled to hear about the great time these civic-minded students had baking bannock in the oven.
The school also took up a collection for the community oven and were able to raise over $300! That is enough money to provide firewood for every event at the oven for the next 2 months!
Generous community backing such as this more easily allows the Park Oven to continue to offer our inclusive venue for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors of our neighbourhood. We appreciate Hawthorn’s commitment to our next generation and for supporting volunteer organizations such as our own.
Have you visited the oven and have a story to share? Drop us a note at paco@dartmouth-oven.com. We would love to hear from you!
There was once a dream that was baking bread in the Park Oven, you could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish.
Well, the dream has finally come true.
Starting, Sunday, June 30th we will be setting aside a dedicated time once a month to bake bread in the oven. Having a dedicated time is extremely important as the ideal temperature and configuration of the oven for baking is vastly different than during our regular Open Oven (which caters to the cooking of pizza at extremely high temperatures).
Head over to our Open Bread page to find out all the details!
Our 2019 summer interns, Olivia and Kate.
We’ve had so many people ask about when this would be back that we are excited to finally announce the return of our popular Thursday Open Oven for the 2019 season.
12 to 3 pm every Thursday until the end of August our summer interns Olivia and Kate will be lighting and hosting Open Oven.
Thank you to the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission for sponsoring this great summer activity for the 4th year!
Want to know more? Check out our Open Oven page.
Before I say anything about the 2019 season, I want to take a moment to pick up a ball I dropped back in the Fall by not recognizing an incredibly huge support contribution that the Park Oven is a grateful recipient.
Students from the NSCC’s Baking & Pastry Arts Program at the Akerley campus held a bake sale fundraiser will all proceeds going in support of the Park Avenue Community Oven. This is the 2nd straight year the students have held a fundraiser for the Park Oven, and this year raised a whopping $850 in a single go!
The timing of this support could not have been better as over the winter, unfortunately, we lost our amazing firewood sponsor from the last 7 years. Because of this financial support, we will now have the funds necessary to ensure the Park Oven has all the firewood needed to heat our hearts and cook our food for another season.
On behalf of all the other Park Oven organizers and volunteers, a rousing big thanks to the students and NSCC for their support. We appreciate it! Continue reading
The 2018 Annual General Meeting of the Leighton Dillman Park Oven, Garden & Orchard Association will be held Monday, July 16th at 7pm. The location will be the Alderney Library in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.
Recently, pupils and staff from the Nova Scotia Community College’s Baking & Pastry Arts program held a bake sale in support of the Park Avenue Community Oven.
We were fortunate enough to be invited to visit those students and faculty at Fresh Twenty One (a student-led restaurant classroom) to enjoy some delicious food, and receive a cheque for $800 in proceeds from the bake sale! Continue reading
WARNING, the following video will probably make you hungry! The footage was recorded in Autumn 2015, during the last time the original Park Oven was used before being rebuilt. The video highlights our amazing volunteers as well as the versatility of the oven. Watch as our volunteers prepare pizzas, bake hand-pressed tortillas, cook in cast iron pans and roast meat directly on the coals!
AGMs are a very important annual event for any society or association. They offer an opportunity for interested members, citizens, and other stakeholders to receive an update on the overall health of the organization.
It is very important that all volunteers (volunteers are association members) attend the AGM and play an active role in governing the direction of the association. Any member of the community is welcome to attend the AGM as well. However, only those who have a garden plot or who have volunteered with us within the last year of the AGM are eligible to attend as voting members.
2017 Annual General Meeting Details:
Date: Saturday, June 24th
Time: 3:15 PM
Location: Starr Room, Alderney Gate Public Library (located on the 2nd floor)
A fact we’d like more people to know about is that we also organize a community garden and orchard within the Leighton Dillman Park at the Dartmouth Commons. Indeed, for many years before the Park Oven was even an idea, some of our founding members helped to organize the community plots near the scenic gardens area of the commons. Both of these initiatives tie in beautifully with our mantra of Grow, Cook & Eat Together.
We are happy to announce that will be selling compost for $3 per 5 US gal bucket. Buckets will be on hand for measuring but please bring your own bucket/bags if you are taking the compost off-site.