Syrian pastry chef lands sweet gig in Nova Scotia

Ruwad Al Badin smiles as he rolls pastry dough at Julien's Bakery in Chester, N.S.

Not only has the Syrian refugee who came to Canada three months ago found a job in his field, he's also helping a local business address a worker shortage.

The bakery's owner, Laura Mulrooney,said she ran into trouble earlier this yearwhen changes to Canada's Temporary Foreign WorkerProgram made it difficult for her to recruit a skilled bakery chef.

I think we can learn from each other.- Laura Mulrooney

Mulrooney said she had to limit what the bakerycould produceand she even considered laying off staff, because they weren't making orselling enough goods to support the operation.

"We were really desperate," she said.

That changed whenAl Badinarrived from Damascus with his wife and five-year-old son.

Transferable skills

Al Badindoesn't speak much English, but Mulrooneydescribes him as agreat addition to the team.

He has the "classic skills of rolling croissants, pastry and tart-making that we need," she said.

Through a translator, Al Badinsaid he used to ownand operatehis own pastry shop called Master Cake in Damascus.

He said he looks forward to making Syrian sweetssuch asbarazek a thin, crunchy cookie with sesame seeds and pistachios at his new workplace in Nova Scotia.

Mulrooney is also keen to expand the bakery'sline of products.

"We made some nice Syrian cookies the other day," she said."So I think we can learn from each other."

When askedwhat ingredients he misses most from Syria, Al Badinadmitted Syrian butter is much better thanwhat Canada produces.

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Employees were welcoming

Mulrooney said Al Badinwas welcomed by the staff with open arms.

She said her newest employee is more likely to stay in Nova Scotia if he enjoys working at the shop.

"Nova Scotia needs new immigrants, and happy ones," she said.

Volunteers help with the commute

Volunteers with the Bay Refugee Project in the St. Margaret's Bay-area, who sponsored Al Badinand his family, wake up early four days aweek to drive him to work.

It's a 30-minute drive from his home in Tantallon to the bakery in Chester, and he has to be at work by 5 a.m.

Al Badinsaid he is grateful for the help.

"If they not help, it's hard to get job and hard to come in here every day," he said through his translator.

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