“We knew we were here for the long haul,” he said. “I figured this was it, we were going to be here, but not neccesarily for any particular amount of time.”
Fikkert came from Shoal Lake and a baking family originally from the Netherlands. Both his father and brother were bakers. In fact, Sharron said there were a number of European bakers in the Westman area at the time who all knew each other.
Fikkert had been baking for others, and was at Eaton’s in Winnipeg. The family knew the owner of Tommy Turtle Bakery in Boissevain, Brian Clark. Ron said he first saw the ad for the bakery’s sale in the Winnipeg Free Press. The Fikkerts looked at other bakeries, including one in Carberry, but chose Boissevain. Ron joked it was looking at the big turtle at the end of the highway that made up their mind. One big consideration was they both came from small communities, as Sharron’s hometown is Lac du Bonnet.
“We wanted to own our small business, and we didn’t want to be in the city,” she explained.
When they came to town, they moved into the bakery on South Railway Street, which is now Countryland Realty. They changed the name from Tommy Turtle to Boissevain Bakery, saying they felt it was good to have the business incorporate the town name, as well as starting something new.
“You really don’t want to be compared to the old bakery,” Ron explained. “You want to be your own business. Boissevain was where we were and you have to be proud of your town.”
The old bakery is well remembered by those who knew it. It was a homey place, with a front counter and the coffee shop further to the back. They even lived above it for a time. It served a purpose, but after about 14 years, the Fikkert’s had an opportunity to move to a new abode. The building was older, and it had a ramp at the back for loading and unloading. The baking and storage areas were also quite cramped.
They moved over to the old Macleod’s building, which is now the Boissevain-Morton Library, taking up the east half of the building. A big plus was it was all on one level. They were happy in their new home, and were there until 2008. However, changes were in the wind.
The building owner had a business wanting to use the whole building and called in the shotgun clause to get it ready. It threw the bakery into the unknown. The Fikkerts were not sure if they would stay or pack up camp for Shoal Lake, as they were very surprised by the development. However, with help from the town and encouragement from the community, they were able to build their own building right to the east of their old home. Ron Fikkert said the town needed another building and it all worked out in the end. It showed how well they and the business had become a part of Boissevain.
“We had great support from the community the whole time we’ve been here since 1980 onwards.”
They had to shutdown for about six weeks to transfer everything over to the new building and have been in the location ever since, being very happy to have their own place.
They still use all their own recipes, coming either from Ron’s dad or ones they experimented with.  There have been changes over the years. When they first arrived, customers predominantly wanted white bread, with some brown. They brought in rye bread and others became popular. Most of the rest of the baking has stayed much the same.
Sharron eventually became well known for her cake decorating skills. She said she started because someone had to do it, with Ron saying he got her started by showing her how to make an icing rose. It grew from there, with her checking out ideas from books and later the internet. Sharron has become appreciated for her artistic designs. Two that stand out are the ones for the opening of the new Community Theatre and the new library.
“He makes it taste good and I make it pretty,” Sharron said.
Neither Ron nor Sharron can remember all of the people who have worked with them at the bakery, but there have been many. Sharron says people often come in and say they used to work for them, but they often do not recognize them. Names like Doris Kohut, Bob Gardner, Brandt Bessant, Michelle Scott, Doug Neufeld, Karrick Kleebaum, Al Kilmury, Richard Green and a few Holditch’s are among those who spent time behind the counter or delivering baked goods.
The COVID times mean they cannot have coffee and cake to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Instead, they have had a unique and very appropriate way of doing it. They have “40 masks for 40 years.” Special bakery themed masks have been made up for the occasion, and are being distributed to various customers. Sharron expects all 40 will be out by the weekend.
“If we have to wear masks, it might as well be fun,” she said.
The Fikkerts’ are a few years away from the number of years the Crowhurts’ owned a bakery in Boissevain. They are unsure if they will break the about 44 years of their predecessors, but Ron is still getting up at 2:30 in the mornings to put the dough in the ovens.
“Everything is going well,” Ron said. “I still enjoy getting up in the morning and I’ve enjoyed watching the town grow over the years.”

by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff