LCS Learns | Page 7 of 36 | Lakefield College School Blog

Jess (Arsenault) Thoem ’00 | A Sense of Community (Alumni in Food Businesses)

Posted on 8/03/202322/02/2023Categories LCS Learns

Running a bakery is a demanding life. The day starts early and it requires precision and attention to detail. It’s a science where measurements, temperature, food chemistry and biology matter. But it’s also an art, where creativity, colour, flavours and presentation perform psychological magic. So it may be an unexpected career for Jess (Arsenault) Thoem ’00, who studied fine arts as an undergrad, holds a Masters in art therapy and counselling from Concordia University and worked several years as a counsellor for the BC government in the northern BC town of Smithers. But it’s also a perfect fit. “The creativity is no different than in the fine arts,” says Jess. “It’s just a different medium. And people eat with their eyes.” Jess and her husband Graham Thoem started the Hard Winter Bakery in Peterborough, ON, in 2014. They met in art school in 2002 and then travelled together through Australia…

Ryan Lee ’12 | The Freedom to Explore (Alumni in Food Businesses)

Posted on 1/03/202322/02/2023Categories LCS Learns

One day, he was filming underwater with Great White sharks in Mexico for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Throw in a pandemic full stop and Cinematographer Ryan Lee soon reinvented himself as one of Toronto’s trendiest chocolate makers and founder of Chachalate in the exclusive category of bean-to-bar chocolate making. Always a chocolate lover, Ryan first began making his ethically sourced Chachalate (pronounced Cha-cha-lit) chocolate in his condo kitchen, but before long he was renting commercial space in a catering kitchen. Bean-to- bar production means that he does it all—roasting, grinding and tempering (a heating-cooling-heating process). There are only three others doing it in the city. The switch from video production to chocolate entrepreneur came from a combination of necessity, curiosity and, of course, passion. “Food was always a big part of our family,” he says. “At home, we hardly ever ate at restaurants and vacations were built around finding great…

40 Years a Teacher | Lessons Learned from Mike Arsenault

Posted on 18/01/202318/01/2023Categories LCS Learns

LCS faculty member Mike Arsenault P ’00 ’03 ’04 retired in June 2022 after forty years. Mike joined the school as a teacher in September of 1982 following correspondences with Headmaster Terry Guest earlier that spring. Committed to lifelong learning, Mike conducted research, published articles, and often drafted memos to school leadership regarding topics such as the Socialization of Young Adults and proposing a teacher purchase plan for computers. He taught Biology, Earth Science and Environmental Science, has led the Science and Technology department, and has been the Head of Brown House and Grove House. He mentored countless teachers new to the profession and fostered a love of science in many Grove students. Mike, a champion of windsurfing, not only developed this program at LCS, but also kept our students safe as the Director of Waterfront. Trying to include all that Mike has given to LCS in 40 years is…