I must mention this is my first post ever! However I have been lurking around here for awhile
I have read about many of the laws etc for bakers in the USA but I have not come across any info For Canada Ontario.
Any help would be much appreciated

Welcome to CC!

Each region/city is different, so you have to call your local Health Inspector Dept. to see what the rules are. Where are you located?

Thanks for the warm welcome !
I'm located in brampton/mississauga.

I'm in Ottawa, so I am pretty sure that we have different rules than the Toronto area. I THINK I remember some other discussions with other members from the Peel region that mentioned that they needed a separate kitchen. Best thing to do is to call your local department and see - no harm in asking! Good luck!

Hi Fellow Canadian,

I am located in Calgary!! Like Helen mentioned call the city about licensing and the health dept about what you will need for a kitchen.Here in Calgary I am required to have a seperate kitchen with hot running water etc.I also have to have a fridge.Funny though it didn't specifically state about a stove/oven but I also have that to do my baking.

Welcome to CC!!

Hey Kiddiecakes - I'm Nicole in Ottawa, I think Helen is in Belleville now! LOL! I just have the marmalade "codename" to confuse everyone!! Marmalade Cake Company is Helen's awesome business!

Ah yes..You sneaky devil you!!! I thought you were Helen!!!

hey everyone!
i was also wondering the same thing for a while now!
im from toronto! and i do everything from home..ive been wanting to look into getting a lisense but i don't know if i should just yet since im going to be starting school soon!

No, I just use the name marmalade because it's my signon name for some other boards, and I don't want to confuse myself with too many - who am I today?? I think Helen goes by Antonia...

Thanks so much for ur replies! I'm happyto see some fellow canucker's on here! My BFF also started out working from home and runs her own bakery, the only legal info she new was that you can use your own kitchen just no pets and don't cook a roast well baking LOL like we couldn't figure that one out!

Hi fellow Canadians! I live in Ottawa. Anyone know what Ottawa's regulations are? Nicole I sent you an email asking you about it since you mentioned you were based in Ottawa but I'm a newbie and wasn't sure if I did it correctly and if it actually sent!

Thanks and nice to meet you all!

Hi All!
I'm near Brockville, On, and bake from home. I've consulted with the Health Unit, and as far as he's concerned - there are no rules!?!?!?! Really scary when you think about it! I come from a hospital food service/nutrition background, so luckily I am well versed in these regulations anyways....
Great to see so many of you close to home!!!

Jane

Hi!! From Kitchener, Ontario. We can bake at home with a separate kitchen, a separate entrance and if the room can be closed off from pets. It must be inspected by Health Dept. for conformance to sink requirements etc. But the big Catch...you must be in the correct ZONE. I had everything going okay till I talked to the lady at the Zoning and By-Law office. Absolutely NO Manufacturing allowed in my zone. It's zoned residential and cake making is considered "manufacturing". Soooo, I keep looking for a way to take my cakes legal. Good Luck to you.

Hi all, I am from Toronto. This is a little off topic, but do any of you know where to by Rich's Bettercreme in Toronto. I have gotten it from the States before and just love it, but it is to far to go when you run out.
If anyone knows where to get it in Ontario please let me know

Sue

I'm in York Region and you must have a closed off separate kitchen as well and be inspected by health department and the fire department. My zoning is fine, I just have no room for a second kitchen.

Also - I had a tough time finding this out zoning was with the town but health department was through the region.

Hi, I'm from Mississauga and this is what I found out:
1. It is illegal to run a home business from a place that is zoned residental. You can get a minor variance ($700) to make an exception, but an application doesn't necessarily mean approval.
2. You don't need a food license if you run a business from home.
3. Peel Health will not inpsect any kitchen in your home, regardless if it is separate or not.
In a nutshell, that's what I learned. Let me know if you need more information

Hi All!

Nice to see some folks from Ontario - specially Ottawa - around here - seems like everyone is in the states

I'm in Ottawa, and so far cakes are just a hobby... we never know though....

Oshawa Ontario here...

just bake for family and friends but am working on going pro one day

Nice to see all the canucks on this site

Yay!! Canadians!!!

My 2 cents worth is to contact the city you live in directly and get the info, make them give it to you in writing, and don't make any assumptions. I live in Toronto and have a legal business from a rented kitchen and I was amazed at some of the common wrong information people sometimes pass around. Not that I'm saying you guys are wrong!! lol!! Not my intention at all... just be carefull!!

I am from London and basically the short version is, you can't bake from home here, even if your kitchen is completely separate.

If you are on Facebook, and haven't done so already, please join our group Ontario Cake Girlz. You have to apply to admittance, but that is just to keep out advertisers and other spammers. Please join us!

Nice to see so many cakers in Ontario! I'm in Kingston.

Hey Antonia74, I've seen your cakes around, they're amazing. If you're ever looking for some help... lol.

From what I've gathered for this area if it's an at home bakery it has to be separate, with all it's own stuff and cut off from pets.

I'm not from Ontario, but from Newfoundland! There seem to be lots of Canadian's on the site!

We have no regulations (I agree with a previous poster that it is scary!!) We don't need a seperate kitchen, don't need to be inspected or licensed, no regulations on pets, sinks, storage, etc... There are "Guidelines" that they highly recommend you follow:

1) Have a sink with soap and paper towels for washing/drying hands.
2) Store your food items off the floor in plastic containers.
3) Keep surfaces clean.
4) Protect food from dust.
5) Have a bathroom for staff, if applicable.
6) Store perishable items in a refrigerator.

I mean, I would think ALL these things are common sense????? Keep surfaces clean? Really?? lol!

Hi all...after lurking for a while, this is my first post. Love this site!!! Kay_NL, your post caught my attention. I am in NL as well, and in a recent daydreaming-about-turning-my-hobby-into-a-career episode (LOL) I called Govt. Services to ask about becoming licensed. They told me I would need an entirely separate kitchen! In the next breath, the health inspector I was speaking to told me they don't have the resources to really do their job (must have caught her on a bad day!!) and that food items at farmer's markets, pancake breakfasts in church basements and the like aren't usually inspected. Kind of left me scratching my head: the message was clearly & explicitly "this is the law, but don't worry, nobody follows it." Wonder if this varies from one municipality to the next? I was left with the impression it was a provincial thing. Hmmm. Must go dig further. Any additional info would be most welcome!

Hi Canadian CCers. I'm from London ON and our bylaws forbid any food preparation as a home based business. Thank goodness I can bake for family and friends Nice to see so many Canadians following CC.

Firstly welcome to CC.

I'm in windsor..i called the health unit here and got too different responses. First one said, no selling home baked goods unless you have a separate space/kitchen that can be inspected..The other...."home baking business can be quite lucrative" Basically it's ok because they consider cookies/cakes low risk and because they will not go into a home to inspect it. If i were selling poultry or something and they found out maybe, but cookies nope.

I'm glad someone mentioned ontario cake girlz on facebook. There is also another forum cakes canada that has some useful info too. hth

Hamilton here. Mostly do for friends, family, teachers, that sort of thing. I have several cake friends that do have separate kitchens in their homes. I haven't looked into it too deeply since I don't have the $$ to convert a room anyway. But am looking forward to the time when I can!