A Big Thank You to Our Summer Students

This summer wouldn't have been made possible without the help of our incredible Summer Students. They all jumped in with great work ethic and enthusiasm. A big thank you to everyone for being open-minded and flexible as this summer developed in many ways. Although we still have a few more weeks before many of them go back to school, please help us by saying thank you! A big shoutout to: Blake Wickware, Ayden Bulmer, Savannah Lummis & Olivia Tattrie for their tremendous work on the production floor. We know that this job has long days, is physically demanding and at times a stressful work environment but please know that your work has not gone unnoticed! 

If you're coming in to the Factory in the next few weeks and see one of the students please help us by saying thank you! 

We wanted to hear from our students about their experience this summer, see below: * Please note we are not wearing masks in these photos so you can see their smiles, but every employee is required to wear a mask during work.

Hello, my name is Katelyn and I have been working as the parlour manager this summer, while working alongside some of the most amazing girls! This is my third year working here in the parlour, yet with everything being so new sometimes it feels like I just started. It has definitely been a very different experience this summer, however thanks to all the great support from EVERYONE working here, we have been able to adapt very well. I am extremely thankful to say that with all of the obstacles and worries covid19 has brought to our workplace, the management team handled it extremely carefully and have done everything in their power to insure everyone in the building and the customers feel safe.This summer has seemed to fly by very quickly, as I first started working this summer around the first of May, after finishing out my first year of University at Mcmaster where I am studying sociology with a specialization in mental health and addiction, so that one day I will be able to help those who are struggling. When I first came back I thought it was just going to be me working in the parlour alone with a few take home tub curb-side orders. However that changed very quickly! Within the first week of my return to the parlour we quickly realized we were going to need more help. With orders flooding in and our new addition of the 900mL handpacked tubs and the very popular variety pack, It was becoming too much for just one person. This is when the rest of the parlour crew started coming back. Everyone at central smith, including myself were very happily surprised with the abundance of support we were receiving. Although none of us were sure how long this was going to last or what the rest of the summer had in store for us, we were all very excited! With the new announcement of phase three, it was time for another change. With everyone's safety in mind, and lots of discussions and inputs, it was decided we would try and find a way to bring scoops back for the customers. This is how the idea of the “walk-up, drive-thru” became what it is, still ensuring everyone feels safe and comfortable, it was decided that we still won’t be having customers inside but still providing the customers with the parlour experience. With this new step, we were all worried with how it would land, however once again the amount of support and respect that came from this was amazing. And although we still are not back to the “normal” parlour, we are still able to bring some smiles to peoples faces and get them a scoop of their favourite ice cream, and to us that is all that we want and I can personally say that it feels so good to see the children jumping around and pointing with a giant smile on their faces when they see their cup of ice cream. So, although this summer hasn’t been what anyone had expected, I would say that we have all made the best of it and learned how to adapt to whatever gets thrown our way. I am so lucky and thankful to be working with such wonderful supportive co-workers. And I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings, because as we have shown we can handle it!

My name is Allison Zomer, this summer is my third year working at Central Smith in the ice cream parlour. Throughout the years the parlour girls and I have become really close and made so many memories. At times we have a little too much fun to the point where I would not consider it work. Although, like any job it comes with its challenges such as, trying the ice cream, chilling in the cold freezer on a hot day, and serving great customers. The past summers have been great and leave me dreading moving away to post secondary next year. I am entering grade 12 at Adam Scott and patiently waiting to apply for post secondary this fall. I am hoping to study business as my undergrad, although, I have yet to decide on a school. This summer I earned a co-op credit and I was given a unique opportunity to work in the factory, the office, as well as in the parlour. I was able to do it all, from making the ice cream, to marketing and finally selling it. This opportunity allowed me to watch and learn what happens behind the scenes to make the ice cream. Personally, the best part of the co-op was working in the office, I was not much help but I learned plenty of useful skills. The time at Central Smith has flown by, looking back at the past 2 years feels like only 2 short months. When I started in the parlour I never imagined the great people I would meet nor the many opportunities I would have. All the employees behind Central Smith are truly the most genuine, kind heart and hard-working individuals I have ever met. The short time working here has been a gift and wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Hi, I’m Owen Stevenson and I’m a summer employee at Central Smith Creamery. I’m a fifteen-year-old Grade 10 student at Adam Scott and I began work at Central Smith at the start of June. I work mainly in Production, along with the occasional day helping in Shipping. So far, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time making ice cream. As far as summer jobs go, this one is pretty great. There are no weekends, no evening/night shift and the people are great. Over the course of the day, you perform a multitude of different jobs.  The environment is pretty fast paced.   There are times when some of the tasks can get monotonous, but there is no doubt that you are busy constantly. So far, I’ve learned some very valuable lessons thanks to my work at Central Smith. This is my first experience in a formal workplace, so I’ve learned and absorbed a lot. Some key things I’ve taken away are the necessity of punctuality, the importance of focus and how being flexible and helpful can boost efficiency. One related negative I’ve taken away is that given the constraints of space in the building, there are some times when things need to be moved or done twice in order to get something fully completed.  It is quite amazing that things run as efficiently as they do in a such a small footprint. But so far, that’s the only negative I’ve observed.  The know how of the staff and leaders overcomes this issue.  There is always a way to get something done.The one huge thing I always remember when working is that I’m setting myself up for my future. I’m planning to study business when after I graduate from high school, and this is a great way to truly understand the need for an efficient workplace. One piece of advice I’d have for a future employee is to listen to anybody who offers you advice. The people you’re working with are experts in the process of making great ice cream, are truly kind, and have your best interests in mind.My key takeaway from my first two months at Central Smith is that as long as you give your full effort, focus, and commitment to the task at hand and remain flexible, working in Production here is a pretty fantastic summer job.Thank you so much for having me, I hope that I have been able to contribute somewhat and help meet the demands of what appears to a busy summer.  If you’ll have me back, I hope there are many CS summers in my future. Owen

Hi, my name is Annabel Hartwick.  I am a student at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough.  I am really looking forward to returning to classes and starting grade 10 in September.  I am in the French Immersion program working towards obtaining my diploma with a French Immersion Certificate.  I am also enrolled in the Pre-Advanced Placement English Program, which is a program unique to St. Peter’s. Here at Central Smith, I work in the parlour scooping ice cream and preparing orders.  In light of what’s happening in our community, with respect to COVID-19 and physical distancing, I am thankful we were able to open and serve our customers.  I feel very fortunate to work for a company that has gone to great lengths to keep myself, my co-workers, our customers and our community safe and healthy.  While making all the required adjustments has been necessary, things do not always go as planned.  I have learned that I am more adaptable and flexible in times of stress and demand.  I have also realized that it is very strenuous and a lot of work to hand scoop ice cream into 900mL tubs, while wearing a mask. Working for Central Smith has shown me how lucky I am to live in such a supportive and strong community.  Our customers have remained loyal to us and have patiently waited for us to be able to scoop their individual cups with many more flavour options. I am also thankful to be able to work alongside such hardworking and friendly people.  I look forward to coming to each shift, knowing that while completing our work, we will also share some laughs and stories.  I get along really well with all of my co-workers and I’m genuinely happy to see them.  I feel certain that I can count on them to be there for me whenever I ever need help with anything, and I am grateful and appreciative for how close we have all become during these past few months.

My name is Nicole and I work in the ice cream parlour at Central Smith. This is my second year working here and I really enjoy it.  I work with a great team and have learned so much from my experience serving the public. I am seventeen years old and will be going into my last year of high school in September. In the future I would like to study health sciences and will be applying for university programs later this year. Having a summer job has taught me many valuable life lessons that I plan to take with me into the future. One thing I have learned working at Central Smith is that practice really does make perfect! When it comes to making milkshakes or scooping cones, the more times I do it, the better I become at it. One funny thing that I have discovered is that there is no such thing as an unusual request, especially when it comes to younger kids. I have shared countless laughs while working in the parlour.  I have made many friends here which makes working even more fun! I also love our “regular” customers that come in.  During my time at Central Smith I have learned many skills involving customer service, sanitation, organization, and working under pressure. These are all skills that I will carry with me throughout my whole life. I have also learned that Ice cream is one of the best ways to celebrate! People come to get ice cream for a variety of reasons such as couples on dates, parents getting a treat with their children, friends looking to kill some time, people with dogs, and more. Ice cream is the answer to everything! Even though by the end of the night, you will have dry and sticky ice cream all over your hands and up your arms and there is always one flavor of ice cream that is extremely hard to scoop, working in an ice cream parlour is one of the best jobs out there. By the end of each summer one of my arms is always stronger than the other, which comes in handy during an arm-wrestling match.  After working at Central Smith, I can now confidentially say that money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy ice cream, and that’s the same thing!

Hello, my name is Blake Morden. I am sixteen years old and I will be going into grade eleven this coming September. I started working at Central Smith in the spring/summer of 2019. My job at Central Smith is working in the parlour as a parlour girl. That means throughout the day I scoop ice cream for customers, I work with the till/cash and me and my co-workers cleaning parlour throughout the day. Working in the parlour has given me the amazing experience of working in the food industry. One of the many reasons I love working at Central Smith is because of all people who work there. They are all so nice, helpful and supportive. At any time if the parlour is really busy someone always comes down from the office to help if needed. This year my co-workers and I have significantly become closer and we all have become very good friends. There are many things I have learned from working in the scooping business. One of them is that even on a rainy day, always be prepared for it to become a busy day since most rainy days are usually the best days. When working in the parlour the thing that makes me smile every shift is when you see the joy and happiness in the customer's eyes just as they receive their cone. I never come into work with a bad attitude because I always know that it is going to be a good day. This summer has been very different from last summer due to Covid-19, but that hasn't stopped me and my co-workers from making many memories at Central Smith. Even through this hard time we are still giving our customers what they want and that is ice cream!!

Thanks again for all your hardwork! All the best with back-to-school!