Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 27/02) - Hands now busy with hammers and nails will soon be pressed into the subtle texture of fine dough. The warm homey scent of freshly baked bread will soon replace the odour of paint and drywall.

Yellowknife's new French bakery, located on 51st Avenue, will open Dec. 9. Until then the team of Pascal Bellegy and Pascal Bonnin is working tirelessly constructing walls and fitting baking equipment.

"We wanted to work for ourselves and work in food services," said Bellegy, who came with his partner from France four months ago.

Last spring the duo decided on Canada when it was time to leave France for an entrepreneurial adventure. They toured the country for a month and landed on Yellowknife. The two are avid outdoorsmen -- they love hunting and fishing. After eyeing up the city, they found a service that was missing.

"We said 'Yellowknife needs a bakery,' " said Bellegy.

So the two headed back to France and planned a course of action. First they took six months of intensive bakers' training, sold their homes and dealt with the immigration documents. Both were factory managers back in France.

Then they came back to Yellowknife for a winter visit to make sure they could handle the cold.

"It was only minus 29 so we decided to come back," said Bellegy.

Last week, a truck backed into the new bakery location loaded with specialized baking equipment -- ovens, mixers and bowls from France.

Bellegy guarantees the bakery's products to be 100 per cent chemical-free. The two Pascals will bake the goodies and two wait staff will serve lunches in the bright location.

"The perfect loaf of bread has to have between 67 and 73 per cent water," said Bellegy as he pointed to imaginary shelves lined with yeasts and flour.

He doesn't know yet exactly how much they will charge for a loaf of bread. So far the venture has been a huge financial undertaking for the two Pascals. After putting $75,000 each toward the business, the new visitors to Canada hit the Canadian Business Development Bank up for another $100,000.

So what are Bellegy and Bonnin, the two Pascals, going to name their new bakery? Well Pascal's of course.