Commemorating a long-time community-builder, mover and shaker
We are commemorating our dear friend Chef Scott. His sudden passing in January 2021 has been a profound loss to us here in Riverside and many, many others that he touched. We want to recognize his incredible work as a community-builder and member of the Riverside BIA family.
Please join us in sharing your memories, photos and mementos of Chef Scott to office@riverside-to.com, as we will be adding to this live blog (at bottom).
Chef Scott – Thank you for being such a big part of the Riverside BIA family. You introduced us to so many collaborators, you brought your passion for education, and big, bold ideas to Riverside and always supported us in pushing the envelope. Thank you for your friendship – you are wonderful, you are irreplaceable, you are loved, and you will always be missed.
As aptly shared by the condolence motion put forward by our Councillor Paula Fletcher and passed at Toronto City Council on February 2, 2021: “Chef Scott was known for living his life to the fullest. He was always supportive of local charities and local businesses in a volunteer capacity and through his patronage.”
‘Cheffie’ always brought big and bold ideas to Riverside. He envisioned collaborations that would not only be epic but lasting.
In 2010, he brought us weekly Riverside & Leslieville Food Tours through The Culinary Adventure Co. and then later through Toronto Food Tours, which always brought much welcomed support and patronage to local businesses.
Chef Scott founded the Riverside Antler Breakfast in 2011 as an annual fundraiser for local community causes, which remains a strong initiative to this day, having raised over $50,000 for community causes over the years.
His passion for bringing culinary delights into the spotlight led him to work with our BIA to transform Riverside’s annual street festival from the music-focused ‘Sounds Like the Riverside’ in 2013, to bring food in a big way with the now long well-known and loved ‘Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest’.
In 2015, Chef Scott’s love of wine and connections in Prince Edward County also brought some of The County to Queen Street with the first Riverside Wine Fest in collaboration with wine makers from Three Dog Winery, Broken Stone Winery and many others. In 2020, we would have hosted the 5th annual event which had grown to include local craft brewers.
These are just some of the big things Chef Scott helped build, as a long time volunteer and collaborator on Riverside Marketing Committee.
The Riverside BIA is honoured to be able to recognize and commemorate Chef Scott with the Jack Korman Memorial Award for Outstanding Volunteerism for 2020, and to dedicate the Riverside Antler Breakfast going forward in his memory.
Thanks to Councillor Paula Fletcher for making a Condolence Motion at City Council last week formally recognizing some of Chef Scott’s important achievements and thanks to the Ralph Thornton Community Centre for recognizing Chef Scott in fall 2020 with the “Community Volunteer Award for Community Betterment”.
Chef Scott with Riverside Antler Breakfast organizers 2017
Chef Scott, 2017 Riverside Antler Breakfast (Photo credit: Snap’d)
Chef Scott, Riverside Antler Breakfast 2019
Chef Scott, Riverside Culinary Walk 2018
Chef Scott, Riverside VIRTUAL Antler Breakfast 2020
Chef Scott, Riverside Eats & Beats 2018 – Toronto Food Tours Tent
Chef Scott, Riverside Wine & Craft Beer Fest 2018
Chef Scott, Riverside Wine & Craft Beer Fest 2019 – Food & Wine Demo
Chef Scott, Riverside Wine & Craft Beer Fest 2019 – Food & Wine Demo
Chef Scott, Rivertowne Breakfast Program to present proceeds from Riverside Antler Breakfast 2016
Chef Scott- at Riverside Antler Breakfast 2014
Watch Chef Scott in action, doing what he loved, in his last Riverside Antler Breakfast which happened virtually in 2020:
Live Blog – Messages from the Community:
Shared by Perry Lupyrypa: Chef Scott was one of a kind and I can attest that when I was the Riverside BIA Exec Director from 2012 – 2015, together we established several programs which are still running. Chef Scott was always supportive of local charities AND local businesses. He stepped up with leadership, vision, volunteer and financial support. With Chef Scott’s support, the BIA also began outreach beyond Riverside. He was always dreaming and working to make dreams come true. Chef Scott was larger than life (his spiritual and physical being). He was taken too soon. He lived every moment to the fullest and will be dearly missed.
Shared by Mia Sturup
Chef Scott- host of dinner at Olives&Olives (photo from Mia Sturup)
Chef Scott – at home dinner with Mia Sturup
Shared by Jo-Anne Cameron:
A shot of Cheffie (Chef Scott) and my hubby Ian Cameron at a party at our house on Degrassi St (Shared by: Jo-Anne Cameron)
Pic of Chef Scott with guests during his mushroom foraging tours (Shared by: Jo-Anne Cameron)
Chef Scott and Jason the BBQ Ninja at a bbq class tour (Shared by: Jo-Anne Cameron)
Shared by Nancy Grenier: I met Chef Scott when he first started his food tours in Riverside. I had an art gallery called Rouge Concept at 732 Queen St. from 2008 to 2013 (now where Dimensions Custom Framing & Gallery is). He would come into my shop to say Hi! He always had a sunny disposition and the most fabulous stories. He will be missed.
Shared by MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth): Chef Scott livened up so many events in Riverside, he loved and cooked great food and he also just loved living in the moment. Another real loss to our community.
Shared by Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) and City Council via their Motion of Condolence:
The Mayor and Members of Toronto City Council are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chef Scott Savoie in early January this year.
Chef Scott was the founder of the Riverside Charity Antler Breakfast, Riverside Draft Beer and Wine Fest and was a member of Slow Food, the Culinary Historians of Canada and the Mycological Society of Toronto. Last year, Chef Scott was a recipient of the Ralph Thornton Community Volunteer Award for Community Betterment. His leadership with the Riverside Craft Beer and Wine Fest as well as the Riverside Charity Antler Breakfast has made significant contributions to the business community and many local residents. In 2013, Chef Scott was a leader on the Planning Committee for the food component of the Sound of Riverside, now known as Riverside Eats & Beats, and continued his work in later years to ensure the annual street festival was a big success.
Chef Scott was known for living his life to the fullest. He was always supportive of local charities and local businesses in a volunteer capacity and through his patronage. He will be missed by his friends and colleagues.
The City Clerk is requested to convey, on behalf of the Members of Toronto City Council, our sincere sympathy to Chef Scott’s community and loved ones. February 2, 2021
Shared by Karen Lloyd: From that time after we were at the wine cellars and then did a photo for the LCBO….
Chef Scott for LCBO Shoot (Credit Karen Lloyd)
Chef Scott for LCBO Shoot (Credit Karen Lloyd)
Chef Scott for LCBO Shoot (Credit Karen Lloyd)
From Dave Watson: I’ll remember that smiling face at our bar, his quick wit, long stories, old-school charm, and his absolute dedication to our community and the people close to him. You’ll be missed Chef. 🍻
From Anjuli Solanki: He was a larger than life person and had such a big heart and a generous soul. He had such a strong commitment to giving back to community, especially as he grew up in very modest circumstances, which made him care so deeply about the Antler Breakfast and giving back in a way that was full of dignity and celebratory. He will be greatly missed.
The ‘Riverside BIA 40 Years, 40 Stories’ Series is part of how we’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of this incredible neighbourhood of community-builders.