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Shortly after moving to Scarborough from Guyana in the late 1970s, Carl Veecock stopped every Friday afternoon at Norman Sue Bakery on his way home from work to buy some salara, mithai, beef patties, cheese rolls, pine tarts, plait bread and other foods that reminded him of home. Veecock is one of thousands of people originally from Guyana and the West Indies who have shopped at this bakery since its opening more than 30 years ago. Norman Sue, the bakery’s founder who started mass-producing Guyanese goodies in his home in 1976, died of multiple myeloma on Oct. 7 at age 66. Sue was a businessman who treated his employees like family, supported his local community, and made deals with a handshake.
Guyana’s Consul General in Toronto, Sattie Sawh, said Sue was a pioneer in bringing a taste of Guyana to Toronto. When in his bakery, “you get the feeling you’re back in Guyana,” she said.
“He did become a household name in our community,” said Sawh. “He was a very kind man, a very generous individual.”
Councilor Michael Thompson, who represents the Scarborough ward in which the bakery is located, called Sue “larger than life. He was very giving and inspired people to do better.
“As a business leader, he always had time to speak to people and share his experiences and was willing to listen,” said Thompson.
Norman Augustus Sue-Kam-Ling was born in 1947 in Georgetown, Guyana, to a father born in China and a mother whose parents had emigrated from India. Sue’s Canadian baking odyssey started in his kitchen a few years after his 1969 move to Canada, when a brother visiting from Guyana decided to make Guyanese pastries in Sue’s Scarborough home. The batch was a bit too large for the family, so they gave some away to friends. The baking and sharing continued for some time until people started offering to pay for the pastries.
The fledgling operation moved as it grew: first to the basement, then to an industrial unit on Nantucket Blvd., then to a plaza at Kennedy Rd. and St. Clair Ave. East. In 1988, the bakery moved to its current location on Ellesmere Rd. near Midland Ave.
The bakery was and continues to be a family affair involving Sue’s wife, Lynette, and their five children, all of whom worked in the bakery. The family even lived right above the bakery when it was housed in the plaza. “We grew up in the business,” said Kim Sue, the eldest sibling who has been in charge of the bakery since her father started fighting his cancer in 2010.
Norman Sue had a special relationship with his staff, and they became his extended family. “He hired people who other people wouldn’t hire,” said Kim Sue. He cooked Friday lunches for his employees. He picked them up on his way into work, and on very cold days dropped some of them off at their homes after work before returning to the bakery himself. He would listen to his employees’ problems, and sometimes offer advice and a hug to indicate that everything would be OK.
At community events, Norman Sue donated baked goods to help various organizations raise funds. He also supported the local Lions Club and two Scarborough cricket leagues.
As a customer, Sue had character and would stand up for his principles, said Ronson Pereira, supplier of flour, margarine, and other ingredients to Sue. Pereira considered Sue a special customer and a friend. Whereas Pereira communicates with many customers by electronic mail, Sue preferred the human touch. He was focused on his customers, staff, and the baking operation, with little time left over to sit at the computer, said Pereira. Sue expected complete transparency from Pereira. If a shipment of flour was going to be late, he wanted to know right away so he could warn his wholesale customers if necessary. If Pereira expected prices to increase, Sue wanted to know so that he could plan future price adjustments for his own customers. If he ever got into a disagreement with Pereira, Sue would follow up the discussion by making him lunch. Sue’s impact was felt far beyond the GTA. In a letter to Sue’s family, Guyanese president Donald Ramotar wrote that Sue “was deeply involved in all activities of the Guyanese community [in Canada]. In that way he continued to contribute to the welfare of Guyana. “I feel honored to have known him,” Ramotar wrote. “I will miss him.”
Sue’s last few days of life were very eventful. His youngest child, Norman Jr., was getting married on Oct. 5. He was the last of Sue’s kids to head to the altar, and Sue wanted to be there. His doctor gave him the OK to leave the hospital for the weekend to attend the wedding. Although very weak, Sue managed to sit through the festivities. He returned to the hospital on Oct. 6 and died the following day.
Sue leaves behind his wife, four daughters, one son, eight grandchildren, and a bakery which will continue making Guyanese specialties for the next generation of customers.