Westmount’s Cantor Bakery an update on a good thing

When I was older, my girlfriend’s dad, the late Philip Migicovsky, owned a Cantor in a strip mall on de Salaberry and I worked for him weekends for one glorious year during which I snacked my way through his éclairs, mocha squares and milles feuilles on my breaks.

Alas, Cantor is today a far less imposing presence on the retail scene, with 20 stores in Montreal and Ottawa, down from 60, although they do sell their labelled products to supermarkets. But you do still come across a Cantor here and there... the one in Westmount, at 4421 Ste. Catherine St., has been in business for 32 years. But after falling on hard times, it was saved by four partners three years ago this October: Bana Kabbani, her husband Rudy, her mother Souraya Kabbani and Sana Al Jyrian took over the business, renovated it and added product lines, augmenting their always popular Cantor breads with loaves from Premier Moisson. The business next door, CoppAroma, is part of that gorgeous renovation. “We always had the regulars who have been coming here for 20 years, but now we see many new faces, as well,” said Bana. And it’s no wonder. In addition to delectable pastries, the shop offers quality coffees, including fancy choices more affordable than those found at the competition: The cappuccino I had was simply outstanding. They also sell great muffins, slushies and scooped ice-cream in summer, hearty soups in winter, piping hot fresh pizzas year-round and feature a Panini of your choice, soup or salad and canned drink special starting at just $7.99. Their motto “you make the choice, we make it delicious” certainly rings true.

This Cantor also delivers in the immediate area, ensuring the term “service” is more than a buzzword that rings false. Give them a try.

One consistent presence at Cantor remains Max Cantor, son of founder Samuel. I remember him well, as he and “Fishel” Migicovsky would often banter on the phone, occasionally arguing over some fine point, although always with good humour and respect. Now 77 and semi-retired, Cantor is still involved with the company he has since sold to several former employees. We spoke last week and he admitted he sold because it had become too hard to control the independent stores. “Everyone wanted to do their own thing,” he said. He also reminisced about the good old days, including how his father had started with a business selling sweets and how Max had expanded it into baked goods (“We sold many wedding and birthday cakes in those days”), how the family had owned the Bucharest establishment across from Moishe’s from the 1930s till the mid 1950s, as well as a popular inn in the Laurentians that carried the family name.

I had to ask who was responsible for the iconic poster of a toothless, grinning Eskimo munching on a Cantor bagel with the words “You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy Cantor bagels” on it. “I was,” he said. “We found an actual aboriginal man from Frobisher Bay at the Montreal General, recuperating from a broken arm and we offered him some money to pose for the poster.”

The rest, as they say, is history, as whimsically nostalgic — or “shappy” — as it may be. Cantor, I’ll always love ya!