Canada’s iconic butter tart could get its own nationally recognized day if a new petition urging Parliament to honour the homegrown dessert gains traction.Blackclock's Reporter says home bakers have launched a federal petition calling on Parliament to designate June 1 as National Butter Tart Day, arguing the pastry is an enduring part of Canada’s culinary identity.“The butter tart is a cherished Canadian dessert and an important part of Canada’s culinary and cultural heritage,” reads Petition E-7708.The petition calls for June 1 to be recognized annually as National Butter Tart Day and celebrated by “bakers, butter tart festivals, tourism organizations, agricultural producers and communities.”Conservative MP Jamie Schmale (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes, Ont.) sponsored the petition without comment.Petitioners said the traditional combination of butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and raisins has changed over generations, with bakers embracing both classic versions and new variations.They said Canadians “celebrate both traditional recipes and creative interpretations that reflect the diversity and innovation of Canadian baking culture.”It is not the first attempt to persuade Parliament to give the butter tart its own day.An earlier petition sponsored by Conservative MP Adam Chambers (Simcoe North, Ont.) proposed April 19 as National Butter Tart Day to commemorate the death of the Ontario homemaker credited with creating the first known butter tart recipe.Petition E-7213, launched June 26, collected 3,395 signatures.“The butter tart is a quintessentially Canadian confection and a significant part of Canada’s culinary and cultural heritage,” petitioners wrote.They said creating an official Butter Tart Day would “promote national pride.”.Mary MacLeod, a Barrie, Ont. homemaker, is credited with publishing the first butter tart recipe in the 1900 Royal Victoria Cookbook, produced as a community fundraiser. MacLeod died in Toronto on April 19, 1915.Supporters of the designation noted British Columbians celebrate Nanaimo Bar Day on May 17 but said Canada currently has no officially recognized national food holidays. Parliament has never designated a national food.The push comes years after a federal report warned Canada lacked a strong international reputation as a culinary destination.“Canada is seen to be falling somewhat short in its perception of the ability to deliver a positive food experience,” the Department of Industry said in its 2017 report, Options For A Canadian Culinary Tourism Strategy.Consultants described Canada as a culinary “blank slate.”“It is not perceived to have a distinct national cuisine,” the report said.The study nevertheless identified several recognizable Canadian food brands and regional specialties, including Prince Edward Island potatoes, New Brunswick fiddleheads, Québec tourtière, Winnipeg goldeye and Saskatoon berry pie.It warned Canada faced stiff competition for food tourists from destinations in Europe and Asia where national cuisines already have strong international reputations.“Exotic destinations whose cuisine is increasingly enjoyed the world over have a built-in advantage when it comes to culinary tourism,” the report said.
