“One dozen per bag, one flavour per dozen”
The man behind Tiny Tom Donuts that is a fixture at the CNE has passed away.
Tom Brazier, the owner of Tiny Tom Donuts which have been enjoyed by fair lovers attending the CNE for six generations, has died at the age of 73, his son says.
Brazier died peacefully June 16 in a Markham hospital next to his wife Bonnie, said Adam Brazier, adding his father died of kidney failure after dealing with several illnesses.
The tiny donuts are a long-time staple at the 141-year-old fair. We have all gorged handfuls of the puffy treats.
This summer the fair was cancelled due to COVID-19. It will be the first time Canada’s largest fair won’t go ahead since the Second World War.
Brazier says there is no top-secret to making his popular donuts.
“They’re hot and they’re fresh, and they’re flavourful. They melt in your mouth,” Brazier has said. “And everybody likes a hot, fresh donut.”
Adam says his dad was grateful that his donuts “meant things to people,” and was “a tradition for the city.”
“His favourite times at the CNE were when people would come up and say, ‘When I was a kid, my father picked me up to watch these donuts being made, and now I’m here picking my kid up,” Brazier told CBC Toronto.
“He would get that story three or four times a day. And nothing made him beam more than that.”
Adam says his dad had a “generous spirit” and was an advocate for marginalized people.
“His favourite thing to do was to laugh and make other people laugh,” he recalls.
Brazier was beloved by all who knew him and was looking forward to celebrating his 60th anniversary at the CNE and 27th at Canada Wonderland.
He had stopped making his prized donuts himself about three years ago due to illness and the company is now run by his son and daughter-in-law.