Yxe Underground

It’s a Tuesday afternoon and the commercial kitchen at Mount Royal Collegiate is filled with grade 11 and 12 students preparing a restaurant quality meal under the careful and encouraging eye of Wayne Pilon.  Wayne teaches the commercial cooking program, along with the high school’s food skills and sewing classes (he is also the school's Athletic Director), and today he is dividing up the students into three stations: protein, vegetables, and sauces.  The kitchen has everything students would expect to see in a restaurant kitchen. Stoves and ovens are turned on and ready for use, knives are sharpened, and supplies are stored in large, walk-in freezers.  This is one of Wayne Pilon’s happy places.  Wayne grew up in restaurant kitchens. He loves the controlled chaos and communication of a busy kitchen, and he brings that passion every day to his students.  Wayne is teaching his students more than just the joys and challenges of cooking. He’s instilling them with confidence and showing them the benefits of teamwo