Downtown Hornby at 4 corners -
3005 St. John's Pt. Rd across from the Co-op Gas Bar
From Jazz to Pizza: The Remarkable Journey of Jon Laskin
On any given afternoon on Hornby Island, the smell of fresh baked pizza drifts from the Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeria, mingling with the sound of laughter, music and the low hum of island life. Behind the counter, you might find Jon Laskin—musician, baker, and community builder—sliding a pizza into the oven with the same rhythm and flair he once brought to the stage.
Jon’s journey began far from this quiet island. Born in Edmonton and raised in Chicago and Saskatoon, he grew up surrounded by music, art, and free-thinking influences, choosing to attend ‘Free School’ and sitting in on university classes in Sociology, Philosophy, History, Classical Music History, Photography and Theater, instead of going to 3rd to 8th grades. He studied under jazz greats Rick Kilburn, and Rene Worst, apprenticed with the legendary Count Basie Bassist Chubby Jackson, and eventually carved out a career as a bassist, bandleader, and music educator. Music wasn’t just his profession—it was his passion, love and language; his way of connecting with people.
In 1974 Jon’s Parents with other families bought 80 acres, created SYZYGY land cooperative and moved to Hornby Island, where Jon and Jane met at a Hornby Dance in 1983. They didn’t stop dancing life together ‘till the casket dropped in 2020. In the early 1980’s he co-founded the rockabilly band The Rockin’ Stinkbugs. The group quickly became a local sensation, known for their wild high energy and fundraising spirit. Their concerts helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for community causes—from contributing toward the building of the fire hall’s second story, new Community Hall floor, moving the old Pre-school, to funding the arts. One of Jon’s proudest legacies from that era is the Bruce Fairbairn Bursary, a fund created in memory of his late friend and legendary music producer. The bursary continues to help young islanders pursue music and the arts to this day.
Music eventually led Jon and Jane south—to Temecula Valley, California—where they built another kind of stage: The Musician’s Workshop - nonprofit performing arts and music center became a creative hub for hundreds of students, teaching jazz band, youth orchestra, Choir and performing arts to youth from 4 to 18 years old. Jon and Jane created a unique performance oriented approach to learning and teaching music with weekly public performances and professional Artists in Residence programs achieving successes like multiple Grammy Award winners Tori Kelly, Joelle James and Olivia Rodrigo. Jon and Jane also founded the Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival and the popular In-Home Concert Series, hosting world-class musicians like Cybill Shepherd, Poncho Sanchez, Horace Silver, Alex Ligertwood (Voice of Santana) Scarlett Riveria (Bob Dylan, Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman), Eric Rigler (Titanic, Braveheart, Troy), Tom Rush, It’s A Beautiful Day, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Trini Lopez, Freda Payne, Randy Brecker, Tom Scott, Gerald Wilson, Herb Jeffries, Sammy Nestico, Louie Bellson, Monty Alexander, Kenny Burrell, Brian Auger, Ernestine Anderson, Mose Allison, Richie Cole, Ray Brown Jr., Richie Cole, Dick Berk, Rene Worst, Jennifer Scott, Valdy, Maria Muldure, and many others. Under his leadership, the festival earned local and national recognition. Jon was nominated Citizen of the Year by the Temecula Chamber of Commerce in 1998, and in 2010, Jon received Bank of America’s Local Hero Award for his contributions to the arts and community.
But life took a turn in 2017 when Jane was diagnosed with cancer. Seeking peace and better health care, the couple returned to Hornby Island, leaving behind the desert sun and their two grown children in California. On Hornby, and continuing still after Jane’s passing, Jon found solace in creation again—this time, not through music, but through dough, sauce, bagels, croissants, brownies, and flavor.
With his signature mix of tenacity, passion and ingenuity, Jon designed and built the Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeria from scratch—literally. Working from a Postal truck converted into a food truck and a flat deck trailer hand-built into a prep and service area, he crafted his own recipes, drawing the same creativity from music into every crust and sauce. The community responded with enthusiasm. The bakery / pizzeria was nominated Business of the Year in both 2018 and 2019, and won in 2020, also in 2023, it earned national attention when Sysco and Saputo Cheese ranked it #3 among over 500 Pizzerias across Canada.
Today, Jon balances his love of baking with the rhythm of island life. “I love Hornby,” he says. “The peace, the kayaking, the walks at Helliwell and Tribune Bay—it’s all part of what makes this place Home.” His bakery is open daily from noon to six, and his team—led by summer manager Tay D’Amour—often sells out before sunset.
For Jon, the transition from bass lines to bread lines isn’t as strange as it sounds. Both music and baking, he says, are about harmony, timing, and sharing joy with others. “I’ve always loved creating something that brings people together,” he reflects. “Whether it’s a song, a performance, or a great pizza, bagel or croissant—it’s all the same kind of magic.”
On any given afternoon on Hornby Island, the smell of fresh baked pizza drifts from the Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeria, mingling with the sound of laughter, music and the low hum of island life. Behind the counter, you might find Jon Laskin—musician, baker, and community builder—sliding a pizza into the oven with the same rhythm and flair he once brought to the stage.
Jon’s journey began far from this quiet island. Born in Edmonton and raised in Chicago and Saskatoon, he grew up surrounded by music, art, and free-thinking influences, choosing to attend ‘Free School’ and sitting in on university classes in Sociology, Philosophy, History, Classical Music History, Photography and Theater, instead of going to 3rd to 8th grades. He studied under jazz greats Rick Kilburn, and Rene Worst, apprenticed with the legendary Count Basie Bassist Chubby Jackson, and eventually carved out a career as a bassist, bandleader, and music educator. Music wasn’t just his profession—it was his passion, love and language; his way of connecting with people.
In 1974 Jon’s Parents with other families bought 80 acres, created SYZYGY land cooperative and moved to Hornby Island, where Jon and Jane met at a Hornby Dance in 1983. They didn’t stop dancing life together ‘till the casket dropped in 2020. In the early 1980’s he co-founded the rockabilly band The Rockin’ Stinkbugs. The group quickly became a local sensation, known for their wild high energy and fundraising spirit. Their concerts helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for community causes—from contributing toward the building of the fire hall’s second story, new Community Hall floor, moving the old Pre-school, to funding the arts. One of Jon’s proudest legacies from that era is the Bruce Fairbairn Bursary, a fund created in memory of his late friend and legendary music producer. The bursary continues to help young islanders pursue music and the arts to this day.
Music eventually led Jon and Jane south—to Temecula Valley, California—where they built another kind of stage: The Musician’s Workshop - nonprofit performing arts and music center became a creative hub for hundreds of students, teaching jazz band, youth orchestra, Choir and performing arts to youth from 4 to 18 years old. Jon and Jane created a unique performance oriented approach to learning and teaching music with weekly public performances and professional Artists in Residence programs achieving successes like multiple Grammy Award winners Tori Kelly, Joelle James and Olivia Rodrigo. Jon and Jane also founded the Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival and the popular In-Home Concert Series, hosting world-class musicians like Cybill Shepherd, Poncho Sanchez, Horace Silver, Alex Ligertwood (Voice of Santana) Scarlett Riveria (Bob Dylan, Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman), Eric Rigler (Titanic, Braveheart, Troy), Tom Rush, It’s A Beautiful Day, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Trini Lopez, Freda Payne, Randy Brecker, Tom Scott, Gerald Wilson, Herb Jeffries, Sammy Nestico, Louie Bellson, Monty Alexander, Kenny Burrell, Brian Auger, Ernestine Anderson, Mose Allison, Richie Cole, Ray Brown Jr., Richie Cole, Dick Berk, Rene Worst, Jennifer Scott, Valdy, Maria Muldure, and many others. Under his leadership, the festival earned local and national recognition. Jon was nominated Citizen of the Year by the Temecula Chamber of Commerce in 1998, and in 2010, Jon received Bank of America’s Local Hero Award for his contributions to the arts and community.
But life took a turn in 2017 when Jane was diagnosed with cancer. Seeking peace and better health care, the couple returned to Hornby Island, leaving behind the desert sun and their two grown children in California. On Hornby, and continuing still after Jane’s passing, Jon found solace in creation again—this time, not through music, but through dough, sauce, bagels, croissants, brownies, and flavor.
With his signature mix of tenacity, passion and ingenuity, Jon designed and built the Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeria from scratch—literally. Working from a Postal truck converted into a food truck and a flat deck trailer hand-built into a prep and service area, he crafted his own recipes, drawing the same creativity from music into every crust and sauce. The community responded with enthusiasm. The bakery / pizzeria was nominated Business of the Year in both 2018 and 2019, and won in 2020, also in 2023, it earned national attention when Sysco and Saputo Cheese ranked it #3 among over 500 Pizzerias across Canada.
Today, Jon balances his love of baking with the rhythm of island life. “I love Hornby,” he says. “The peace, the kayaking, the walks at Helliwell and Tribune Bay—it’s all part of what makes this place Home.” His bakery is open daily from noon to six, and his team—led by summer manager Tay D’Amour—often sells out before sunset.
For Jon, the transition from bass lines to bread lines isn’t as strange as it sounds. Both music and baking, he says, are about harmony, timing, and sharing joy with others. “I’ve always loved creating something that brings people together,” he reflects. “Whether it’s a song, a performance, or a great pizza, bagel or croissant—it’s all the same kind of magic.”