The Swiss Vienna Pastry & Delicatessen, a West Island institution known as much for its owner's defiance of Quebec's language regulations as for its beloved pastries, has served its final cake. The bakery at Pointe-Claire Plaza closed its doors for good on Friday, January 2, 2026, following the retirement of its longtime owner, Harry Schick.
An Era Ends with Retirement
Schick announced the closure in December 2024 via a Facebook post, marking the end of an era for a business first founded over 60 years ago. He had been at the helm for more than 40 years, taking over the family operation in 1984. In his farewell message, Schick wrote it was time to "hang up my apron and relax," accompanying the post with a humorous image noting the napkins were the only item in the shop free of sugar and fat.
The news triggered an immediate and emotional outpouring from a loyal customer base. More than 140 comments flooded the post, with patrons sharing decades of memories tied to the bakery's cakes, bread, cinnamon buns, and pastries. Many described how Swiss Vienna's treats had become woven into their family traditions, from birthday celebrations to weekly rituals.
More Than Just Sweets: A Stance on Language Rights
While customers praised the quality of the food—especially highlighting the Black Forest cake, mille-feuille, eclairs, and cabbage rolls—a significant portion of the tributes commended Schick for his principled stand on language rights. The bakery had been a flashpoint in the debate over Quebec's sign laws, which require French to be predominant.
Schick was a vocal opponent. He famously kept a multilingual sign greeting shoppers in 35 languages in his front window as a protest, telling The Gazette in 2013 that "You can't just cave in." His defiance made him a local hero to many in the anglophone community. In another pointed act, he once renamed his macaroni salad "pasta salad Marois" as a jab at then-Premier Pauline Marois after language inspectors targeted an Italian restaurant for using the word "pasta."
Customers like Marla Lane Pennell, who worked at the bakery in 1967, expressed dual sentiments. "Thank you for all those years and for your strong principles and support of anglophone rights," she wrote online, echoing the feelings of many who saw the bakery as a bastion of both culinary delight and cultural identity.
A Community Mourns a Local Landmark
The closure leaves a palpable void in the Pointe-Claire community. Patrons expressed profound sadness at losing not just a source of favourite sweets but a cherished local landmark with deep roots. Facebook user Romy Hutman captured the sentiment, writing that the family business poured heart into every detail and had become "a true West Island institution, woven into so many memories over the years."
As the paper now covers the windows of the empty shop at Pointe-Claire Plaza, the legacy of Harry Schick's bakery endures in the fond recollections of its patrons. They will remember the taste of a perfect éclair and the sight of a sign that proudly, and defiantly, welcomed everyone in dozens of tongues.
