Jonathan Sobol Memorial Award Silent Auction

Chef Jonathan (Jon) Sobol first became interested in the Culinary field at the age of 17 – as a result of travelling to France as a Rotary Exchange Student. Upon returning to Canada, Jon was accepted for employment as a member of the Rimrock Hotel (Banff) culinary staff. Under the tutelage of Executive Chef Yoshi Chubachi, Jon progressed well and was recommended to take the two-year accelerated Culinary program at SAIT - successfully obtaining his Journeyman’s Certification of Culinary Excellence and Culinary Red Seal.

Throughout his subsequent positions as Chef (Ottawa and Calgary), Jon developed a reputation for being a driven, hard-working and conscientious individual. He also became known for his culinary ability – and worked hard to improve his skills, his knowledge and his ingenuity. Learning was, very clearly, extremely important to Jon, who chose working a month (for free) in Chef Blumenthal’s “The Fat Duck” (Berkshire, England) Restaurant when offered the opportunity. Jon returned to Calgary (from Ottawa) in 2013, first accepting an Executive Chef Position with Redwater Rustic Grille, and then moving onto “Farm Restaurant” on 17th Avenue (Calgary). Jon flourished in this position, as he fully supported and cherished the concept of “Farm to Plate”. Buying local, and supporting the farmers in the area, became crucial to Chef’s basic beliefs. In 2015, Jon accepted the Executive Chef’s position at Starbelly – an upscale, 175-seat restaurant in South Calgary. He continued to create culinary delights, using fresh and local ingredients. The amazing success of this restaurant during his presence was evidence that his efforts were extremely appreciated.

Chef Jon, along with Cinematographer and friend Alec Bracegirdle, were returning from a visit to a farm near Irricana on August 30th, 2016 when a vehicle on the wrong side of the road struck them head-on. Both Jon and Alec were killed upon impact.

In Jon’s memory, we have created the Chef Jonathan Sobol Memorial Award. Its purpose is to provide financial assistance to a student in the Professional Cooking or Cook Apprentice program who shares Jon’s passion for mentoring and supporting children and youth through culinary education. All proceeds from this auction will be going to Jon's award and helping his legacy live on for generations to come.

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology is a leader in applied education, delivering relevant, skill-oriented education to more than 50,000 people annually. SAIT offers two baccalaureate degrees, three applied degrees, more than 70 diploma and certificate programs, 37 apprenticeship trades, English language foundations, academic upgrading and over 1,000 continuing education and corporate training courses. SAIT works closely with industry to ensure graduate success.

SAIT was established in 1916 and completed its largest campus expansion in 2012. The $400 million Trades and Technology Complex added 740,000 square feet of state-of-the-art learning space.

SAIT provides expertise and resources to industry and real-world learning experiences to students.

SAIT is a member of Polytechnics Canada.