Betty Hildreth takes pride in her award-winning pies.

The Metchosin woman is among the longtime competitors who were there the moment Metchosin Day Bake Off was born.

A group of moms were enjoying a coffee klatch in the early B次元官网网址�90s when Jo Mitchell looked around and asked B次元官网网址淲ho bakes pies?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hen she just threw it out there B次元官网网址� that just started the competition,B次元官网网址� Hildreth recalled. B次元官网网址淲e all looked at each other thinking B次元官网网址榳ell I can certainly out-bake youB次元官网网址�, and it just started.B次元官网网址�

That first year she earned her most coveted awards: a double whammy Best Pie and Prettiest Pie for her B次元官网网址淢etchosin Very Berry Pie.B次元官网网址�

The first judge was a DJ from one of the Victoria radio stations.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know what his qualifications were but he got to be the judge of the first pie contest,B次元官网网址� Hildreth said with a chuckle. This year Royal Bay Bakery will provide judges.

B次元官网网址淓ventually the pie contest morphed into the baking contest and now it has cakes,B次元官网网址� Hildreth said.

This year organizer Deb Bonderoff is expanding the contestB次元官网网址檚 mandate even further.

B次元官网网址淭his year, to entice more youth to participate, we opened up a cupcake category,B次元官网网址� Bonderoff said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just an easier thing for kids to get interested in than trying to bake a full cake.B次元官网网址�

BonderoffB次元官网网址檚 twin sister, Barbie Mayor, returns to her Metchosin roots from Tofino to help organize the much-anticipated competition.

B次元官网网址淭here are people in Metchosin who have participated in Metchosin since day one. It becomes quite fierce,B次元官网网址� Bonderoff said. B次元官网网址淧eople love to win.B次元官网网址�

Ribbons go to the top three, but certificates like Off the Diet Best Bad Cake and A Little Dose of Crazy Cake make for more awards to go around.

Entries must be made from scratch, decorations must be edible and organizers will not accept entries that require refrigeration.

B次元官网网址淲e just donB次元官网网址檛 have the facilities there to enable that,B次元官网网址� Bonderoff said.

Entries must be received at Metchosin Council Chambers between 9 and 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a real local thing, itB次元官网网址檚 a very local vibe around it,B次元官网网址� Hildreth said. B次元官网网址淧eople get so excited about it that people have their faces pressed up against the windows at the council chamber.B次元官网网址�