Never Too Late: The Story of Jean Paré
Jean Paré gave Canada a treasure trove of recipes that have long become a staple in family kitchens across the country. Since 1981, her "Company's Coming" cookbook series has sold over 30 million copies. Remarkably, Paré published her first book independently at the age of 54, right after her divorce. This article explores Jean Paré’s inspiring journey and how she profoundly shaped the nation's culinary landscape. Read more on edmontonka.
A Life Story Rooted in Alberta
Jean Paré was born in 1927 in Irma, a small village in Alberta. Her family later moved to Edmonton. In 1946, she married Clarence Lovig, and thirteen years later, the couple moved to Vermilion, where they managed the Vermilion Auction Mart together. They raised four children: Lyall, Brian, Grant, and Gayle.
Throughout her life, Paré was an avid cook for her family and an enthusiastic collector of cookbooks. Typically, these were community cookbooks—compilations of local recipes sold to raise funds for a charity or church. They truly captured the flavour of the local people. Paré’s fascination with these community collections eventually sparked her desire to write a similar book of her own.
In 1963, Paré helped organize the 50th-anniversary celebration for the Vermilion School of Agriculture. For the event, she catered over 1,000 meals, which were hugely popular. This success marked the beginning of her prosperous catering business.
How Paré Came to Write Her Cookbooks
In the 1960s, Jean Paré and Clarence Lovig divorced, leaving her a single mother. She briefly moved to Edmonton, but her children missed the small-town atmosphere, prompting the family's return to Vermilion. Scrambling to make ends meet, Paré decided to take a huge risk: she secured a bank loan to buy a small café called “Rio.” It was there she met a regular customer and her future husband, Larry Paré.
She sold the café shortly after acquiring it, a period of constant searching. She then focused on developing her catering business. People constantly asked Paré to share her recipes or write a cookbook. The time came to take another leap of faith, and in 1980, she founded “Company's Coming Publishing” with her son, Grant Lovig.
The First Book
In 1981, Paré published her first cookbook, "150 Delicious Squares." The book not only featured a host of delicious recipes but was also beautifully and thoughtfully designed: thanks to a special spiral binding, it lay flat when open, and it featured large, easy-to-read print and page numbers on the outer corners.
Paré and Lovig sold the book in unconventional places, such as pharmacies and gas stations. In just three months, they sold 15,000 copies. The second printing of 25,000 copies also quickly sold out. By 2010 alone, "150 Delicious Squares" had sold 1.4 million copies.
Paré then began writing and publishing other books, all of which were also highly successful. She quickly cemented her status as Canada's culinary leader. Her recipes utilized simple, everyday ingredients that were accessible to everyone. Paré’s goal was straightforward: to teach her readers to cook delicious food without unnecessary fuss or expense.
Her passion for cooking was inherited from her mother. During the Great Depression, her mother always had something ready for those in need. This spirit of generosity inspired the title for her book series, “Company's Coming.” This was the phrase her mother used when hungry and homeless men would approach their home.
“Company's Coming”
Her first book later became part of the extensive “Company's Coming” cookbook series. Before her retirement, Paré published 200 cookbooks in this series and sold 30 million copies worldwide.
Paré’s personality played a significant role in this tremendous success. She was remembered as a "motherly figure, calm and not at all bossy—very typical of an Alberta farm girl, and yet you always sensed her strength in the room." She conveyed this genuine authenticity through her books.
According to her grandchildren's recollections, Jean Paré wrote recipes even when she wasn't in the kitchen. She could be on a plane or watching a movie, all while creating and inventing incredible dishes in her head. It was a continuous creative process that ultimately led Paré to success.
Paré’s Life After Fame
In 2005, Jean Paré finally moved to Edmonton. In 2009, she donated her extensive collection of cookbooks to the University of Guelph. In 2011, she retired, by which time she was one of the world's highest-selling cookbook authors.
Throughout her life, Paré received numerous accolades. She was appointed to the Order of Canada, received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, and was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame and the Taste Canada Hall of Fame.
Her passions outside the kitchen included travel and helping those in need, with a particular focus on supporting women. Paré loved to joke and had a deep fondness for chocolate. She always ate her dessert first before moving on to the main course.
Jean Paré passed away in Edmonton in 2022 at the age of 95, but her work continues to inspire culinary creativity. Her books reflect both the deeply ingrained Canadian cooking traditions and the modern techniques of top chefs. Paré gifted Canada and the world with simple, accessible recipes that serve as a guiding light for millions of home cooks.
