East Toronto’s Left Field Brewing is hoping to help create a little diversity in Niagara College’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program this fall.

Since Ontario craft brewing remains very much the turf of white male (often bearded) brewers, the Toronto brewery is hoping to give a leg-up to members of the BIPOC (black, Indigenous, people of colour) community.

It is offering two $1,000 scholarships with the criteria aimed directly at more diversity. To qualify for a scholarship, applicants must be:

• Must be a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person
• Possess Academic Excellence
• Must identify as a member of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) community
• Must be a first year student in the Brewmaster & Brewery Operations Management full-time program

Left Field Brewery was first established in the Leslie area of East Toronto back in April 2013 and is perhaps best-known for its baseball-themed beers. It was founded by husband-and-wife team, Mark and Amanda ‘Mandie’ Murphy.

It is also one of the few Ontario breweries that gives its employees “Living Wage,” which simply means employees are paid at a rate where they can afford to live in their brewery’s neighbourhood, an amount well above minimum wage.