Cirque du Soleil's show on ice gets a sweet welcome from doughnut shop in St. Catharines

As St. Catharines, Ont., welcomes Cirque du Soleil'sonlyproduction on ice, a local business has paid tribute to the show in their own sweet way.

Beechwood Doughnuts designed and featured a'Crystal' doughnutas a nod to Cirque du Soleil's show of the same name, as it makes its only Canadian tour stop this week from June 30 to July 3 at the city's Meridian Centre.

The 'Crystal' doughnut, baked and sold exclusively on Tuesday, has a cotton candy dip and buttercream with edible candy glass and sugar crystals.

Artists featured in the show including ice skater Hjoris Lee who lives in Welland and practicesin the city were at the doughnut shopTuesday morning to meet with customers and taste test the treats with St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik.

Lee said the featured doughnut pays a great tribute to the show, "especially the sugar crystal, that's a pretty good replica of part of our set."

Beechwood co-owner Tayler Book said she wanted to create something "unique and shimmery" withthe specialty vegan dessert.

"The first flavour I thought of when I saw the colour [of the show] was blue cotton candy," Book said.

Cirque artist Camille Van Betsbrugge compared the sugar crystals to little snowflakes and said that those, along with the sweet taste,also reminded her of the show.

"We feel really welcome," Van Betsbrugge said."I think it's nice for both Cirque and [Beechwood]to do little things together, I find it really lovely."

Van Betsbrugge performed some acrobatic stunts on site with fellow Cirque artist William Neager, while customers lined up to pick-up doughnuts and say hello to the artists.

St. Catharines resident Paula Lindley had her photo taken with some of the artists, letting them know that she would be coming to see them perform with her granddaughters on Sunday.

"It's a brilliant collaboration," Lindley said about the 'Crystal' feature at Beechwood, "It's a great match. It's downtown. It's doughnuts."

Her granddaughters Helena and Elise weren't with her but she said she was bringing some treats home.

Mayor Sendzik said he would also be going to the show with his family this weekend and complimented the Beechwood idea.

"[Cirque du Soleil]is known globally and to be able to partner with a local entrepreneur Tayler from Beechwood Doughnutshas been doing an amazing job is just a way that brings more recognition and acknowledgement to the businesses that we have here in downtown St. Catharines," Sendzik said.