Edmonton businesses sling sweet and savoury treats for International Pi Day

Edmonton bakeries were busy Thursday serving up a classic treat in honour of a well-known and widely used mathematical symbol.

March 14 is International Pi Day and several local businesses had something special in store for mathematics enthusiasts and dessert lovers alike.

The date, 03/14, aligns with the first three digits of Pi. It's an infinite irrational number representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.

"Scientists and mathematicians love this day, because it coincides with a really important number and we have an excuse to eat pie," said Adam Kashlak, an associate professor in mathematics and statistics at the University of Alberta.

From math and science to BBQ – Kashlak said Pi is an important number with countless applications.

"If you want to say, you know, send a satellite into space, you need Pi right? If you need a car to have wheels that are working, you need Pi," Kashlak said. "There's something called heat diffusion, how heat goes into any surface or any material – Pi shows up in that equation.

"So when you're grilling your steaks, you're actually working with Pi."

It’s Pi Day! 🥧 Without this number, we wouldn’t be able to operate rovers on the Moon or Mars! Rovers receive commands from operators on Earth, like when and how to move, take photos, turn their wheels and use their robotic arms, and pi is essential for these commands.

— Canadian Space Agency (@csa_asc) March 14, 2023

For those craving a sweet celebration, the Bon Ton Bakery, Fifendekel, Freson Bros, Vi's for Pies, Duchess and Pome Bakery were slinging Pi-themed pastries.

Josh Lawrence, co-owner of Vi's for Pies, said it's one of the busiest days of the year.

"We don't really do deliveries, but this time we have these huge orders for certain businesses in the city. And we have like 40, 50, 60, 90 pies and we have to deliver them," Lawrence said.

"I don't normally eat pie, but Pi Day is really special, so I decided I was going to indulge," said Connie Baxter, who was at the bakery picking up a banana cream and a key lime pie.

Anyone wanting a more savory tribute can head to one of Blaze Pizza's three Edmonton locations to get a $3.14 medium pizza pie when they buy a regular medium pizza. Verne's Pizza on 127 Avenue and 50 Street was also offering $3.14 slices until 11 p.m.

Pi Day was started in 1988 to celebrate the number and mathematics in general. If you celebrated at 1:59 you reached the first six numbers of Pi.

According to Guinness World Records, the most accurate value of Pi was calculated in 2021 by a team of Swiss researchers who calculated the value to more that 62 trillion digits.

With files from CNN and CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach