 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
Fort Simpson's celebration of food Volunteers spent hours preparing for community feast for 200 residents
Jeanne Gagnon
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, October 10, 2013
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Approximately 200 people attended the community feast in Fort Simpson on Oct. 3.
Daphne Squirrel grabs some food at the community feast in Fort Simpson on Oct. 3. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo
|
Residents eagerly waited in line to reach the buffet. They filled their plates with delicious food.
But behind the potato salads, pasta salads, rice, turkey, ham, meatballs, cranberry sauce, carrot cake, apple and blueberry pies, were hours of dedication from volunteers who prepared and cooked the food. There were also many volunteers who served it to residents.
Liidlii Kue First Nation catered the feast on behalf of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council, who was holding its fall gathering with education staff from the region from Oct. 2 to 4.
The First Nation provides all the supplies and the food, with the help of the Northern store and Landmark Grocery, to the volunteers, said Liza McPherson, executive director of the Liidlii Kue First Nation.
The approximately 15 volunteers cooked enough food
for 300 to 400 people.
"It's very important to have feasts and bring the community together," said McPherson.
Preparation for the feast
McPherson told menu co-ordinator Ginette Martineau how many people were expected to attend the feast, leading to the creation of the menu.
"From my opinion, Fort Simpson is a very close-knit community. Any time we have of feast or any kind of gathering, the whole community participates and it's just wonderful to see and to be part of," said McPherson.
Martineau assessed how many turkeys, hams and other food would be needed to feed the people, which amounted to six hams and six turkeys.
The preparation work started on Sept. 30.
"I peeled like 130 pounds of potatoes," she said.
Terry Jaffray, superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council, also enjoyed the food.
"The food was great," she said. "The band does an amazing job. When they get people in the community to cook for a feast, you know you're going to have a great meal."
| 
