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NNSL Photo

Holly Norris and Brad Olynyk have started Delta Sun Services, a new catering and banquet consulting company in Inuvik. - Terry Halifax/NNSL photo

Party planners

Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Feb 28/03) - A young Inuvik couple are breaking into the banquet business in small strides with a new catering company specializing in meetings and light luncheons, but have designs on dinners and buffets.

Holly Norris and Brad Olynyk started Delta Sun Services hoping to fill a niche in the service industry that booms along with the oil and gas activity.

Olynyk said he feels with all the activity in the Delta, the oil and gas workers will need some help in the kitchen.

"I love cooking and I think there's a real need for it in town; there's only a few caterers in town," Olynyk said.

"I've always wanted to own my own business and this seems like a good opportunity."

Since graduating from a Saskatoon cooking school, Olynyk has spent the past 14 years cooking.

"I've done commercial cooking mostly," he said.

"Hotels, restaurants and resorts. I came up here after working in Jasper."

The couple have already lined-up a couple dozen contracts and see the business growing quickly.

"We're starting out small with sandwich and pickle trays, soup pots and platters for meetings," he said.

"Eventually, I want to get into bigger banquets and things."

The menu is flexible, but Delta Sun offers a variety of meat and cheese trays, bannock and Eskimo donuts as well as fruit and dessert platters.

Olynyk cooks at Aurora College during the day and also works for the meetings and Elder's Luncheons at Ingamo Hall.

He'll be borrowing the kitchen at Ingamo for bigger jobs, but will do the smaller jobs out of his home kitchen.

His girlfriend Holly Norris is a secretary by day and she will run the business end of things. administration

"I love cooking, she loves books," Olynyk said with a smile.

Norris was born in Inuvik and so far, says she's loving the life of a small business owner.

"It's going awesome, Norris said. "I love it!"