Whether it’s to shirk breakfast duties on a relaxing Sunday, take advantage of an opportunity to catch up with neighbours, or just enjoy a hot and hearty helping of fluffy pancakes, the community halls in Nacmine and East Coulee are serving up Sunday pancake breakfasts.
These breakfasts are organized by volunteers, and the funds and donations collected from breakfast-goers helps to keep these halls operating.
“It’s a really great community builder,” says East Coulee Community Association President Tony Miglecz.
East Coulee Community Association holds its monthly pancake breakfast on the fourth Sunday of the month. When Mr. Miglecz took over the hall and decided to resume the breakfasts following COVID, he initially had concerns there would not be enough volunteers as the association had lost several volunteers over COVID. However, he says the community “really showed up” and there has been an outpouring of support and helping hands.
The pancake breakfast gives people in the community and surrounding areas the opportunity to visit with fellow community members. Mr. Miglecz says many of those who come out to the breakfasts are seniors from the community, or the children of long-time community members returning to visit former neighbours and friends they may not have seen for some time.
Between 220 and 230 people attended the pancake breakfast in February, and Mr. Miglecz says the busiest Sunday has seen about some 300 people attend, while the lowest number of people who have attended has been around 180 people.
Nacmine Community Hall also holds its own pancake breakfast on the third Sunday of the month. Jim Decore, Nacmine Community Hall President, and his wife Doreen have been organizing the breakfasts for over 20 years.
“What’s nice to see is a group of people come in and have coffee and sit around and talk, have another cup of coffee,” Mr. Decore tells the Mail.
He says they serve breakfast to an average of 170 people, and have seen people come from Airdrie and Calgary.
Mr. Decore says the breakfasts would not be possible without the help of volunteers, and he adds he is extremely grateful to Cindy Thomas who helps take photos and promote the monthly breakfast on social media. However, he laments that many of the volunteers who currently help at the hall, from shoveling snow to serving breakfasts, are starting to get older and, like many other community organizations, they are struggling to find new, younger volunteers who are willing to replace them.
There is a small fee for attendees to enjoy these community breakfasts, and the money collected helps to keep the halls open and offset some operational costs, such as utilities. Nacmine Community Hall also covers expenses for the skating rink and playground, and Mr. Decore notes costs have grown considerably, even the cost of ingredients to make the breakfasts have increased substantially over the last few years.
Those looking to enjoy a community pancake breakfast can head to the St. Anthony’s Church Hall on the second Sunday of the month, Nacmine Community Hall on the third Sunday of the month, or the East Coulee Community Association on the fourth Sunday of the month.