Brockville, Ont. church offers virtual pancake dinner and contest

Today marks Shrove Tuesday, or what many people know as Pancake Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent for most Christians.

And while most in-person pancake dinners have been cancelled, one Brockville church is still celebrating the occasion a bit differently.

At St. Paul's Anglican Church, their dining hall would usually be packed for the yearly event.

"The church would already be a hustle and bustle," said Rev. Lynn Dillabough. "People here getting the sausages ready and being kept warm in the oven, cooks coming to make pancakes. It's a big event with about 150 people coming to eat pancakes and it's also a very big fundraiser to help people around the world."

Now, all that sits on the dining hall tables is hand sanitizer.

An empty dining hall at the St. Paul's Anglican Church in Brockville, Ont. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

The annual event was cancelled in 2021, and the pancake supper was one of the last events the church held in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

With some restrictions still in place, the church can only have 50 people eating in their hall.

"This year, our restrictions on food in the church have recently lifted, but not enough for us to do a great big pancake supper," Dillabough said.

Deciding to keep the congregation safe, the church pivoted, offering a virtual pancake dinner with some added fun.

"We're asking people to take pictures of their pancakes, post them on our Facebook page and we are having a photo contest," she said.

Prizes will be given out for the most elegant, fluffiest and funniest flapjacks, to name a few.

Church members Dave and Peggy Bell are hosting their family for pancakes Tuesday evening, taking part in the contest.

Peggy Bell prepping pancakes for Tuesday's dinner. March 1, 2022. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

"I think it is a wonderful idea. Pancake Tuesday at our church was a huge event before COVID. We would have lots of people in the church and lots of volunteers helping," Bell said.

"One of my goals is to get about eight pancakes in front of each grandkid and take a picture of that," he said with a laugh.

According to Bell, the church dinners are missed, as they act as a networking event.

"We would have more people than our congregation come in," he said. "People would invite their families and friends to come and it was a pretty hot ticket. There were plenty of pancakes, plenty of bacon and lord, lots of good pies as well!"

The couple says they are excited to celebrate, giving the opportunity for the congregation to share their own individual Shrove Tuesday.

"It's just a fun time to enjoy yourselves and just have some fun with the pictures," Bell added.

Pancakes prepared for a Shrove Tuesday dinner. March 1, 2022. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Dillabough says donations from the event will go towards supporting the sponsorship of refugees from the Middle East, with St. Paul's Church part of the Agape Refugee Sponsorship Group along with three other local churches.

"The four churches together have sponsored several families who have arrived and have settled here in Brockville and they are all doing very well," Dillabough said.

"Unfortunately we were waiting for some folks that had put their applications in before COVID, and when COVID hit, all of that shut down. Then, priority was given to other refugees," she added. "We're hoping to raise the money to help them settle here in Brockville soon."

While the contest is open only for nearby residents, anyone can make a donation to the cause.

"Hoping for a good turnout and really hoping that people have fun with (the contest)," Dillabough said. "We are all going to have a good meal, we're going to feel our connection with each other, and were going to give some money to support a good cause."

"I just hope everybody would join in with us, whether you belong to our church or not," added Bell.