Nova Scotians step up to ensure everyone has a Christmas meal

With a storm on the way that could bring power outages and travel disruptions to the province, Christmas dinner may look different for some Nova Scotians this year. 

But there are a number of ways people who aren't able to access Christmas dinner can still partake in a festive meal.

At a time when people are struggling with the cost of food, many organizations are also offering meals to ensure that everyone has something to eat on Christmas Day. 

In Halifax, several places are offering meals through the Christmas weekend, including Soul's Harbour Rescue Mission, which is offering dinner on Dec. 24, and Hope Cottage, which will be offering Christmas meals on Dec. 23 and 26. 

In Spryfield, the Stella Maris Parish Church Hall is hosting a Kairos Blessings Community Christmas Dinner

Restaurants offering free meals in Halifax, Dartmouth

For those who aren't looking to go out, there are ways to have a Christmas meal provided at home. 

Partnering with the Rotary Club of Dartmouth, Stagger's Pub is offering deliveries of free Christmas dinners for those who place orders by Friday. The pub also offers a sit-down turkey dinner on Christmas Day.  

Another Dartmouth business, Jamieson's Pub, is offering free take-out Christmas dinners for those who've registered ahead, and in Halifax, Mary's African Cuisine will be offering free midday holiday meals until supplies run out. 

In some places, families have stepped up to provide meals to others in their communities. 

Tremaine Bower runs a small farm in Antigonish County. This year, his family assembled boxes of food, mostly from their own farm, to help out community members who couldn't afford Christmas dinners. 

"We have four kids, and I couldn't imagine waking up with nothing to eat on Christmas. So we decided that we would try to help others, as many families as we could, with some of our products."

Bower put a post on social media asking people who needed ingredients for Christmas dinner to reach out, and ended up providing boxes containing a chicken, stuffing, vegetables and a tin of chocolate to seven families. 

"It's a good feeling though, and you can help other people. Especially, you know, it's good for kids to see and I hope that they continue to do that, and I hope other people kind of chip in and do the same every year to make things a lot easier for everyone."

'There's a greater need'

In New Glasgow, a network of volunteers spent Friday delivering free Christmas meals to seniors and low-income households. In an initiative Courtney Comeau started three years ago, people donate money to sponsor Christmas meals  for people in need from the New Glasgow catering business Pantry Kitchen. This year, people donated 252 meals, Comeau said. 

"There's a greater need this year for sure. The cost of everything, food and gas and heat and all that. So people are just doing what they can. And there's a lot of people that want to give back to the community, as I've seen, and this is the way that they really, truly feel helpful."

Several other events are happening to help people this Christmas, including community dinners in Amherst, Wolfville, Yarmouth and New Glasgow. 

Barbecue could save the day

Expense isn't the only thing standing in the way of people's Christmas dinner plans this year.

With high winds in the forecast, power outages are likely to affect many parts of the province over the weekend. 

For those who are worrying what the storm could mean for their plans to cook a turkey, the chair of Turkey Farmers of Nova Scotia said people need not depend on the oven. 

"The main thing I would tell someone if you're going to barbecue a turkey is to be on the safe side and use a meat thermometer," said Steven Eadie. "As long as you've got an internal temperature of 180 degrees, it's safe to eat."

Eadie said turkey can be cooked on the barbecue in much the same way as it's typically prepared.

"You put it on a tray, and you want to put some moisture, or some vegetables. The biggest thing is to keep an eye on the temperature," Eadie said. "Just don't walk away, the same as the oven."