Saving Christmas, one meal at a time

You could say that Paul Shubin is an iconic character in the neighborhood. For good reason, for more than 25 years, he has been organizing the NDG Christmas Dinner, a Christmas dinner that has been taking place for forty years in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Despite his legendary affability, the endearing Mr. Shubin refuses to be photographed. He's really unpretentious. “There's no meeting, no boss, no organization, nothing,” he said. The event is spectacular and puts everyone on an equal footing. COVID-19 obliges, the last edition of this Christmas dinner took place on December 25, 2019. On this occasion, 1,100 meals were served in the hall of Saint Ignatius of Loyola Church.

Here, we don't count. The guests are seated and served, without having to justify their presence. “It is a major event in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce,” says Mr. Shubin of the event, which is funded through donations from the community. Legend has it that this dinner has existed for 40 years, but in reality, there is no official record of the first editions.

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“And if you saw the demographics of the guests, you would realize that it's not meant for anyone in particular, but it's for everyone,” he adds. Anyone who wants and can come is welcome, as Mr. Shubin explains, referring to seniors, those who don't want to cook, single people, families and people living in precariousness. “We don't ask any questions, we don't ask who needs them.” Children are also welcome, and gifts await them.

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“In reality, Santa Claus is Jewish,” says Mr. Shubin, who himself also celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas as a family. It was about 27 years ago — Mr. Shubin is not sure — that he found himself helping out for the first time at this Christmas dinner, as volunteers withdrew at the last minute. “And my late wife, I don't remember why, said she was going to take it up again. She dragged me into the kitchen,” he recalls. Over time, he decided to do more, so much so that this has been going on for almost 30 years. His own children, who are now in their thirties and who live just steps away from Mr. Shubin's house, grew up revolving around the event.

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“My kids were going to play with the others,” he said. When they got old, they went to help out in the kitchen. The elder, James, is now responsible for a mythical sauce, which he prepares himself on site.

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‍Volunteering in the community

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Every year, many of them are involved in organizing the Christmas dinner. First, volunteers volunteered to cook a turkey, which they brought to the church on December 24. They are cut up there, while the rest of the feast—stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables and sauce—is cooked on site, at Saint-Ignace's Church, by a dozen cooks in the kitchen. Up to 50 volunteers take care of the food so that everyone is welcomed on December 25 at 1 p.m. Listening to him, you get the impression that organizing such a party is a simple pleasure. “One day in November, I don't really know when, I tell myself it's time to call the tithe givers,” he explains. Sometimes, they wait for him with a certain impatience: Mr. Shubin didn't realize he was late. “And then someone starts calling the volunteers. But it's completely organic. I don't know if that's the right word. It's done by itself, in a way.”

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‍Feeding despite COVID

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‍In 2020, for the first time, the event had to be cancelled because physical distance could not be respected. But it was only a stretch since the 2021 edition, despite major adjustments, should take place. “We said to ourselves that we had to do something. We are limited though. We could have easily not done it, but that's not our style,” Mr. Shubin continues. This year, it was 150 take-out meals that the Christmas dinner volunteers planned to distribute. “Because there's no way to have an army of people to peel and cut vegetables, we're going to cheat with a distribution,” he says of the idea, suggested by a friend who volunteers for the event and is a chef by profession.

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In the kitchen of his century-old home, where he has lived for 38 years, Mr. Shubin was getting ready with his sidekicks to pack meals on December 25. The food, cooked in advance, promises to be just as delicious, assures us our chef. Following the rise of cases of COVID-19, plans have just changed. Without being able to meet, the whole turkeys and the accompaniments prepared by the volunteers will be given to families by the NDG Community Council, a non-profit organization in the neighborhood, which will be distributing on December 25. “It is not our business to investigate people's personal needs. We are there to serve a meal no matter the situation,” said Mr. Shubin. Every year, leftovers are brought to Mission Bon Accueil on December 26.

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As always, no food will go to waste. During our meeting, Mr. Shubin's landline and cell phone rang several times. They are cooks who give and take news. Paul Shubin hopes that Christmas dinner can relive next year in its original form. “It's a lot of fun, and it keeps me young,” he says. “I love it, I've been an event coordinator all my life,” says the man, who has also been a writer, translator and editor. The rest of the year, Mr. Shubin doesn't seem to be too bored. “I made a ton of spaghetti sauce this fall. I got carried away, I made 42 jars of it!

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I went for a walk down the street to give some to the neighbours,” he said. The same scenario happened with canned vegetables and apple sauce. “I can't eat all that! ” says the man who has lived alone since the death of his wife, who died of cancer last January. Why do so much, she is asked. “Because it's fun to do and to give.”

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Do you know any other Santas? Initiatives for single people? Let us know in the comments so we can talk about it.