Bellemare Community BBQ blessed by great weather

The Eastender, July 6, 2009

By Fred Sherwin

Residents from Beacon Hill, Rothwell Heights, Cyrville and Pineview turned out in droves on June 28 to take part in Michel Bellemare’s 5th Annual Community BBQ and Family Fun Day in the parking lot of the Gloucester Centre Mall.

While free hot dogs and children’s rides were a huge drawing card, it was the brilliant sunshine and near perfect weather which contributed to bringing in a record number of participants.

Although the line-ups were long for just about everything, it didn`t seem to bother anyone as most people were genuinely grateful for the community oriented event “It’s a little hot and the lineups are a

little long, but hey, it’s free so it’s hard to complain,” said Danvil Castillo who lives nearby.

Organizers of the event estimate that more than 5,000 people dropped by the BBQ, surpassing last year`s total by a few hundred.

“The weather’s been awesome. Every year we seem to get more and more people coming out. It’s great,” the event host, Beacon Hill-Cyrville Ward Coun. Michel Bellemare said during a break in the action. Besides the free hot dogs and kids rides, there was also live entertainment, pony rides and face painting.

New this year was a display by Vader`s 501st Legion, an Ottawa-based group of Star Wars costume enthusiasts. Members dressed up as stormtroopers, biker scouts, Imperial officers, Sith Lords and Tie Pilots, posed for photos with young and old alike.

Bellemare even got into the act, at one time donning a clone trooper helmet to pose with a Jedi Knight.

“Those things are really cool they’re all hand-made the helmet even had a built-in fan,” said Bellemare who was obviously impressed by the authenticity of the group’s costumes.

Other attractions included an activity table furnished by the Mad Science Show, the Ottawa Fire Services fire prevention trailer and Operation Identification.

Enbridge Gas handed out free hot dogs to the first 3,000 people.

There was also a raffle with the proceeds benefitting the Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard and the Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre. Among the prizes was a Via train trips, an IPOD courtesy of Future Shop, a digital camera courtesy of Zellers (Centre Gloucester Centre), and an IPOD Touch courtesy of Best Buy.

The event is made possible thanks to the support of dozens of local businesses including Sterling Ford, the Future Shop, Pine View, Richcraft, Louis`Steak House, Best Buy and S.G. Printing.