Written By Olena Riznyk
LUCAN – The Lucan Fire Hall was packed for the return of the Lucan Firefighter’s Breakfast on May 3, as families, neighbours and long-time regulars gathered for one of the community’s longest-running local traditions.
From early morning, volunteers kept plates moving out of the kitchen while visitors filled nearly every table inside the hall, many staying long after breakfast to talk with friends and neighbours.
Fire Chief Ron DeBrouwer said the event usually brings in around 1,100 people during the spring breakfast and another 1,000 at the fall event later in the year. “It’s become a real social event for a lot of people,” DeBrouwer said. “You see a lot of people that are done their meal and talking.”
The breakfast has been running for at least 20 years. DeBrouwer said it began after the Lucan Fair ended. In earlier years, firefighters received proceeds from parking during the fair before eventually starting the breakfast fundraiser themselves. “We started a breakfast, and this is what we use to raise money for the community,” he said.
Money raised through the event goes back into local projects and equipment. DeBrouwer said money raised through the breakfast has helped pay for community projects, including a defibrillator for one of the local parks and soccer nets for the new soccer field.
The breakfast itself is a major operation involving firefighters, volunteers and students from the local high school. Alongside approximately 24 firefighters, another 10 to 15 students volunteer their time during the weekend.
Preparing for the event takes several days. “We spend all day Saturday getting everything ready,” DeBrouwer said. “Then we have the day here, and then it’s another day cleaning up after and putting everything away.”
Despite serving more than 1,000 people, he said the team now knows the routine well after years of experience. “We’ve done it so many times. It’s pretty easy now,” he said. “Everybody knows their job.”
This year’s menu included pancakes, eggs, sausage, ham and home fries, with takeout also available.
While some people travel from surrounding communities, he said most visitors are repeat guests from Lucan and nearby areas who return year after year.
By late morning, the crowd inside the fire hall had barely slowed. Families continued arriving, volunteers kept food moving out of the kitchen, and conversations carried across nearly every table in the room.
“We appreciate the way the town supports us,” DeBrouwer said. “We try and put everything back into the town.”
