Thousands of people poured into the Six Nations arena Monday as pent-up demand for tradition, socializing and an annual gift of bread and cheese almost overwhelmed organizers of the event.
Participants had to park up to a kilometer away from the arena and elected Chief Mark Hill said the flow through the arena included at least 5,000 people, causing the cheese portion of the event to run out.
“The most beautiful part of the scene was just seeing everybody,” said Hill.
After two years of the traditional event being sidelined by the pandemic and a long winter, people seemed anxious to mingle again, enjoying visits with acquaintances and lining up for midway rides, caramel corn and funnel cakes on the nearby sports field.
“The last two years have been a challenge and a tough time for all of our families and the community at large,” said Hill. “This is a celebration that brings us together and focuses on how we protect each other.”
While many in line wore masks, they weren’t mandatory.
Spaced out tables in the arena allowed organizers with a huge team of volunteers that included band politicians, to quickly disperse the food as the flood of people passed through. Chairs were set up to allow elders to sit or for some to immediately pause to enjoy the fresh gifts.
But the elected council also worked to prioritize those community elders, who have been hit by COVID-19 or were still hesitant about being in crowds.
“The first year we delivered the bread and cheese to each home and the second year we did a drive-through,” said Hill.
“This year we did a new thing. Some of our seniors have health or mobility issues so we maintained some deliveries and did over 1,200 deliveries, along with what you see here.”
That required a boost to funding for the event, with council opting to dip into its Ottawa trust fund, one of three trust funds overseen by council, to cover events, which have expanded to include a competitive run, named after Tom Longboat, some track and field events and fireworks set off Sunday night.
Along with the bread and cheese giveaway, which is a tradition that harks back to the days of Queen Victoria when she gave out blankets on her birthday to thank the people of Six Nations for their help in winning the War of 1812.
After her death, the practice ended but the elected council opted to restart it in 1924 with bread and cheese.
For David and Marie LaForce, who live off-reserve, Bread and Cheese Day has always been a way to get back and see friends.
“We’ve missed seeing people for the last two years,” said David LaForce.
“I was surprised at how big the crowd was today because you don’t know, with the pandemic, what people are going to do.”
Another man, who was leaving the arena with his children and a large bag of cheese chunks and bread, said attending Bread and Cheese Day has always been a family tradition.
“We’ve missed it over the last couple of years and now we’re going home to make grilled cheese sandwiches.”
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