What started as a practical joke between two buddies on Esson Lake has morphed into a new tradition that Norm DeMelo and Billy McKenzie say will support worthy causes across Haliburton County.
The pair joined forces back in March for an impromptu ice out contest, inviting other lakefront residents to guess what day the last shard of ice dissolved into the water.
Initially, the competition was to be for bragging rights, until DeMelo upped the ante.
“Billy is a guy on our lake who is always posting on [social media] about smoking briskets and pulled porks – so I volunteered him, saying Billy can cook something for the winner,” DeMelo said.
That piqued people’s interest, with more than 40 cottagers participating. Each of them donated at least $10 per guess, raising $500, with the funds to be donated to Central Food Network in Highlands East.
DeMelo said his wife, Allison, volunteers at the Wilberforce food bank and pitched doing something to help the organization in its time of need.
CFN’s executive director, Tina Jackson, recently told The Highlander that her operation is recording approximately 100 extra monthly visits now compared to prepandemic levels. Last year, CFN saw 4,128 visits to its food banks in Wilberforce and Cardiff, averaging 343 stops per month.
“Alison knows all about the demand and how demand has increased so much over the past couple of years,” DeMelo said. “She did her own swim marathon last year, where she asked people to donate and she’d add some distance to her swim. She did 10 kilometres open water swimming – people donated canned goods and other food. We were able to donate two big boxes of food last summer.”
McKenzie said he’s not one to shy away from a challenge, so, after being put on the spot by DeMelo, gladly obliged. He already has an action plan for a 20-pound brisket he’ll cook for the contest’s winner, Chrissy Mackintosh, who was one of three people to guess April 22.
“It will take about 17 hours. It will be seasoned with Billy’s secret rub, AKA ‘Billy’s Love’ and it will be smoked at 225 degrees Fahrenheit over charcoal and applewood,” said Sara Presson, McKenzie’s partner.
DeMelo has agreed to kick in a case of beer, while Mackintosh has invited the two men and their families to enjoy the brisket with them when it’s cooked this summer.
McKenzie, a cottager on the lake who lives full-time in Oshawa, said the contest has helped bring the Esson Lake community closer together. He’s never met DeMelo or Mackintosh in-person but is excited about forming new connections.
Presson said she hopes this will be the first year of many for the ice out competition.
“We think it would be a great tradition – it doesn’t take much time or energy, and it helps our community,” she said.
DeMelo added, “it’s just something fun to get people talking and excited about summer. It’s also about bringing awareness to CFN, our food banks, and the great work they do.”
