Food is a big part of anyone’s quality of life. Today let’s meet someone who plays an important role in planning, preparing and serving healthy meals in Dawson City.
Brian works as a cook at McDonald lodge. He also contributes to food served at the local Meals on Wheels program and at Dawson City Community Hospital.
Let’s learn about his culinary role with the Government of Yukon.
How long have you worked as a cook here at McDonald lodge?
I have worked here just over seven years.
Could you take us through a typical day? What are your responsibilities here?
I mostly work as the second cook. Or we sometimes call it hospital cook. I start it at 10 am.
When I come in, I touch base with the 7am cook, and make a game plan for the day. What are we serving for lunch? We work together to help to get the lunch together then I take care of the hospital and our Meals on Wheels program.
And then also prepare the evening meal.
Could you tell us about the quality of the ingredients you're working with? People might have questions about Dawson City. What's available?
We order our supplies through a grocery company which comes up from Edmonton. We get our order once a week. We do shop locally as well.
We shop at one of the local grocery stores and when we can we do receive local-grown produce.
The quality of the fruit and vegetables is very good.
Could you tell us about the team here? What kind of group are you working with?
It's a small group in the kitchen. Right now there's about four of us that that are working. We work rotating shifts: Basically there's a cook in the kitchen from 7a.m. till 6pm. Everyone has days off and we cover the schedules working eight-hour shifts here in Dawson.
You have worked in restaurants before. How is it different working in the public service and within continuing care?
For me personally, it was getting a little old working in the restaurants and I just thought this was a healthy change for me personally. That is what attracted me to doing this now.
The pace is nice. It suits me well. And I enjoy the social aspect of it.
It can be sort of a relaxing atmosphere working with my co-cooks and also speaking with with residents. I enjoy that that part very much.
I speak to the residents daily to see if they like variations.
Sometimes they have restrictions that we work with, which is very important.
