If you attended the Greely Winter Carnival on Sunday morning, you had the honour of being served by some of the most involved people in the community. From left: Paul Elford, Greely Lions Club, George Darouze, Osgoode councillor, Isabelle Skalski, Greely Community Association president, David Eggett, Greely Lions Club president, Doug Thompson, Greely Lions Club and Greely Community Association board member.  Tinkess Photo

GREELY  – The unpredictability of the weather has made it difficult to plan a winter carnival in the past few years, but some groups like the Greely Community Association have figured out that you don’t have to rely on outdoor events to have a great time.

That was evident last weekend as several community groups joined together to make sure that everyone enjoyed themselves.

Isabelle Skalski is the president of the Greely Community Association (GCA), and she was busy on the serving line Sunday morning, helping to make sure that everyone who came out for brunch went back to their seat with a very full plate.

“It would be nice if the weather would cooperate,” said Skalski, “but we know you can still have a good time without the outdoor activities. It’s just nice to give people a chance to get together, especially in winter when you become somewhat isolated.”

People seemed happy to have a chance to sit down and talk with each other on Sunday morning. In addition to the excellent brunch, there were balloons for the kids, and the Vernon Ukulele Players provided musical entertainment. The Greely Lions handled the cooking with all proceeds going to the Greely Community Association.

The First Greely Scouts were also on hand, selling Elephant Ears and other assorted items as a fundraiser for a trip to the World Jamboree in Iceland in July.

On Saturday, there was the Firefighter’s Pancake Breakfast and a magic show, while earlier in the week there was square-dancing on Thursday, a Youth Dance on Friday, and the very popular adult night out buffet dinner, comedy show, and late-night entertainment.

Ottawa Councillor for Osgoode Ward and Lions Club Fundraising Chair George Darouze makes a point of getting to as many local events as possible, because he believes that a community is what you make of it. “When I first moved here, I discovered how active a community it was. It’s easy to become involved.”

There are probably some Greely Community Association members thinking about next year and how to make it even better. The weather, though, won’t be a concern because they know the big attraction is the people.