Skip to main content

Children's Christmas Party 2014



After a busy night at the Festival
For the first time since 2009 KMHC tenants were invited to UNH’s Children Christmas Party held at Festival Banquet Centre and I signed up for the event.  For many years I worked at the Festival and have fond memories of the building and the people I worked with at the time.  The owner and boss Albert Finnen and I got along great and we still greet each other when our paths cross.  Weddings, Christmas events, and birthdays we handled them all. It can get very chaotic and I knew better not to go in the kitchen during food preparation and serving time. My job description varied from concierge, doorman/bouncer by greeting the guests as they entered the front entrance, helped with directions, patrol and ensure building security and safety for all guests.  I came up with the idea to wear a tuxedo while at work and the boss approved.  Because Albert managed the kitchen full time I kept things running smoothly in front of the building. :)
Christmas Party 2014 – At noon on Saturday when our group of tenants arrived at the hall I quickly found a good table so we can see and hear everything.  Howie, Janis, Teresa, Sandra, Linda and I shared great dinner conversation and laughs about past tenants, our wild and crazy younger days and I shared some history about the Festival Banquet Centre.  The menu was simple and basic we were served salad, pasta, turkey, roast potatoes and carrots but no dessert, unless you want to count cookies as dessert. Congratulations to tenant Janice she was one of the guests who sat at our table and won a door prize.   
Since this party was for the native children it was nice to see their happy faces and jumping around when Santa arrived and gave out the gifts.  I think native children are so adorable.
A thank you to Valerie Williams for retrieving my gloves, I was also impressed with UNH’s staff and board members being open and free to express themselves with holiday cheer and be unrestricted by UNH’s policy.  With the exception of UNH’s Director Janis Lewis Deeley she ignored me the whole time and that’s fine I wouldn’t have expected anything less from her. :P
Revisiting the Festival has changed, the building has aged gracefully and many staff members have moved on but I’m glad to see Maria, Roz, and Albert still carrying on the tradition. Before I left I went to the kitchen and wished everybody a Merry Christmas.  :)


Merry Christmas Bloggers.  :)

Comments

Tony King said…
Drat! I found out this afternoon the Festival Banquet hall will be closed for good after the New Year. The owner has sold it to make way for condominiums. :(
December 8, 2014 at 1:44:00 PM EST
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poor Working Environment

My unit is located near the KMHC office, along with a friendly wave or hello I see the junior staff going about their business in a cheerful manner with the exception of one employee.   You would think KMHC has a pleasant working environment but that is not the case.   March 2016 is when Urban Native Homes head office was forced to move from their former spacious location to the cramp basement level of KMHC.   There were approx. 8-10 staff members at the time.   Then the Urban Native Homes financial scandal broke out and soon after the current UNH acting director’s illicit past became public knowledge, everyone was worried will they have a job.  Fearful meetings going on in the community room, the rumor mill was in full rotation while I just stood back and observed the panic.   Check your search engine it states this building location is Urban Native Homes head office yet that is not correct.  There is no real head office, the organization has s...
110 comments
Read more

The Passing of Dean King

There's not many original KMHC tenants left that I know, last week I got word tenant Dean King passed away, we were not related and I remember when he moved in the building we got along well, we hung out often and he shared stories about his life and family. Eventually I notice he wasn't the sharpest pencil in the drawer and I started drifting away thus ended our friendship. Dean didn't have the usual addictions most male aboriginals endure he didn't drink or do drugs the problem was his mental state which I believe began after an auto accident years before.  After I moved out of KMHC I'd often see him standing in line at the food bank in Gore Park in downtown Hamilton or hanging out with street friend Galina in Jackson Square food court. He didn't have many friends and other KMHC tenants just tolerated and accepted his strange behavior. He'd walk the streets looking disheveled and lost.  When I received the news Dean died I didn't feel sad I felt surpri...
1 comment
Read more

Sandy Holland

On February 27th 2025 I heard the passing of tenant Elder Sandy Holland. I knew she was in bad health and said to her friend she's ready to go.  I met her years ago when she moved to KMHC she seem a bit daffy yet in a nice way, never spoke mean about others but had strong opinions about UNH staff. We would meet at UNH dinner functions and meetings and always offered me hug. She never got personal sharing her life stories with me which I can respect. RIP 
1 comment
Read more