Working on Christmas
Employees at different companies make sure things run smoothly over holidays
Although most people in Cape Breton were enjoying Christmas Day with their families, there were people who spread holiday cheer as they worked.
A lot of businesses were closed during the holiday, but some, like hotels and gas stations, have to remain open. Employees have rearranged their plans so they could keep things running
smoothly and help customers.
The Holiday Inn in Sydney is a business that doesn’t take a day off and two employees at the hotel were spreading Christmas tidings to their guests, despite working on the holiday.
Mary Frances Boudreau, 25,
from Whitney Pier, is the front desk agent at the Holiday Inn. She said she enjoyed Christmas a little earlier this year.
“My sister flew home from Halifax on the 23rd, so we did our Christmas and went to church
and the Highland Arts Theatre and saw ’A Christmas Carol’ and we got everything done for Christmas Eve last night,” said Boudreau, who added that although she was working during Christmas Day and the hotel wasn’t very busy, she enjoyed trying to make the holiday special for guests at the hotel.
“It was very slow today, but there are some people around and it was great that I was able to make them hot coffee and tea and breakfast before they started their celebrations with their family. To me, I enjoy working today because I can spread my Christmas cheer with people who may be visiting family or here for unwanted circumstances, and make them feel like they’re at a place like home.”
Linda Mary Sivret, 48, from Sydney, was another employee who worked at the Holiday Inn during Christmas. Sivret works in room maintenance and laundry. She said she was waiting until her shift was over for the day to celebrate Christmas.
“My daughter is 21, so she’s going to wait until I get off and we’re just going to celebrate when I get off and then we’re going to go to the in-laws and have our dinner,” said Sivret, who said she doesn’t mind working on Christmas because of the demeanour of the costumers at the hotel.
“People are a lot happier and I just love seeing that. I’m just glad to help them (during Christmas).”
Apart from hotels, gas stations were also open during Christmas. Shanna Hulford, a sales clerk at Needs Fast Fuels in Sydney, said she’s missing out on celebrating parts of the holiday this year, but is still enjoying the holiday.
“I’m actually going to miss Christmas this year but my sister is going to bring me some turkey dinner later on so I can at least have the Christmas meal and a few gifts, too,” said Sivret, who still got to enjoy time with loved ones on Christmas Eve.
“Last night I went to my uncle Jim’s and for me it was great that we had all of the family being together.”