Pubnico community makes sure Annis and David’s gingerbread house tradition lives on
The subject of the gingerbread house came up and they both agreed that the tradition would be difficult for David to handle alone.
D’Entremont suggested the society could help.
“I said, ‘look, if the family wants us to, we can use the gingerbread house and do everything exactly the way they did it.’”
The family was very pleased by the offer but had one request – that Annis’s recipe be used to make the gingerbread cookies.
So D’Entremont put a call out for volunteers to bake the gingerbread cookies, posting it on social media around 8 a.m.
“By noon time I had offers to bake over 2,000 cookies. You should see my freezer,” she says.
David still had about 80 or 90 material bags that people had returned after children ate the treats, but more were needed.
Some of d’Entremont’s friends are good seamstresses and they started stitching.
The final count was 503 bags, with 447 bags stuffed with chocolates and chips, and cookies ready to add from the freezer. During the month of December youngsters with their parents are invited to visit the gingerbread house and receive a treat bag.
In addition to arrangements for the gingerbread house, the society worked towards having a Christmas tree for the community in front of the rectory next to St. Peter’s Church in West Pubnico.
“The tree was donated by 86-yearold Sonny Morton, who used to own a Christmas tree farm,” says d’Entremont. “He was as proud as a peacock.”
David was asked to light the Christmas tree. The lighting will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., weather permitting.
Annis’s kindness will be a sweet memory for those who knew her.
“Her tradition is going to live on, let me tell you. The community’s not letting that go,” said d’Entremont.