124 Street meat shop launches tongue-in-cheek campaign
An Edmonton food store is hosting a tongue-in-cheek fundraiser and awareness campaign.
Peter Keith, co-founder of Meuwly's, says the food retailer has had firefighters arrive at its doorstep at least 10 times in the past four years, including two days in a row last week, to investigate reports of a potential fire.
"Typically, we hear it when it's about to happen," Keith told CTV News Edmonton. "We come up and greet them on the street and say, 'Hey, you can stay in the truck. It's just smoke meats."
"They've always been very kind and patient and really not disruptive at all," he added. "They've been great. But they do have to come in and visually confirm there's no fire in the building."
In a statement to CTV News, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said firefighters have only responded to Meuwly's once in the last six months.
Located on the corner of 124 Street and 107 Avenue, Keith understands that for some in that area of Westmount, seeing smoke coming from an office-like-looking building can be a surprise.
"I think people just aren't prepared for the fact that that's smoked meat being prepared," he explained. "We don't think it's the best use of their (firefighters') time. We always feel guilty about it, but they've been really great to work with."
When smoking various types of meat and sausages, Keith said Meuwly's uses German beech wood. As the delicacies are prepared, the smoker vents large concentrated amounts of smoke for a few minutes at a time.
To help get the word out about the increasing visits firefighters have to the meat shop, Keith said the store is raising funds for Firefighter Aid Ukraine — a local charity supporting Ukrainian fire crews as the Russian invasion of that country continues.
Every day, a new smoked meat will be featured on the lunch menu, with a portion of the sale donated to the charity.
"It's obviously a bit of a drain on the system," he said.
"We want to make sure the firefighters are ready to go when there is a real fire and not here smelling our smoked pastrami," Keith added with a laugh.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.