Eganville – Maureen Haddad was dropping fish at Dickens Restaurant in Toronto nearly 30 years ago. Now, she runs a hugely successful operation treating patrons at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 353 in Eganville to wholesome meals several days a week.

The Legion has been hosting weekly suppers on Thursdays and breakfasts every second Sunday of the month to help support the branch. They only recently expanded the program to include Tuesdays thanks to its continually rising popularity.

So far, Mrs. Haddad’s suppers at the Legion have continued growing with no signs of slowing down. Her partner in crime, Branch President Dan Haddad, said the event sees visitors from all across the Valley as far as Petawawa and Barry’s Bay. “We’re getting pretty damn famous. We didn’t think that it would become as huge of a success as it has,” he said.

“Our very first night we ran out of fish. We had to run over to the grocery store to buy a crap load at their prices. There was a lineup of people here waiting.”

The following evenings would merit long waits for those who hadn’t ordered in advance, but it was well worth it to indulge in the fresh fish and chips topped with homemade coleslaw and tartar sauce.

It all started when the pair purchased a brand-new industrial deep frier for roughly $3,600 to donate to the branch in a plot to expand their weekly supper endeavors. The new equipment would amazingly earn back the money it cost within two weeks of the new program opening.

“Last Tuesday, we sold about $1,700 worth,” he said. “That’s just on the fish. Word has really spread. There was one person who said they don’t like fish. They came here and absolutely loved it.”

Branch Volunteer Bob Hewitt who helps Mrs. Haddad make the suppers, encourages others to try it to see what all the fuss is about.

“They say it’s better than out East. You can hear what we say, but you have to try it yourself. It’s full fish, seven ounces. We started off with maybe 70 fish. Then we got 80. Now we’re up to 142. Every week it’s going up. We had an hour wait to get our fish.”

Branch Manager Laura Bennett has been thrilled with the community response.

“It’s going very well and it’s a tremendous amount of people and it’s wonderful that they’re supporting the Legion that way,” she said. “It’s getting out there. People are getting to know that every Tuesday they can come in and get fish and chips. They can even order for takeout and if they want it at a specific time, we’ll have it ready for them.

“The support is just unbelievable. The community is really backing the Legion. We’ve all worked together… I think we can actually go past the summer and keep it going.”

Ladies Auxiliary Vice President Donna Dyson said the suppers have seen attendance in the triple digits thanks to the event’s rising popularity.

“It’s fun. Not easy to keep up, but I think everybody enjoys it,” she said. “It’s a very busy day. That just means they’re getting fresh fish, and they know that.”

For more piping hot meals from Mrs. Haddad and company, the following schedule of Legion suppers for July includes; July 23 – fish & chips; July 25 – turkey dinner; July 26 –BBQ; July 30 – fish & chips.

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Correction: This story previously reported that Legion Branch 353 in Eganville hosts breakfasts every second Sunday. The correct information is that the Legion hosts breakfasts every second Sunday of the month. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused our readers.