December 2023
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we needed to do; to look<br />
out at the fire and share in<br />
memories of him as we also<br />
let part of him go. Ashes to<br />
ashes and all that. It meant<br />
a lot.”<br />
The pride in their craftsmanship<br />
has been apparent for<br />
two and a half decades, and<br />
the tradition is continuing<br />
on through younger members<br />
of both families. Harri<br />
Tran (24), Alexander Pugh<br />
(19), Ethan Pugh (16), Jacob<br />
Duplessis (16), Andrew Laiche<br />
(5), and Audrey Laiche<br />
(4) aim to carry on the proverbial<br />
torch of culture and<br />
creativity.<br />
sauce piquant, free to any<br />
and everyone who happens<br />
by (but they wouldn’t<br />
say no to any other holiday<br />
delights people feel like<br />
bringing), and they remind<br />
each other of the many cars<br />
they’ve heard screeching to<br />
a halt along Hwy. 74 when<br />
the lighting begins on New<br />
Year’s Eve at 8:00.<br />
There’s a huge fireworks<br />
display in a separate area,<br />
and the bonfire lighting<br />
is carried out under the<br />
strictest of safety measures<br />
including barricaded areas,<br />
plenty of on-site help to supervise<br />
every aspect of the<br />
burn, and tons of water on<br />
standby.<br />
What makes the bonfires<br />
an even greater spectacle<br />
is that anyone is welcome<br />
to stop by. The more the<br />
merrier. They tell me that<br />
each year, visitor numbers<br />
grow in size, and it’s not unusual<br />
for 200 or even 300<br />
people to view the bonfire.<br />
They cook a gumbo and a<br />
LMR | DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong> Page 17
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