Open house at Pontiac Meats draws happy visitors

Nikki Buechler 

Abattoir les Viandes du Pontiac held an open house inviting the public to sample their new line of sausages, June 11. The parking area was full of local vendors and activities, including a petting zoo, and horse rides for kids. The 4-H club was on hand, allowing visitors to snuggle with Lionhead bunnies and enjoy a selection of ice cream treats. There were sheep and miniature horses, as well as bigger horses to ride. “We asked the staff to help out, bring their animals to entertain people, and we’ve had a really positive response,” beamed Erin Dittburner, an Abattoir manager and event organizer. 

Gilles Langlois, one of the proprietors, was busy tending the barbeque, cooking up sausages for visitors to try. The samples he was providing were so popular he was having trouble keeping up with demand. “These are new; we’re making sausages in-house, and we wanted to get some feedback from people,” explained Dittburner. Visitors were encouraged to provide comments, but there were some immediate indicators of customer sentiment: “There is a line-up to get inside the office to place orders right now, and we’ve been consistently busy since we opened at 9 am,” she said.

Abattoir owners are planning more festivities this year. “This has been really successful,” said Dittburner. “We had a fantastic response from the community, and I’d like to see if we can do a couple more events like this before the end of the summer.” 

Photo credit: Nikki Buechler

Photo caption: 4-H Club volunteers hold Lionhead rabbits for visitors to pet. (Back row from left: Tyson Childs, Rebecca Stephens, Ben Judd. Front: Olivia Judd.