By Emily Stonehouse

In a time where consuming Canadian is of the utmost importance, Shawn Chamberlin of the Dominion Hotel has just the thing: Hell of a Burg.

The unique offering from the oldest establishment in the county is a part of February’s Burger-It-Forward, a nation-wide initiative focused on raising money for food banks across Canada. The Dominion is one of 200 fellow restaurants across the nation, and has participated in the campaign for the past three years.

“I think we have some momentum on it now,” said Chamberlin. “It was a little slow before, but people are starting to recognize it. But it always takes a little time to get things off the ground.”

The program is put on by Canada Beef and the provincial cattle associations, and for every Hell of a Burg purchased during February, Canada Beef will donate the equivalent of one meal to Food Banks Canada, up to a maximum of 20,000 meals.

While the partnering organization is providing relief on a national scale, Chamberlin wants to give back at a local level, as well. “The Dominion Hotel will match this amount in a cash donation to our local food bank,” said Chamberlin.

The custom Dominion offering is an eight ounce Canadian Beef patty topped with cheddar cheese, back bacon, jalapeños, pickles, red onion, tomato slice, lettuce and chipotle barbecue sauce, served on a toasted sesame seed bun. “We are always using Ontario beef,” said Chamberlin. “We’re as close to using all Canadian as you can possibly get.”

The special burger will be available for the month of February, at the Dominion Hotel in Minden. “It’s a great way to bring people together, and have a little fun,” said Chamberlin. “Plus, anything we can do for our community is a good thing. And this is a great cause.”