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Yellowknife man rejoices after week-long chicken burger 'famine' ends

Food prices can be hard to afford in some parts of the North. That's why this Yellowknife man clung onto his $5 chicken burger lunch at the local grocery store — until it disappeared last week.

'Five-dollar Chicken Burger News was sort of founded in a time of crisis,' says Elijah Forget

CBC News ·
Elijah Forget, who also goes by self-proclaimed reporter pen-name Chuck Hickenburger of Five-dollar Chicken Burger News, was horrified after his cheap northern lunch disappeared off the hot counter menu at the local grocery store. This week, it came back to his satisfaction. (John Last/CBC)

When Yellowknife's Elijah Forget saw that his beloved lunch staple — the five-dollar chicken burger — was out of stock at the local grocery store, he was horrified.

"At first we didn't want to panic or to cause a panic," said Forget, a loyal lunch-time customer at the downtown Glen's Your Independent Grocer.

"We assumed this would be a short-term shortage. But as the week went on we began to hear a lot of concerns from residents that this might be something more long-term — possibly with no end in sight."

The hot food is a hidden gem in Yellowknife's downtown lunch scene with often unsustainable prices, said Forget. 

The love affair started four months ago when the public servant said he was complaining to a friend about the high restaurant food prices in the city.

The burger doesn't use a processed meat patty and is a full piece of boneless, chicken breast, says Forget. A side is included in the five-dollar deal. (John Last/CBC)

"It's quite expensive to buy food in the North, especially so if you're eating out." 

Some residents were comparing this famine and its severity and its impact to the time the KFC closed.- Elijah Forget, loves the $5 chicken burger

This led him to find what he calls an "amazing deal" of a chicken burger with sides, all for the price of a blue Canadian bill.

Last week, the item disappeared off the store's hot food counter.

$5 Chicken Burger News is born

Forget's love for the particular meal shines when he describes it: 

"It doesn't use a processed meat patty ... We saw some fake news reports about meat glue," he explained. "I was quick to correct those with a bit of fact-checking. It's actually a full piece of boneless, chicken breast."

The burger is more on par with the kind you see at fancy restaurants, he added.

People line up at the hot food stand at Glen's Your Independent Grocer in downtown Yellowknife. This is where the affordable chicken burger lunch is sold. (John Last/CBC)

So it's not a surprise that Forget made it his mission to report the comings and goings of the affordable lunch. He began penning reports as Chuck Hickenburger on a popular Yellowknife foodies Facebook group about the proceedings of the missing burger.

"Five-dollar Chicken Burger News was sort of founded in a time of crisis," said the self-proclaimed founder, news director and on-location journalist at Five-dollar Chicken Burger News. Forget said he checked almost daily for the latest updates.

"Some residents were comparing this famine and its severity and its impact to the time the KFC closed."

'I felt a mixture of emotions certainly — a vindication, victory, satisfying certainly,' says Forget after the burger made a comeback earlier this week. (John Last/CBC)

On Friday, at a scrum with two CBC reporters, Forget reacted to some breaking chicken burger news — the burger was back on the menu after a week of the reporter's lamenting.

"I felt a mixture of emotions certainly — a vindication, victory, satisfying certainly ... I'm sure for a lot of other residents as well."

Forget said he'll continue to post news of his favourite affordable lunch.

With files from Emily Blake, John Last

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