It seems like most communities in southeast Saskatchewan, regardless of the size, have a restaurant that they’re known for.
I won’t get into listing them all; I’ll forget somebody who deserves to be on the list of great restaurants in southeast Saskatchewan.
In Forget, that restaurant was The Happy Nun Café. And I’m not sure there was a restaurant that meant more to a community in our region than the Nun. After all, Forget is a community of a few dozen residents, 56 to be exact, according to the last census. Yet it had the Happy Nun.
It wasn’t just a restaurant with great food. It earned a reputation as a tourist attraction, winning a Tourism Saskatchewan Award of Excellence in 2019. And it won the Saskatchewan Country Music Association’s Award for top venue the past three years.
Talented Saskatchewan musicians wanted to play there. It was a place that offered great open mic nights. But as former Saskatchewanderer Zane Buchanan said, it was an art gallery, a library and a museum, because of the art on the walls and the books that chronicled the building’s rich history.
In a relatively short amount of time – it initially opened in 2007 – it became known as one of those places so many people wanted to visit. When you went to the Happy Nun, you knew were in for a treat.
I only made it once. I’d always wanted to take my folks there. The opportunity presented itself in 2020. Weeks after the pandemic-related lockdown came to an end, the Happy Nun was able to start hosting concerts again. Former Estevan resident Chris Henderson was playing.
Chris is an old friend, and I thought mom and dad might enjoy hearing an Estevan guy perform in a great venue, while enjoying brisket and a good Saskatchewan beverage. As a bonus, Chris used to teach at Fillmore Central School, which is where mom went to high school.
The night delivered on all fronts. And I knew that if the opportunity presented itself for mom and dad to have supper there again, they would enjoy it again, regardless of whether the musician is an old friend or not.
The business took pride in sourcing as much of its food and drinks as possible from Saskatchewan companies. It might mean that you have to pay a little more, but I’ll always pay for quality local products, and I know I’m not the only one.
The Happy Nun burned down on Thursday night. It was absolutely gutting to hear that this southeast Saskatchewan institution was on fire, and I felt worse when I found out it was gone. I thought about the loss of this cool old building, the loss of the artwork and the books, the loss of all the history. I thought about how much work the present owners, Leon and Gayla Gilbertson, had put into it, and the effort that previous owners had dedicated to making it a must-stop for foodies and music lovers.
I thought about the adversity that this business has gone through. The previous owner, Katie Vinge-Riddell, died in a tragic vehicle collision in 2017. The Gilbertsons purchased the business and reopened it in 2018. Then COVID-19 hit. Now that they can serve meals and host entertainment without restrictions, the fire strikes.
When the fire happened, I did think of the Moosehead Inn, another beloved southeast Saskatchewan restaurant that was destroyed by fire last year, and a place that generated such fond memories for so many people.
In the case of both the Moosehead and the Happy Nun, the owners and staff had so much pride in their businesses.
The restaurant business is not an easy one, especially in the days of the internet. You can have a series of glowing reviews, but one negative comment seemingly carries so much more weight than constant praise. And to the critics, because they had one negative experience, everyone’s experience should be or will be awful.
I’ve never heard anyone say a negative thing about the Happy Nun, the service or the people who ran it. But when you put so much pride into your business, its services and keeping people happy, criticism is difficult to hear.
As long as it’s not there, people are going to miss it, whether it’s the people who live in Forget, the visitors from elsewhere who ventured off the beaten path for a meal, the music lovers who enjoyed the concerts, or the musicians who performed there.
And that’s a testament to everyone who helped make the Happy Nun an experience you won’t forget.
