Thanksgiving dinner: Ottawa Mission serves over 17,000 Thanksgiving meals [Video]

The Ottawa Mission continued in its tradition of serving thousands of Thanksgiving meals to residents in need this year.

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The Mission reported it served a total of 17,257 meals the week leading up to the holiday. About 2,800 of those meals were served on Monday alone at its yearly Thanksgiving dinner.

The shelter had said it was expecting about 16,000 meals to be served.

For James Phelan, the annual Ottawa Mission Thanksgiving meal is about more than just the food.

“I love it because it’s showing people that we should all be as one,” he said, getting his meal.

Chef Ric Watson started serving Thanksgiving meals last week, with the shelter’s two food trucks going to 38 low-income areas across the city. The food truck served about 14,000 meals, the Mission reported on Monday.

Watson …