Skip to main content

Site Banner Ads

Site Search

Search

Up Here Publishing

Mobile Toggle

Utility navigation

  • Shop
  • Contact Us

Social Links

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Search Toggle

Search

Main navigation

  • Magazines
    • Latest Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Up Here Business
    • YK Guide
    • Move Up Here
  • Sections
    • People & Places
    • Arts & Lifestyle
    • History & Culture
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Nature & Science
  • Newsletters
  • Community Map
  • Contests
    • Sally Manning Award
    • Cold Snaps Photo Contest
    • Arctic Adventure Sweepstakes
  • Subscribe
    • Magazine
    • Digital Edition

A Leaning Tower of Meat

October 2015

Fort Providence's Big River Diner makes one big burger

By Herb Mathisen

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. A Leaning Tower of Meat

Sunflower seeds and soy burgers were about all my stomach had seen for the past 24 hours, so by the time we pull up to Big River Services Centre outside of Fort Providence, I need some real food. The menu arrives and I give it a quick scan. I see ‘Big River Ultimate’ burger. It includes a hotdog and bacon. That’s all I need to know and I order one. (At Big River, the last gas-up before a long stretch back to Yellowknife, you’re able to swap any beef burger patty for bison. I think about it for oh, about a millisecond, and pull the switcheroo.)

I didn’t know what I was in for. Waitress and kitchen helper Sharon Wanderingspirit carries my lunch over with two hands. The burger is nearly a foot high: two bison patties, a hotdog, bacon, onion rings, and various vegetables with a kebab skewer keeping the greasy tower from toppling over. My stomach gurgles in anticipation. (But also with apprehension.) I snap a few photos of the burger for scale, but I’m delaying because frankly I don’t know how to tackle it.

I finally hoist the burger from the plate and decide to attack it on two fronts. Big bites from the top to get the onion rings, bacon and garnish and then a meaty bite of bacon, hotdog and double bison from the bottom.

The burger has only been on the menu for a couple weeks, says Wanderingspirit in mid-June, but it’s already a popular choice. I nod. And chew. And bite. And chew. The time between bites gets longer, the chewing gets slower. Pieces of patty and toppings fall haphazardly around the plate. Eventually, I’m down to one last bite, buns stuck to the patty. It’s in my mouth. It’s down my throat. It’s done.

But I didn’t even touch my fries. Is that normal? “You’re not the first,” says Wanderingspirit. Do people usually fall asleep after they finish it? She laughs but I’m serious. And seriously thankful that I’ll be in the passenger seat for the three-hour drive back to Yellowknife.

October 2015

THE NORTHERN FIBRE LOOP. COURTESY NORTHWESTEL

Out of the Loop

The odd timing of the Yukon's fibre line announcement.

By Herb Mathisen

THE NORTHERN FIBRE LOOP. COURTESY NORTHWESTEL

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021

October 2015

Illustration by Beth Covvey

Stories For A Long, Dark Winter

Shapeshifters, a haunted hotel, the echoes of past wars—here’s what happens in the North when the sun goes down.

By Daniel Campbell

,

By Laura Busch

Illustration by Beth Covvey

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021

Related Articles

January/February 2021

A family of swimming polar bears

Polar Bear Plunge

Amos Nachoum spent 40 years trying to snap the perfect underwater photo of the Arctic’s deadliest predator. It was worth the wait.

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021

January/February 2021

Carcross Desert

Just Deserts

The Yukon’s Carcross Desert may not be an actual desert, but it is an area that thrives on a careful balance.

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021

January/February 2021

Man looking over Náįlįcho

Secrets of the Nahanni

Nahanni National Park Reserve is one of the largest protected lands in Canada. It’s home to diverse wildlife and geological wonders, yet sees only a fraction of the visitors each year of other parks. And that’s OK. Because what keeps this northern gem so well hidden is also what makes it so special.

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021

January/February 2021

Jumping on the ice

Why I Love the North

Tour guides from across the territories share their favourite places, activities, and memories of these unforgettable lands.

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021

January/February 2021

Standing on top of a cliff

Before The Summit

Climbers face a perilous journey even before their ascent on northern mountains. That challenge is also what keeps these adventurers reaching for the top.

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021

November/December 2020

Ice bar in Inuvik

Toasting New Year’s Eve At Inuvik’s Ice Bar

A group of friends in the Mackenzie Delta carve out a new holiday tradition.

February 26th, 2021 February 26th, 2021
October 26th, 2015 January 12th, 2016
Newsletter sign-up promo image.

Stay in Touch.

Our weekly newsletter brings all the best circumpolar stories right to your inbox.

Up Here magazine cover

Subscribe Now

Our magazine showcases award-winning writing and spectacular northern photos.

Subscribe

Footer Navigation

  • Advertise With Us
  • Work With Us
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimers & Legal

Contact Information

Up Here Publishing
4510-50th Ave., Ste. 102
Yellowknife, NT
X1A 1B9  Canada
Phone: 867.766.6710
Fax: 867.669.0626
Email: editor@uphere.ca

Social Links

Facebook Twitter Instagram
Funded by the Government of Canada