During the pandemic, buffets suffered. Communal dining, germ-vector potential, standing cheek-to-jowl at the trough waiting for a scoop of scrambled eggs: It was downright unappetizing.

The veteran pigeon breeder from Sarnia, Ont., can boast of having the top show pigeon in the country, for now. His helmet pigeon was crowned grand champion pigeon at the Canadian Pigeon Fancier's ...