The tips were good, but the steak was better. That Geoffrey Cantin-Arku didn’t have to pay for his meal made it more worthwhile.
Alouettes linebacker Cantin-Arku was 18 when he took a part-time waiter’s job at the Charbon Steakhouse, regarded as the best spot in Quebec City for a slab of steer. He could clear $200 in tips on a good night when the restaurant was crowded. Raised by a single mother and with three siblings at home, the money came in handy. But the fringe benefits — the perk of a free dinner — couldn’t be overlooked.
The first time he indulged, the strapping teenager ordered a 12-ounce rib-eye, medium-rare. It was accompanied by fries and shrimp. Today, seven years later, the memory of that dining experience resonates in his mind.
“It was so tender, it melted in my mouth,” Cantin-Arku, Montreal’s first-round (ninth overall) draft choice last May, told The Gazette this week. “I took the job mostly for the money, but of course I enjoyed the fact I could enjoy a good steak.”
Steak wasn’t frequently on the menu, if at all, at his home in Lévis. With four children to feed, Nancy Cantin’s struggles were enormous. She had graduated with a degree in geology from Université Laval, but her work involved too much travel. So she worked various blue-collar positions, including driving a city bus, to be at home more frequently.
William Arku, the linebacker’s father, died from tuberculosis when Cantin-Arku was only one.
“My mother never asked for a penny from anyone,” Cantin-Arku remembered. “She did it all by herself. I can still see her coming home from work in the summer; it was about 30 degrees. I still remember her face — red and hot. She had no air-conditioning in her car, had just driven an hour through traffic, had to come home and make a meal for us. I just saw her constantly working.”
While Cantin-Arku never went hungry, he also remembers occasions when he returned from school famished, only to find an empty refrigerator. The family regularly had to accept donations from food banks or churches.
When he went to CEGEP Garneau, the team’s head coach, Claude Juneau, took him under his wing. One of the team’s sponsors was a local grocery store and Juneau ensured the family never went without food. Cantin-Arku regularly skipped lunch, eating only two meals daily.
“It was never easy,” said the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder. “My mother, if we didn’t have food, she made sure we had something. We always found a way; she made sure of that. It was never the expensive stuff. It could be spaghetti or cheap stuff. Sometimes we had great meals, too, (when) she had money.
“The highs were high, but the lows were low.”
The Alouettes are preparing to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday at Molson Stadium and it’s the team’s annual Purolator Tackle Hunger game, where fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or make cash or credit-card donations for people in need. Donations collected will support Moisson Montréal, a non-profit organization that distributes 17 million kilograms of food annually to more than 300 community organizations.
Moisson Montréal receives more than 900,000 requests for food aid each month through the organization’s network — an increase of nearly 185,000 monthly users since 2021. During this time, food prices have increased by 18 per cent.
The cause is dear to Cantin-Arku’s heart and it’s why the Alouettes rookie is determined to give back to the community.
Although CFL rookies aren’t highly paid — the minimum salary is $70,000 — Cantin-Arku frequently dips into his pocket when he sees an unhoused person requesting spare change. And he still prays regularly before meals, giving thanks. Cantin-Arku devours his food quickly, remembering how he and his siblings fought for scraps.
“I’m scared to this day I’m going to miss food,” he said. “I get anxious. Do I have enough? How much do you need? I enjoy every meal. I just like to eat. Every time I eat, I’m grateful.
“I help (the unhoused) because I know God sees everything,” Cantin-Arku added. “If you give with correct thoughts, with no intention of getting something back, that’s when life gives you something back.”
Cantin-Arku played collegiately at Syracuse University before transferring to the University of Memphis, graduating with a psychology degree. He received a full scholarship at both schools, meaning housing and meals were provided. Never again would Cantin-Arku go hungry.
A season-ending injury sustained by linebacker Reggie Stubblefield has provided Cantin-Arku with regular playing time, and he has risen to the challenge. Through eight games he has 18 defensive tackles, two sacks, has knocked down two passes and contributed on special teams. Cantin-Arku hits hard, is always around the ball and makes plays. He has proved to be a coach’s delight and probably will be Montreal’s nominee as most outstanding rookie.
“He’s a big, athletic young man,” linebackers coach Greg Quick said. “He’s a great guy to go to work with because of his attitude. He wants to get better. You can coach him hard. The harder you coach him, the better he responds.”