P.E.I.'s Lieutenant-Governor Frank Lewis getting ready for New Year's Day levee

At one time, Frank Lewis would spend New Year's Day driving a carload of friends around the Island attending as many as 15 levee celebrations.

Now Lewis, P.E.I.'s lieutenant-governor, is in charge of the premium levee on the Islandat Government House.

"It's a fun day for me because you get to see a lot of people that you never see any other time of the year. And, you get to see them under different conditions. It's just a wonderful day,"he said onMainstreet P.E.I.

But with 700-800 people expected to attend, Lewis is mindful not to spend too much time with people so they can enjoy the day.

A full day of levees

"We've got to keep them flowing through because there's some food and there's some cake. It's not a time to spend a whole lot of time with people,"said Lewis.

Lewis hasn't abandoned the levee road trip tradition. He explained that once the levee at Government House is over, he's off to nine other levees, including ones in Summerside, Cornwall, Kensington and at UPEI.

You would think Lewis would be exhausted after a day of levees, but not so.

"We go out for dinner then after that,"he said.

It is also a busy day for Lewis' chef Alicia Denison. On the menu this year is fruitcake, cinnamon loaf, cranberry punch with vodka and apple cider.

Cake, cookies and pie

But given the number of guests, Denison has been preparing for the event for months. She added that the math can be "mind boggling" at times.

"I see the sheer volume of juice that we need and I think, 'that can't possibly be right.' But you've got to trust the calculations, I guess."

Lewis said he likes the fruitcake.

"I'm a sweets fan, so I like cake, cookies, and pie and all that stuff. Although, you wouldn't know it to look at me,"he said.

"One thing you've got to make sure of is that you don't run out. If anything, we have stuff left over. Don't run out because that wouldn't look very good on you."

The levee at Government House begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

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