Future of iconic 75-year-old Cape Breton chip wagon in limbo after owner dies
The street corner where the iconic Glace Bay, N.S. chip wagon has sat for decades is empty, and it will remain that way for the foreseeable future after the man who kept it running for so many years died Oct. 10 following a battle with cancer. He was 67.
"Mike's passion for the wagon goes beyond any words. Next to his family, that was his life," said Brian Shaw, a family friend of late chip truck owner Mike Yorke and his wife Marielle.
Shaw said he was always amazed at the dedication Yorke had not only to serving the perfect box of fries but to the upkeep of his 1942 vintage truck, which still has most of its original parts and features.
It all made for a throwback experience that was a must for locals and people visiting back home.
"They came to the chip wagon with their sleeping bags still in their vehicle because they wanted a box of fries," Shaw said. "That was the first thing they wanted when they got back to Cape Breton. That's how iconic it is."
Glace Bay-Dominion MLA John White said when he heard of Yorke's passing, he knew it might mean the loss of two community institutions: the wagon itself, and the man he describes as its beating heart.
"When you go to Boston, you have to go to Cheers, for example," White said.
"When you come to our area, it's the Miner's Museum, it's Dominion Beach, it's Savoy Theatre and it's the chip wagon."
White said for Yorke, the chip wagon was a labour of love.
"I don't think the chip wagon was a business for Mike," White said. "I think it was a social event. Whenever you came down here and order your chips, you had to wait around a bit while they were cooked up. If he was cooking them, he was reaching out talking to you. If he wasn't, he was on the outside of the wagon talking to people."
The chip wagon came to Glace Bay from Montreal in 1946. Many who were customers as kids have returned over the years with their own children and grandchildren.
Now, some are now wondering if this may be the end of the line for this 'mom and pop' style business.
It's like trying to live without a heart," Shaw said.
"Mike was the heart of that chip wagon and the soul. So I really don't see anybody else being able to do what he did."
"I hope they can pick it up and keep it going, I really hope they do," White added.
"I'd be here to help them with whatever they could get going. I'd love to see them keep it in the family and keep it going."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.