ECA Review Local Business Profiles - 2022

Page 18B Business Profile 2022
Whistle Stop Cafe offers food,
coffee, friendship and so much more
by Treena Mielke
After 20 years of working in the
·oil patch, Chris Scott was ready lo
make a lifestyle change and embark
on a new and completely different
path on his own life journey.
“I was tired of the feast and
famine of the oil patch,” he said.
In July of 2019, Chris decided to
take the first step on this new path.
He purchased the
Whistle Stop Cafe in
Mirror, Alberta.
He re-located from
Campbell River, BC in
2000 to rural Alberta
armed with hope, a
dream, and a vision for
the future. He also carried
with him the
optimism that with
hard work and determination
he could make
his dream come true.
There is no doubt
that hard work and
determination were
constant denominators
in Chris’s life, and
under the new ownership,
the Whistle Stop
Cafe flourished.
Later, Chris’s sister,
Melodie and her family
moved to Alberta to
help with the growing
business.
Located at the junction
of highways 21 and
50, the cafe became a
popular destination for
customers looking for a
delicious home cooked
meal or simply wanting the chance
to enjoy a savory cup of coffee and a
scrumptious piece of pie.
Accustomed to demanding work
and long hours, Chris not only kept
his cafe open almost 24 hours daily,
he expanded the RV park beside the
cafe lo include nine fully serviced
camping stalls and 15 unserviced
sites while continuing to offer food,
fuel and camping specials.
And, finally, as a way to help
people through the covid restrictions,
he built a drive-in movie
theatre with the space to accommodate
about two hundred cars.
“It proved to be hugely popular, he
said. ·we have had nearly 500 people
Home cooked meals, convenience, fuel,
propane exchange, RV Park
Junction Highways 21 & 50 (Truck Stop), Mirror, AB
Open 6:30am-9pm daily
403.788.2221
here just for movie nights!”
Chris’s hard work, determination
and zeal was really beginning to pay
off for the young businessman, when
COVID hit and the government-imposed
restrictions on indoor dining
came into place.
The new restrictions shell
shocked the entire country and
Chris was no exception.
Suddenly, he was faced with challenges
that he would never, even in
his wildest imagination, have predicted.
But, sometimes, ii is these
kinds of obstacles that cause an individual
to defy the odds and fight for
what they believe in.
And that’s exactly what Chris did.
And in the process, the
business became less
about dollars and cents
and more about hope,
freedom, and values
not only for himself,
but for many people
who were dealing with
their own struggles.
“In the beginning it
(The Whistle Stop) was
an investment, but it
became something so
much more than that.
“It really became a
symbol of hope.”
Even as he faced
legal action and closures,
he continued to
defy rules and regulations
surrounding
COVID and fought to
stay open.
Although reviews
were mixed, the core
support for his business
and what he stood
for never waivered. It
was during these turbulent
times that he
realized that the cafe
was more than just a
place for people to slop
and grab a burger.
“It was something to believe in. A
place to come and be yourself. A
refuge, really.”
We have had people from B.C.,
Saskatchewan, Ontario, from all
corners of Canada, and even from
overseas here.”