Phil Bodin used to set his watch by the Newfoundland ferry.
Bodin and his wife Sandy owned the Irving Big Stop in Aulds Cove, N.S., from 1988 to 1995. No part of their day was as predictable as the ferry traffic. First, everyone would fill their tanks, so Bodin would rush to the gas bar. Then he’d hustle from table to table in the packed restaurant. Finally, everyone would depart, and Bodin would hurry to help at the till. His Newfoundland customers joked that he was everywhere they looked. Bodin, in turn, made sure to always stock the Carnation evaporated milk they favoured for their tea.
Since opening in Aulds Cove on Aug. 17, 1984, the Big Stop has touted comfort and dependability at 19 locations from Newfoundland to Ontario. Truck stops were once utilitarian, but the Big Stop changed that, offering spacious dining rooms, generous menus, and luscious desserts like homemade chocolate cake topped with boiled icing. With driver amenities, a convenience store, and other services, Big Stops quickly became more than just a welcome stop for weary travellers. They were destinations.
Having all these services in one spot was invaluable for truckers, says Andy Weir, executive director of the Truckers Association of Nova Scotia. “Our members say it is a one-stop shop, from fuel and other necessities to a shower and a good meal, a place to buy the little things we need on the road.”
For Tyler McLaughlin, director of retail operations at Irving Oil, Big Stops are eager to serve professional drivers and the travelling public alike. He says: “We value professional drivers and appreciate everything they do to keep our communities running. It has always been important for us to meet their needs as customers … We’re also happy to provide a comfortable, friendly, and convenient stop for locals, families, and travellers … From the beginning, we have always believed in providing the very best service to our customers.”
A sense of service guided Phil Bodin’s tenure in Aulds Cove. He recalls one night when a fierce snowstorm kept his chef and waitress home. “So, I said to my wife: ‘You’re in charge of the dining room, and I’m in the kitchen,’ and that’s how it went all night long.” On that memorable night, Bodin recalls making a lot of short-order fare, but his normal meal prep efforts were more extensive, as the team usually cooked five eight-kilogram turkeys each week. He also embraced customer feedback. Fish and chips used to be made with haddock until one feisty Newfoundland patron demanded, “Have ya got something against cod?” Bodin soon added it to the menu.
Diners have long appreciated the Big Stop’s hot food and homey atmosphere. For many expatriate East Coasters, childhood memories of home and the Big Stop intertwine. Jonathan Bishop, a senior advisor at the Senate of Canada who grew up in Chipman, N.B., cherished childhood Big Stop visits with his father. “At the Irving, there was food, fashion, and sometimes there was even a little language,” he recalls. “It was high excitement for a country boy.”
The Big Stop has made a similarly strong impression on writer Alex Thom, who frequently drives between her Ontario home and her parents’ place in Newfoundland. “The Silver Fox (Big Stop) in Salisbury, New Brunswick, has been a regular stop for my family for as long as I can remember on our road trips to Newfoundland and back home to Ontario,” she says. “My parents took me, I take my kids… It’s such an iconic place!”
A lot has changed since the Aulds Cove Big Stop opened to great fanfare in 1984, with hot-air balloon rides and an appearance by Hank Snow. Bodin laments that menus are now mostly standardized. That means customers can find their favourite turkey dinner at every location, but owners lack flexibility to change things up, like he used to for his Newfoundland clientele.
McLaughlin defends the homogenization. “New menu items can come from customer or employee feedback, current trends, or seasonal favourites. Two recent additions to our menu, the Smash Burger and the Honey Bourbon Burger, were a result of a contest asking for new burger recipe submissions from Big Stop kitchen staff.”
The restaurant looks a lot different too, thanks to a recent renovation. Menus have changed, styles have evolved, and haddock has once again replaced cod. However, the most important things have stayed the same. It’s still the same cozy port in a proverbial storm for weary road warriors where warm welcomes are offered, memories are made, and chocolate cake with boiled icing is always available.
This story was originally published June 2024.