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Whistle Stop back on board on Highway 21 near Mirror

A popular eating stop on Highway 21 is almost back in business.
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The new owner of the Whistle Stop on Highway 21 plans to bring back the Mirror restaurant

MIRROR — A popular eating stop on Highway 21 is almost back in business.

The latest incarnation of the Whistle Stop — a gas bar, restaurant and convenience store — is scheduled to open Sept. 1 at its traditional home near the Mirror exit.

“I worked here in 2002 and enjoyed it,” said new owner Stacei Luka. “The business was sold shortly afterward, and I didn’t work here anymore, and by 2009 it was shut down.

“(My goal is) to take it back to where it was in 2002, where the original owners wanted it to go and unfortunately it didn’t go when they sold it. I want to take it in the direction they had it going.”

Luka said “the old ways” would connect her contemporary business with the Whistle Stop’s heyday in the 100-year-old town of Mirror.

“Poutine fries is what it was known for, in this little stop,” she said from the refurbished location.

“The restaurant is going to serve hamburgers, soup (and) lunch specials and what not, and the convenience store is going to serve your healthier side — salads, quick snacks, vegetables and dip, and yogurts, sandwiches and stuff, and ice cream — that is my intention.”

Since the Whistle Stop posted an “opening soon” sign on the prominent property, passersby, truckers and local residents have been waving or stopping in to check out the progress, Luka said last Thursday night as she scrubbed the old floors the old-fashioned way — from her knees.

“The response has been wonderful — wonderful. I’ve had two people stop in today, asking me if they could get gas, and I say, ‘Yes.’ And they go, ‘Oh, I’m just kidding.’ And I go, ‘I’m not.’

“Today was the first day of serving gas — that was the third vehicle served.”

While fuel service is ahead of schedule, Luka is working overtime to try to open the restaurant in time for Labour Day weekend.

“It’s going to take a lot of elbow grease,” she said with a smile.

“I plan on bringing in employees. My husband (Don) is an electrician, so he does all the maintenance.

“We plan to hire five or six local people. I’m hoping more. I’m hoping to be busy enough where it will be up to 10 (employees).”

Most recently known as the Whistle Stop Café, Luka has christened her new business Whistle Stop 2012 Ltd.

“That’s just to differentiate from everybody else’s Whistle Stop, because this has always been the Whistle Stop,” she said. “The last (owners) threw in Café, so I nixed Café and put in 2012. That’ll be my own little special.”

She believes the Whistle Stop is in a special location, with plenty of parking along a busy highway.

“It’s hard to beat this view,” she said. “The truckers love this location. You come in from either side and  your wide loads, your small loads, your huge loads, you can park.

“This building was built in 1957, and as you can tell, it was a garage. And that gentleman (the garage owner) lives on an acreage, two acreages over, I guess.

“It has been a café/restaurant for many years.”

Although the targeted grand-opening date is Saturday, Sept. 1, Luka hopes to host an open-house barbecue for Mirror residents the night before.

“I’d like to have the locals here, and serve hamburgers, potato salad and a pop for $5,” she said. “I don’t want the kitchen hot (that night). I’d like them to be able to walk through it. They all want to peek their head around the corner, they all want to see it, so I’d rather them do it while I’m not busy, before I get really busy.”