Fire Chief gets iced ... coffee
By Kyra Hoggan
Castlegar fire chief and airport manager Gerry Rempel is just drinking in all the community support – literally.
Rempel now has a special drink named after him at Joey’s Only restaurant, where patrons can order the Gerry Special iced coffee (iced, of course, because it would be wrong to name something hot after the fire chief). “It’s a delicious drink, coffee with whipped cream and chocolate … the name even comes up on their till as ‘Gerry’s Special’,” Rempel said. “I order one every time, now. Rempel said he’s never had anything named after him before. “It’s quite an honour.” He said the drink’s secret recipe came about when he told restaurant owner Ginette McGinn that he wasn’t sure what he wanted, so she whipped up something new. McGinn said she often uses Rempel as a guinea pig for new recipes – and they often become favourite restaurant staples, like the blackened salmon burger. “I don’t have to order – she tells me what I want,” Rempel said. For her part, McGinn said she’s not in the habit of naming dishes or drinks after patrons – but, as all who know him understand, Rempel is genuinely special. “His heart and soul is in this town – he’s so devoted to the community,” she said, adding she’s a Calgary transplant who adores her new home city, so she and Rempel have a key value in common. “We just bonded from the get-go … he’s always happy; always has a smile, and he cares so much about this town.”
It’s a happy story for Rempel, too, who now gets to have his coffee and drink it, too.
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