Mackinac Island fire chief preps for 500+ customers a day at his ice cream and fried pickle stand
Some 1 million visitors arrive from May through October
Jason St. Onge isn’t alone.
He’s among hundreds of business owners working tirelessly to get everything ready for another Mackinac Island tourist season.
Families from throughout Michigan, the Midwest and the world visit the island known for its breathtaking views, historic architecture and the absence of automobiles.
“Our days are getting longer. The sun is getting higher in the sky and there's this air of urgency. It’s time to get moving, raking, painting and cleaning,” St. Onge told Shifting Gears this week. “I call it the stretching-out season. You’ve got to stretch out your arms and legs to work seven days a week for the next six months.”
In addition to being Mackinac Island fire chief, the 51-year-old island native will be serving ice cream, deep fried pickles, hot dogs and grilled chicken at the Cannonball Oasis — a popular stop four miles from anywhere at the half-way point around the historic island that only allows travel by foot, bike or horse.
The year-round population of some 500 residents prepares for an estimated 1 million visitors every season.
Hourly ferry service begins on April 25. All businesses are open by early May.
Last year, St. Onge checked off a bucket list item by sailing the Port Huron to Mackinac race. His team on Rascal came in dead last after 66 hours on the water. Then they threw a Pickle Boat party to celebrate the epic loss.
“I had the time of my life,” he said. “But taking five days off in July is really hard to pull off when you own and operate small businesses on the island.”
St. Onge is president of the school board, a member of the Mackinac Island City Council, a board member of the Cloverland Electric Cooperative, which delivers electricity to the eastern Upper Peninsula of 40,000 or so people.
Note: He also hosts the Mackinac Island Moments podcast. He rents out seven condos on island. He runs a contractor/painting business. He plays bass in a band.
On the island, everyone does a little bit of everything.
His wife Marielle, a dietitian, reverse commutes off island to work at the hospital in St. Ignace. They have two girls, Mia (9) and Margo (5) “going on 19 and 17.”
“This is going to be a good year,” St. Onge said. “We’re coming off a huge storm that shredded lilac bushes. It’s being called the storm of the century. People have been out of power in Otsego County. Kids were out of school for two weeks. It looks like a war zone in parts of the state up here.”
Islanders and first responders came together to recover in time to welcome visitors.
Soft-serve, hotdogs, pickles
The Cannonball Oasis is scheduled to open May 9 but, depending on the weather, may open earlier. The soft-serve ice cream machines will be filled with vanilla, chocolate and vanilla/chocolate twist ready to go.
“And we probably process our first fried pickle order by 9:30 in the morning,” St. Onge said. “Folks from the Midwest ask for Ranch dressing and folks form outside the Midwest wonder what Ranch is for. They just stare at it. But you know how the Midwest is. We dip everything in Ranch.”
Not everyone wants ice cream or pickles during a bike ride break.
Many visitors opt for a Detroit Special all-beef hotdog with chili and onions (plus Better Made potato chips and Vernors pop) or a half-chicken — leg, thigh, breast, wing — barbecued over charcoal.
“Gas is quicker, cleaner and cheaper but charcoal brings flavor,” St. Onge said.
All food and supplies on island at the eastern edge of the Straits of Mackinac arrive by boat on Lake Huron, hauled to their destinations by dray, a cart pulled by a horse.
The Cannonball legend
This is the fifth season St. Onge will be running the popular business spot, opened in 1907 by “Cannonball Bill” Chambers — who earned his nickname after an excavation turned up two cannonballs on the site known as British Landing.
While tourists often flock to the Deep South to visit war sites, few people may realize the battle history involving one of the nation’s most popular summer vacation destinations.
Mackinac Island has been owned by the French, British and U.S. as the site of the Great Lakes fur trade — at one point “the heart of John Jacob Astor’s fur empire” — and key military posts in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, according to the National Park Service and National Archives.
The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Huron, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
Original military and fur trading buildings remain intact.
Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians are descendants of indigenous cultures that settled the area long before Europeans. Native Americans with ties to Mackinac live throughout Michigan.
The island is filled with so much history that the state created special lessons for children and families seeking an educational getaway during 2020 when schools were closed by COVID-19.
Mackinac Island became a national park in 1857. Nearly 40 years later, the federal government gave it to Michigan to operate as a state park.
Family tradition
Christy Irland of Grand Rapids told Shifting Gears that bicycling around Mackinac Island is a highlight of her family’s annual trip, which coincides with her husband sailing the Port Huron to Mackinac race.
“The relatively level trail provides an enjoyable ride, and we appreciate the freedom to stop and explore at our leisure,” she said.
“We often swim in the lake or skip stones during our breaks. Our mid-point stop at Cannonball Oasis offers a welcome restroom break and snack, with deep-fried pickles and hotdogs being a family favorite,” Irland said. “After completing our 8.2-mile ride around the island, we return to our starting point, reflecting on the fun we had and looking forward to our next trip around Mackinac.”
Looking back, looking ahead
Tim Hygh, CEO of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, said there’s so much to discover on the island.
“I had never heard of deep fried pickles until I moved to Mackinac,” Hygh told Shifting Gears. “I had to go get one. I had my little granddaughter with me at the time. She was 10. We shared it and it was wonderful.”
Looking back, it’s hard to believe that the island will be ready after a freak ice storm in late March paralyzed the area. Several counties in Northern Michigan lost power for more than a week while Mackinac Island only lost power for 15 hours or so.
Islanders worked with the Michigan National Guard and others on cleanup efforts, racing against an official season start date of May 2. All Mackinac Island State Park Roads are open, as landmarks accessible. Hiking trails are still being cleared.
The storm didn’t dampen enthusiasm, Hygh said. “It just energized everybody. We had to hustle. We’re ready.”
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PS: As a proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, a roundup of world-class journalists, I hope you’ll check out the incredible news, commentary and features.
Ms Howard:
YOU cannot under no circumstances, regardless of time of day or night or week of month, ever stop writing about our great Mackinac Island, and anything connected to it. Those habs are some of the world’s coolest people… for simply doing what they do day in and day out, at a beautiful island of and in Michigan! Our great state.
Thanks again. You make reading cool if not fun!
Gregg Wilczynski.
PEACE