Ripples and chit chat followed every Norway Bay event covered:
“Have you tried the food at the chip stand?”
“You haven’t checked out the chip stand yet?”
Lots of people talked about it and the Norway Bay Facebook group saw consistent posts and updates from the operator and chef.
“Rainy day [means] Laura Secord hot [chocolate] at the chip stand,” read one post from July 24.
“How were the fish tacos tonight? Any [improvements] to be made? Message me,” read another, from July 15.

There was no escaping how popular the spot has become this summer. And venturing down Wharf Road, nestled just before the three-way stop on the way to Norway Bay Beach, you’ll find it sitting there.
With plastic tables and chairs out front, tons of room for everyone to gather, and a quick bounce up a couple of steps, will bring you to the menu. Spread out all over the front of the stand, irresistible options, customisations and affordable prices greet customers.
But none greet so kindly as the chef of My Way herself, Chantal Labrie.
“I just wanted to do something that I’ve always wanted to do,” said Labrie. “Which is to have a chip stand in Norway Bay.”
What started off as a simple aspiration has led into a great success for the area. Kicking off the season late – as the stand only opened at the beginning of July – one must wonder where everyone in the Bay snacked beforehand.
“I never expected this, ever,” said Labrie. “I thought I’d be busy, but not like this. The people in Norway Bay have been very responsive, sometimes with a line-up to the road that you would not expect. And that can be on any given day, at any time.”
This all, to say the least, is a bit overwhelming for one person to manage. Lucky for Labrie, she’s not alone in this venture.
Considering herself one of the most fortunate bosses, she credits her staff and fiancé for being able to keep up with the madness.
“I was doing 11 to 10, everyday, with only one full-time employee,” said Labrie.
While her fiancé put in a huge amount of extra hours at the end of his own work day in order to make sure she had fresh-cut potatoes, her employees, Kelsey Gauthier and Jordan Wilson have been crucial in keeping up with Norway Bay’s appetite.
What’s been drawing everybody out? Well, Labrie has a couple of suspicions. First off, is a lack of a regular social spot in the area.
“There used to be an area where people could meet, at all times, all year round, it was called the River View Inn,” she said. “Where people could meet and not be lonely, or have good food and talk with others.”
The other reason, and one that’s easy to understand, is just how awesome the food is, plus the fun creativity of it all.
“It’s my way of wanting to do things for food, not being scared of wanting to mix things as well,” said Labrie.
A lot of the more popular dishes may be inspired by her main restaurant, Bistro Mexicana 129 in Aylmer, but she is definitely about doing things her way. Which, really, is why she wanted to run the chip stand in the first place.
Labrie has not been shy about trying new things with her menu, taking locals away from the standard beach food like plain fries, hamburgers and hot dogs. While those may be offered, they stand alongside fish tacos, calamari and fried mac and cheese, with new or limited-time options becoming available almost weekly, depending on who’s feeling creative in the kitchen.
When she first opened, the fish tacos were so popular, they ran out early most nights.
“I haven’t been able to keep up with the deep-fried mac and cheese balls or the fish tacos all summer long,” said Labrie. “They were just available two or three times a week, because these products were really homemade.”
Made with mahi-mahi, atop freshly grilled tortillas and decked out with local toppings, such as crisp, shredded cabbage and coriander, they’ve been hard to keep stocked due to Labrie’s commitment to freshness and buying local.
While chatting with Labrie, a group of young teenagers sat at another table, talking, laughing and munching away on their poutines, while sipping on colourful Jarritos, a Mexican brand of pop. Later on, they cleaned up their garbage, one boy bought another pop, and they picked up their bikes to ride home. Before they did, Labrie asked them how they liked their food, to which there was a resounding positive response from all the lads.
“Their comments have kept me going dramatically,” she said. “There’s not one day that a Norway Bayer hasn’t said thank you to us, to me, Kelsey and Jordan.”
This positive feedback has been the standard down at My Way.
“Except for that one lady,” added Gauthier.
Laughing, Labrie agreed. One customer had ordered the fish tacos, but didn’t enjoy them at all, apparently. Labrie shrugged it off, and actually welcomes the critique, as she admits she’s worried about the tremendously positive feedback.
She’s just hoping any criticisms people do have would come forward, so she can build off them and continue to offer a bit of something for everyone.
Really, it’s the fact that she’s so open to criticism that has pushed her to succeed.
“The comments have been so positive all the time, you kind of wonder, are they going to tell you if there’s something wrong? I’m like, are you sure there hasn’t been anything wrong? It’s kind of bothering me,” said Labrie.
However, a longstanding need to serve has helped her strive for more as well. It’s not easy for everyone to stay patient and focused while working in the food and customer service industry, and even more difficult to innovate constantly.
It was growing up in Norway Bay since she was six years-old that conditioned her for this lifestyle, for always chasing a new challenge and rushing in well-prepared for a new adventure.
“Living in the Bay was not always easy all year-round,” she said.
Stuck at home after school, waiting on her parents to get back from work some days past seven at night, she knew to expect a late dinner. This led the self-described foodie to take matters into her own hands.
“I had this huge cookbook, and I would just flip through that after school,” said Labrie. “What can I cook for the family?”
Eventually, a lightbulb went on.
“I realized that’s what I should do all the time, it’s just in me. I love taking care of people, I’m not going to deny it. If I go to bed at night, knowing that I took care of people, then I feel good,” she said.
It’s this mindset that set the mantra she’s interlocked perfectly with how her businesses should be run.
“It’s customer service, always do it with a smile. And if anyone does get upset, always try to fix it the best you can because they are your customers, they’re your people, your community,” said Labrie.
This community factor is huge for Labrie. Her personality welcomes all and invites everyone, so much so that the chip stand even attracts visitors on the days it’s closed.
With the cottage season beginning to wrap up, she had decided to close shop Mondays through Wednesdays for the rest of the year. Yet, when two long-time customers from Aylmer rode their motorcycles up for a visit on Monday, you could count on her coming out to prepare a bit of food for them, and then joining them for a chat while the afternoon proved quiet, business-wise.
And that’s not the only time she’s accommodated for special hours. After the annual regatta dance let out in the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 6, Labrie was prepared. Posting to Facebook that she’d be open for those that were hungry, more than a crowd showed up around 2 a.m., and she fed them all.
Then, she stayed till past 5 a.m. to make sure every customer got home safe.
“The number one thing about restaurants in small communities? People,” said Labrie. “People appreciate so much, more than I could ever imagine. All you want to do is run, run, run and make sure they get those products.”
So what’s next for Norway Bay’s chip stand chef?
Only bigger and brighter endeavours. Labrie’s short-term goals start off with opening the chip stand earlier next year, but extends to opening a bed-and-breakfast in the area, as well as a restaurant in Shawville.
And to think, this woman was denied a permit to open a chip truck along Norway Bay Beach in early 2017 and had a late start to the season. Holding no ill will, she hopes that the smaller, community-minded businesses will follow in her footsteps and take a chance on succeeding in Norway Bay.
“It’s not about getting rich, it’s about being happy,” said Labrie. “If it’s a passion, you stay happy. For me, it’s a passion and always will be.”