OUT and ABOUT with Seeker Chick Mai-Liis: Celebrating Big Mac Day – A Special New Tradition in Cornwall, Ontario!
Today I was celebrating #BigMacDay with Val Bowen and her family at McDonald’s, 1301 Brookdale Avenue, Cornwall. Both McDonalds in Cornwall were selling the Big Mac for $3.99 today in celebration of the legacy left by Cecil and Loraine Robertson who were the first owners of McDonalds in Cornwall back in 1972.
Cecil, was Val Bowen’s Grand-Papa, known as GPP, and when he passed away, on February 1st, 2018, after his funeral the family gathered for their last meal together wondering where to eat and when Val suggested they get Big Macs, everyone thought that was a great idea as of course the Big Mac is very symbolic for this family.
Every year on this day the family celebrates Cecil’s life by eating a Big Mac and Val always asks family members and friends to send her photos of them eating their meal. Last year with the help of social media her post reached many people she has never met but were previously employed by her grandparents and she received stories and fond memories of their time working for them. In the photo above you can see Val and her wife Christal enjoying their Big Mac Meal at a table with a fancy red tablecloth and even a vase of flowers. Not something you see everyday at McDonalds – only for special occasions such as Big Mac Day.
In response to her last year’s post, Val also received a message from Matt Marchand, the current Market Supervisor of McDonald’s who reached out and invited Val and her family to his restaurant to make their own Big Macs.
This year, both McDonalds locations in Cornwall named February 1st Big Mac Day and they will continue to celebrate this day with the Robertson family in memory of Cecil and Lorraine Robertson. On this day the Big Mac will be sold for $3.99, the same price that it was in 2018, with partial proceeds from the sale of Big Macs for the day going to the Children’s Treatment Centre.
I was happy to meet all the family including some members who had come all the way from Florida.
L to R back row: Leila (friend from Florida), Jazzy from Florida (great grand daughter of Cecile and Loraine Robertson), Adele, (Val’s cousin from Florida), Mike (Cecile and Loraine’s Son in law), Grimace, Sandra and Val’s dad Pete, (Cecile and Loraine’s Son in law).
L to R front row: Christal and Val Bowen, Matt Marchand (McDonald’s Marketing Supervisor) and Pam (Val’s mother and the daughter of Cecile and Loraine Robertson).
I also got to speak to Val’s dad Pete, who was sent by his in-laws to attend Hamburger University near Chicago to learn how to not only make the hamburgers but also learn how to work with staff and customers and on his return became Manager of this family business. (I had never heard of Hamburger University).
I also met Sandra who worked for Cecile and Lorraine starting at the age of 15 and is still with McDonald’s restaurant 53 years later. She said that Cecil and Lorraine we’re the best bosses she ever had and they bought the meaning of a family restaurant to a different level but says that Matt and Owner Kyle who are now running the restaurants still run them in the same caring way.
I was very interested to see how much a Big Mac cost back in 1972 and Sandra told me it was 65 cents. In fact you could get a hamburger, french fry and a drink for 85 cents and you could still get change back from a dollar. Check out the pic of the old price board (a little blurry) from 1973 – I’m sure we will certainly never see prices like these again…
On Monday, January 27th we had Val come on The Seeker’s “Monday Morning Motivation with The Seeker Chicks” Podcast to talk about Big Mac Day. You can watch the show here. https://www.facebook.com/TheSeekerCommunity/videos/1257807199414062
HERE IS THE INTERVIEW THAT I DID WITH VAL BOWEN in the March 2024 issue of The Seeker regarding Big Mac Day – Enjoy
DID YOU KNOW… February 1st is known as Big Mac Day for the Bowen Family?
By Mai-Liis Renaud
On February 1st , 2024 at 7:05 pm this post , f rom Val Bowen, a well known member of our Cornwall Community, appeared on Facebook:
If you need a good excuse to spoil your self with a fast food meal today – I have one! Last year we were overjoyed with the outpouring of love and participation…
Six years ago, shortly after my grandfather passed away, my family coined February 1st as Big Mac day. It isn’t the one celebrated worldwide but for us it is in honour of my GPP (and of course Grandmother). They were the first owners of McDonald’s in Cornwall. Since we started this in 2018, more and more people have partaken and it’s incredible to see. So grab yourself a Big Mac (or whatever your guilty MCD pleasure might be) and share a photo with us by sending to me in a message and help us keep the tradition going strong. Can’t wait for dinner tonight.
This is the kind of Positive News that the Seeker loves, so I figured I’d track Val down and find out more … so here goes…
Question #1. Can you share more details about the back story and initial decision to designate February 1st as Big Mac day in honor of your GPP
(grandfather) and the family’s unique connection to McDonald’s as the first owners in Cornwall?
My grandfather Cecil Robertson (who I refer to as GPP, short for “grand-papa”) passed away in January 2018. It was on the evening of his funeral, February 1st (when we had gathered with our close family members and tried to plan what we would have as our last meal together before they had to get on a plane to return home the following day) when I suggested picking up Big Macs. Everyone was in favour, as the Big Mac is very symbolic to our family. My grandparents Cecil and Loraine Robertson opened up the first McDonald’s in Cornwall on Brookdale Ave. in 1972. They later opened the Second St location in the late 80s.
This year, we celebrated our 7th Annual Big Mac Day and the participation from our friends and family continues to grow more and more each year. I asked that people grab a Big Mac, or any McDonald’s meal, snap a photo, and share it with us to include in our collage. Some of these photos came from
our family in Florida, and believe it or not, from as far as Mexico and Portugal.
This year, I acknowledged the power of social media, as my post reached people I have never even met, many of them having been previously employed by my grandparents, sharing stories and fond memories of their time working for them. Whether it was the amazing treatment they received from my grandparents, or the parties they threw the staff (apparently they threw some memorable parties!) I was touched by each and everyone of their
comments.
You could imagine how excited I was to see a message from Matt Marchand, the current Market Supervisor of McDonald’s. Matt reached out to me and invited my family to the restaurant to make our own Big Macs. We did not hesitate as we accepted this generous offer. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Matt Marchand and Ally Morris, Market People Lead. The highlight was seeing a photo they had sitting on a table dating back to the mid 70s.
Question #2: What was the significance of the special opportunity extended by McDonald’s to build your own Big Macs, and how did this experience contribute to the ongoing legacy and traditions within your family?
It allowed my parents to take a trip down memory lane, that’s for
sure. My father, Pete Bowen (son in law of the Robertsons) who was Operations Manager felt overwhelmed to have a chance to share this experience with his family. My dad described this as a pivotal moment in his life. He started his career attending Hamburger University, and then spent the next 12 years managing the restaurant. He was ecstatic to be able to introduce the next two generations to the world of McDonald’s, and not just as a consumer, but rather from the other side of the counter. He made his Big Mac like a pro – so much so, Matt even commented on it. My mother, Pam Bowen (Daughter of the Robertsons) who worked at McDonald’s since the day her parents opened the restaurant was also overwhelmed by the invitation
from Matt. It could be best described as taking a walk down memory lane – a chance to remember their time spent in the restaurant, and of course, her late
parents. I don’t quite know if Matt, Ally and owner Kyle Drake can ever under stand how grateful we are to have had this opportunity and how much it allowed us to feel connected to my grandparents, especially my grandfather on Big Mac Day.
Question #3: In what ways did the collaboration with McDonald’s go beyond just the enjoyment of food, and how did it symbolize the enduring connection and shared values between your family and the iconic brand?
Just when we thought the tradition and experience had peaked, Matt advised us that for the years to come, he would love to collaborate with our family on
February 1st. Local McDonald’s will be offering Big Macs at a reduced price in honor of our family’s Big Mac Day, and my GPP.
One thing I can tell you is over the years, I have had the pleasure of meeting people who had the opportunity to work for my grandparents. There always seems to be a commonality in people’s stories – they remember how well treated they were. I have heard (countless times) how after several careers, my grandparents still remained their favourite people to work for. They were thoughtful, caring and considerate people. From what I gather, they truly
were amazing “McBosses”. I would compare those stories to the treatment we received from the staff at McDonald’s, as they clearly share those same
exemplary values. After a trip to McDonald’s, and a trip down memory lane, it’s safe to say my grandparents’ legacy lives on.
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