Former police officer turns lifelong lakeside memories into family fry shack legacy

After retirement, cancer and decades of dreaming, a former police officer is building a family legacy one fresh-cut fry at a time. CTV's Hannah Schmidt has the

A former Peel Regional police officer is serving up more than fries and burgers at a small seasonal shack in Cambridge, Ont. — he’s serving a story decades in the making.

For Alan Barton, the lakeside trailer park, located on McClintock Drive and just seconds away from Puslinch Lake, isn’t just a business location. It’s where his story began.

As a teenager, Barton spent summers at the park working odd jobs after travelling from Mississauga, taking whatever work was available and earning a nickname that would follow him for life.

“Any job that nobody else wanted to do, they’d say get Koolie to do it. The name stuck,” Barton said, laughing.

Decades later, that same nickname now sits above the serving window of Koolie’s Fry Shack — a small seasonal eatery that has quickly become a popular stop for cottagers and locals.

But the path to opening it was anything but simple.

Barton spent 30 years in policing with Peel Regional Police before retiring and shifting into contracting and maintenance work. The idea of opening a restaurant — something he had considered since his teenage years — remained on the back burner for decades.

Then came a cancer diagnosis, which temporarily halted his plans.

“I got diagnosed with mouth cancer and sort of took me out of the picture,” Barton said.

Despite setbacks, Barton eventually revived the idea with a business partner and began working through approvals with the township. After early hurdles, the project was eventually approved, allowing the fry shack to open in a limited capacity.

What started as a small seasonal operation serving fries only has now grown into a family-run business, with Barton’s daughter joining him in day-to-day operations.

“It instantly became a family business,” he said.

Amanda Barton said the experience has been both challenging and rewarding as the team learned the fast-paced rhythm of food service on the fly.

“It took us a bit to get the flow of things and learn how to keep things organized… but it was overwhelming — but overwhelmingly wonderful,” she said.

The menu remains simple — fries, poutine, burgers, hot dogs and sausages — a deliberate choice, Barton said, to keep quality high and operations manageable in a small space.

“We’ve only got a ten by twenty space to work in,” he said. “So we try to keep everything fresh.”

Despite its size, the fry shack has drawn steady crowds from both the trailer park and surrounding roads, with Barton saying business has exceeded expectations this season.

“The response has been absolutely fantastic,” he said.

For Amanda, the location also carries personal meaning, tied to generations of family memories at the same lakeside community.

“My grandparents lived here in the summer. I used to spend my summers here. I used to catch frogs right here where this used to be,” she said.

For Barton, the business is no longer just about food — it’s about legacy.

“I’d like to be able to step out and step back and let the next generation take over,” he said. “It’d be nice to leave them something they can work with.”

The journey has also been marked by personal loss. Barton said the partner who helped launch the early stages of the business died recently, a moment that has reinforced his perspective on time and family.

“We’ve only got today,” he said. “Spend the time you can with family and do it now because you may not get another chance.”

As the summer season continues, Barton said the goal is simple: keep the shack running, keep the food consistent and eventually step back and let his family take over.