Muskoka Mosaic

He’s heard every wienie joke there is.

“I get a lot of ribbing about the name of my business,” says John Hertell, owner of the Elegant Wienie Roast. “People call me Wienie John, things like that.”

But he doesn’t mind. When Hertell bought the outfit nine years ago, he chose to keep the name selected by the previous owners.

“It’s fun,” he says.

Seven days a week, seven months a year, Hertell can be found behind his cart near the town hall on Main Street, chatting with customers while preparing their orders on his portable grill.

“It’s a very enjoyable business,” he says. “You’re meeting people all the time and you’re outside.”

A steady stream of customers stop by each day, many of them regulars.

“When I see them coming, I put on what I know they want,” says Hertell.

The hot dog seller is such an integral part of life on Main Street that when the town held a millennium art contest to find a painting that represented Huntsville, it was an image including him that was chosen to be reproduced on hundreds of posters.

Out of 42 entries, the public voted for a watercolour depicting Hertell, his cart and four teenagers, with the town hall in the background. The original painting, created by Margot Cook, still hangs in the mayor’s office.

Hertell’s presence on Main Street extends well beyond being part of a pleasant scene, however. Tourists and residents alike see him as their go-to man.

“I hear a lot about what’s going on in the community, the word on the street,” he explains. “People sometimes come to find out what’s going on.”

A Silver Ambassador, Hertell is also a rich source of information for visitors to the town. “I like to talk to tourists and make them feel welcome in our community,” he says.

From his vantage point, Hertell has ample time to observe the town and think about the direction in which it is headed.

He is looking forward to the completion of River Mill Park, and he also thinks improving the lighting on Main Street should be a priority. “It doesn’t affect my business, but I’d like to see it done,” Hertell says.

Overall, though, he is very  impressed by what he sees. “The improvement to the downtown in the past nine years has been phenomenal,” he says. “They’ve created a really nice atmosphere. I have to give the town and BIA kudos for what they’ve done.”

Hertell particularly appreciates the gardening volunteers who beautify Main Street, and he shows it by feeding them all when they gather to fill the planters and hang baskets each June.

Volunteers in general receive Hertell’s praise. He  loves the “wonderful spirit of volunteerism in the community” when it comes to both the  arts and sports.

No wonder he notices their efforts: Hertell is an active volunteer himself.

With some other members of his congregation at Trinity United, Hertell is working toward the creation of a public garden between the church and the town hall.

A member of the Huntsville-Lake of Bays Rotary Club, he was also on the entertainment committee for last week’s Bell Huntsville Dragonboat Races.

“Oh, and I’m an associate member of the Downtown Huntsville Business Improvement Association,” he adds, “and I help out with their events when I can.”

Between his volunteer commitments and work — he now has three carts, including one at Canadian Tire and one by Price Chopper — Hertell keeps busy. But he says he enjoys the pace of life here.

When asked if he plans to retire in Huntsville, he answers with an emphatic “yes.” However, the timing of his retirement is up in the air.  

Hertell didn’t expect to keep the business this long, but he enjoys it too much to stop. “After nine years I can still get excited about hot dogs,” he says.