The heat is here but Lecoupe Ice of Sudbury will keep you chill
The prediction is hot, humid and hazy. Summer 2024 may set some new weather records if some recent high heat is any indication.
Central air conditioning installation is de rigueur in new construction and all long-term care institutions must have it. Older homes may have window units and heat pumps can cool, too.
Some Sudbury residents, though, have neither. Demands for oscillating fans go through the roof during heat waves. Older adults in older neighbourhoods are particularly vulnerable to the effects of heat.
Consider the impact beyond feeling hot.
“Dehydration," states WebMD, "is dangerous no matter what your age, but seniors are at a greater risk for dehydration than other age groups. Dehydration can happen quicker than you think and can cause damage before you have a chance to rehydrate."
Your kidneys may not work as effectively with age and you become dehydrated much quicker. Medications may also complicate the balance and even dull the trigger feeling of thirst. Dementia or Alzheimer’s can impair the ability to interpret thirst signals.
Preventing dehydration means drinking plenty of water; not coffee or pop. Juice is an option for some but often carries the impact of sugars, sweeteners, and cost.
By drinking water consistently throughout the day you can easily prevent dehydration. If you don’t feel thirsty very often, you can set reminders on your phone. Make sure you drink a certain amount of water each time your alarm goes off.
Warm water just does not cut it. Refrigeration does not always add enough refresh. Adding some ice is just perfect to make any summer drink perfect. To keep things cool, there are standards. Ice is consumed so it is part of the same rules as any foodstuff. Tour the Lecoupe Ice factory and you soon realize ice is not just frozen water.
Winners of a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Bell Business Excellence Award for Service Excellence, Lecoupe Ice has been part of the Sudbury scene since 1945. The third generation of the Mensour family - Alex and Daniel, sister and brother - take care of operations and management.
“I take care of HR, though I studied bio-med," Alex says. "Family businesses have a way of pulling you in. I’d work in the summers and help my aunt with the bookkeeping.
"I’ve been involved since I was a teen, actually. I deal with customers and business growth mostly. It’s nice to take a moment to recognize how far the company has come. It is a legacy.”
President Dan Mensour and his sister Rose represent the second generation of the business and now is Canada’s leading family-owned ice manufacturer. As a wholesaler, it has more than 600 retail, commercial and industrial customers.
Essential to getting things where they need to be is a manager of distribution. Katelyn Marshall’s official title is “deliveries” and you can imagine her head being filled with the logistics of the business.
Ask Rose about the reach of Lecoupe Ice: “We started out on Bessie Street in the West End of Sudbury. Now we service all of Northern Ontario. Just north of Barrie to Timmins, Kap, beyond … it is hard to imagine. My brother has the vision.”
Daniel leads the way to an observation window: “The ice maker operates 24/7. I remember lifting the bags but now we have automated, installing a robot to do some of the heavy and repetitive work. The pallets are loaded with hundreds of seven-pack bags … then it is off to the freezer.”
A barrier excludes people from the stacking and wrapping process.
Daniel went to school for business technology management, but he can even get a delivery truck back on the road, as well as do programming and maintenance.
“We are part of the International Packaged Ice Association, it is regulated, has audits and we have weekly product testing.”
Alex and Daniel remind me that they moved out of the McKim site and into this current facility three years ago.
“We were right in the early days of COVID and in the process of transferring production here," Dan said. "It was a challenge. We have three trucks on the road today. In the heat of summer, there can be eight.
"The demand spikes. Word of mouth has built our customer base. Excellent service has allowed us to grow. We have never done much marketing. It is a product in demand. Special events or a freezer maintenance issue can make for busy days.”
Alex smiles at memories of summers past.
“When the weather gets warmer, it is like a light switch. Keeping up with the calls from corner stores, grocery stores, all seem to come at once. But we know this will happen every summer. Remember, ice was once a luxury.”
Canadians now rely on refrigeration.
“We filter out the snow and small pieces and hydraulically compress it for those who go hunting, fishing, camping and use it for cooling not necessarily consumption,” says Daniel, pointing out a separate system of the packaging line. “Ice and cold enhances all beverages, Think of Scotch on the Rocks.”
Speaking of cocktails, Lecoupe has launched Luxury Ice Balls in specialty packaging. The investment in unique machinery and labour makes this a premium creation.
“Wait until you see them. They are an impressive product,” smiles Daniel.
Check out their “Ice party calculator” to take the puzzling out of “How much ice do I need?” at www.lecoupeice.com/ice-calculator.
The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.
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Hugh Kruzel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Sudbury Star
