Since 1993, Randy Nickle has been a familiar name in Kenora as the Owner of A&W Kenora. However, his history with A&W started well before then, in 1982, when he was as an Operating Partner in Thunder Bay, then moving to Brandon, and eventually bringing his experience to Kenora. His wife, Lori, who was born and raised in Kenora, has long supported the business behind the scenes, particularly with bookkeeping. Their youngest son, Taylor, followed in his father’s footsteps. After time spent in in Fort McMurray and Saskatchewan, Taylor bought the A&W store in Dryden in 2015. By 2019, Taylor and his wife Nicole made the decision to sell the Dryden store and returned to Kenora and bought 50% of the store, with plans to eventually take over from Randy and Lori. The entire Nickle family have become passionate supporters of local causes that make life better for everyone, especially those who need it most.
Over the years, Randy and Lori have participated in a number of hospital fundraising initiatives, like the Tree of Life campaign, making steady contributions where they could. But something about the Beyond The Scan Campaign struck a deeper chord with the promise of donation matching. “Someone bold enough to say they’d match donations — that really inspired us,” said Randy. “The commitment from another organization was a tremendous bonus and we knew this was something we could participate in and help make some monumental change in Kenora.” Thanks to the FDC Foundation’s matching opportunity, A&W Kenora and the Nickle family made a generous $25,000 donation to the campaign.
“The Beyond the Scan Campaign was an important contribution, because this community is very special to us,” said Taylor. “People from Kenora get behind each other through many different endeavours to support each other whenever they can. We have always had a great connection to the city and what it means to us. Having the scans here in our hospital will be such an amazing thing for the community. No longer will we need to travel these dangerous highways in order to get the appointments we need for our health. We can stay close to the comfort of our homes when going through some of the tougher parts of our lives.”
With both Lori and Randy having had to travel out of town to Thunder Bay and Winnipeg for MRIs and medical care, the Nickles know firsthand how challenging it can be, particularly for seniors who may not have family support. “Any improvement to our hospital helps our entire community,” says Lori. “Especially the vulnerable.”
During Randy’s own cancer treatment, he rented a place in Winnipeg to avoid constant back-and-forth travel. “It was tough having to live away from home.” Today, he’s cancer-free and grateful for the ability to enjoy life with his grandchildren, all seven of them, who visit during the summer at the family’s lake camp. “We enjoy spending time together and make lots of good memories here,” he says.
A deep appreciation for community has always driven the Nickles. Randy has served on the Harbourfest committee, chaired tourism efforts through the City of Kenora, and was part of the Economic Development Commission (EDC). “Fundraising is at the heart of so much that happens in our communities,” Randy says. “You create excitement for what you’re trying to achieve, and people rally behind that.”
That community spirit is on full display during A&W Kenora’s annual fundraiser for the MS Society. For the last five years, the Kenora location has ranked #1 in Canada out of 1,000 stores — a point of pride for the entire team. “We’re lucky,” says Randy. “Kenora steps up.”
Now, the Nickles are stepping up for something else: better healthcare close to home. “We’re proud to support this hospital campaign,” Lori says. “It’s our way of saying thank you to the community that has supported us.”
Randy adds, “There’s so much love for this town. People want to see it thrive. When opportunities to help come along — let’s just make it happen.”