Meet 'Uncle Jimmy' who's been serving ice cream in Toronto since the 60s
CBC
He may be 84, but James Vavaroutsos has been serving Torontonians ice cream for as long as he's been in the city — and he has no intention of stopping anytime soon.
Vavaroutsos immigrated to Toronto from Greece in 1964 and has been running Uncle Jimmy's Ice Cream Truck ever since.
"I love my job," Vavaroutsos told CBC Toronto.
"People love me, I love the people, too," he said. "[Someone] asked me when I'll quit. I said, 'When my feet collapse."
Vavaroutsos used to drive around downtown serving up cones, but now he usually stays parked at Front and John streets, where the customers come to him.
And he takes great pride in his ice cream, using fresh cream and fresh milk with none of that "powder stuff," he says.
Vavaroutsos says he could retire, but still runs the truck as a "hobby." Besides, he says, he loves being around people, especially since his wife died.
"I'm alone now, but I love my job," he said. "If I stay home in the couch, I don't think I'm going to live long."
"When you love something, you're not lazy. You're doing the right job."