About Us

To understand the heart of Snowshoe Diner, you have to start with the woman whose spirit still warms every corner of it: Grandma Mary Jane Jones. Born on August 16, 1946, in the small village of Fort Good Hope, she grew up surrounded by the steady hum of her family’s fur-trading business. Her father, Albert Martin, was known across the territory as a successful and deeply respected businessman, providing Mary Jane with not only a stable upbringing but also a front-row seat to the world of entrepreneurship. Even as a child, she dreamed of one day running something of her own — not for the money, but for the joy of serving her community.

As she grew older, Mary Jane discovered a natural talent for baking. Her breads, bannock, and sweet buns became local favorites long before she ever had a storefront. Fueled by youthful confidence and a growing reputation, she opened her very first bakery in 1967, at just 21 years old. For a time, it flourished — a bright little shop filled with warmth, stories, and the smell of rising dough. But running a business in the North was never easy, especially for a young woman starting out, and by 1969, she was forced to close its doors.

Mary Jane never gave up. She worked a string of jobs throughout the 1970s, from cooking in camps to helping manage small shops around the Mackenzie River. During this time, she married Robert Jones in 1970, and together they welcomed two daughters: Mary Ann in 1972, and Tracy in 1976. Even while raising her family, Mary Jane held tight to her dream of owning a place that carried her stamp — a place built on warmth, good food, and northern hospitality.

Her opportunity came unexpectedly. After her father’s passing, Mary Jane inherited his estate. Instead of keeping it for comfort, she used it to take one last chance at her lifelong dream. On November 25th, 1987, at the age of 41, she opened Snowshoe Diner — this time with the full support of Robert and the helping hands of her two young daughters.

After Snowshoe Diner opened its doors in 1987, success came swiftly. Locals embraced the warm meals and familiar faces, while travelers found comfort in a true northern gathering place. In those first few years, Mary Jane continued shaping the business into something deeply rooted in the community — shifting toward locally sourced ingredients, supporting neighborhood farmers, and building partnerships that kept the diner authentically connected to Fort Good Hope.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, a new generation had already begun to form around the diner. Mary Jane’s daughters, Mary Ann and Tracy, each found their own path within (and eventually outside) the family business. Mary Ann officially joined the diner at 17 in 1989, while her younger brother Nicholas — born in 1983 — started helping in the kitchen at just 13 years old in 1996. Tracy, ambitious and driven by other aspirations, stepped away from the diner at 16 to pursue greater economic opportunities, though her ties to the business never fully faded.

In 1995, Mary Ann married Wayne Monroe, and four years later Wayne joined the Snowshoe Diner team after losing his previous job. Their son, Tyler Monroe, arrived in 2004 — and from early childhood, he showed a remarkable love for cooking, often standing on a stool beside his grandmother to watch her prepare food for the diner.

After nearly two decades of steady operations, the diner faced its first major crisis on June 7th, 2007. A kitchen left briefly unattended led to a fire that destroyed the entire right side of the building. Even after repairs, equipment failures persisted for months. In 2009, soaring food costs and dwindling funds forced the diner to close temporarily for two months. But the community it had served for so long stepped in — donating time, money, and materials — and by late 2009 Snowshoe Diner reopened, stronger and more supported than ever.

Tragedy struck again in 2015 when the family learned that Mary Jane had breast cancer. She fought bravely for several years before passing on May 4th, 2021, leaving the diner in the care of Mary Ann. Tracy, who had built a successful life outside the business, returned in late 2020 with her husband, Herbert Combs, to help during Mary Jane’s final months and remained after her passing.

Then, in 2024, the family suffered another heartbreaking loss. Mary Ann stepped away from the business in August due to chronic heart failure and passed on October 23rd, 2024. Ownership then went to Tracy, who now leads Snowshoe Diner into a new era — supported by Nicholas, Wayne, Tyler, and Herbert, a five-person team carrying forward a legacy built over generations.

Today, Snowshoe Diner honors its past while stepping boldly into the future — including its move toward a growing online presence, guided with care and determination by Tracy and her family.