It鈥檚 official. Anyone in the North Island can now easily get a Big Mac and fries without having to drive 2.5 hours to Campbell River.

McDonald鈥檚 opened bright and early at 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning in Port Hardy, but only after holding a special 鈥淔amily and VIP Night鈥� the previous evening.

If you鈥檙e wondering what was going on at 鈥淔amily and VIP Night鈥�, Grimace and Birdie were both in the house mingling with the roughly 30-50 people who were invited, there were cupcakes and balloons, and everyone was busy ordering McDonald鈥檚 meals for dinner.

鈥淚t was a full house,鈥� confirmed North Island Gazette Publisher Natasha Griffiths, who was in attendance. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting to have McDonald鈥檚 come to our community and getting to see Port Hardy grow.鈥�

Andrew Warner was at McDonald鈥檚 with his sons Kayas and Kane on Wednesday afternoon for lunch. Warner has lived in Port Hardy for 10 years now, and he said he thinks that a McDonald鈥檚 opening here is exciting because it 鈥渓eads you to believe there鈥檚 more things that are coming.鈥�

Kayas and Kane added they love to eat at McDonald鈥檚.

鈥淓verytime we go down island we always have to go to McDonald鈥檚,鈥� said Kayas, who was pleased he was finally able to get it locally.

McDonald鈥檚 is already giving back to the community, promising to donate one dollar from the sale of every Big Mac this Friday to Sunday to the Port Hardy Hospital Auxiliary Society.

鈥淓very dollar we receive goes directly back into our North Island emergency services,鈥� confirmed the society in a social media post.

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