A long-time local business owner is struggling to obtain a liquor licence on Powell River’s favourite playground, despite fitting the guidelines. Now, he has enlisted the help of local leaders to bring a liquor outlet to Savary Island.
Bruce Brown has run the Savary Island General Store, along with Rigger’s Pub-Style Family Restaurant, for 23 years. He has been attempting to gain permission to sell liquor that people can take outside the store for just as long.
“They did have criteria that disqualified Savary for a long time,” said Brown. These criteria included 350 full-time permanent residents and community indicators such as a church and a school.
In 2012, the criteria were changed to accommodate rural communities and resort towns. Savary seemed to fit the new requirements. It served a trading area of more than 200 persons and had shown its economic viability by being in business for over 20 years.
The application was still refused, on the grounds that the proposed location was fewer than 10 kilometres from the nearest rural agency store at the Lund Hotel.
As the Liquor Distribution Branch criteria specifically reads, a proposed location must be “a minimum of 10 kilometres driving distance ... where access is by all-weather road” from any other liquor stores. Since Savary Island is only accessible by boat, Brown feels it should be exempt from the criteria.
Still, even with the help of a lawyer, Brown’s application has been denied five times.
Brown is not without support though. The Powell River Regional District will be considering a motion to support Brown at the board’s August 22 meeting.
He is also backed by Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, after sending him a letter asking for his help.
“The General Store has been trying to get approval ... for quite a while,” Simons said in a statement. “My office has been assisting the applicant with the process and will continue to offer assistance as required.”
A letter sent to the Liquor Distribution Branch by Simons in late July was met with the same refusal Brown had experienced previously. “The distance requirement is an important element in defining a rural community,” read the letter, which was signed by director Gary Branham. “Savary Island has been assessed, reviewed and reassessed a number of times with the same result.”
Brown’s establishment already serves as a volunteer unofficial recycling centre, but this sometimes puts a strain on the business. In a week alone, Brown received over 1,300 bottles, which he then had to barge to the mainland and drive to the recycling centre.
“How many liquor stores do people pass from Vancouver all the way up to Savary? We’re the last stop and we’re getting all the empties,” said Brown.
These empties come without economic benefit. Brown said they take hours to organize and barge across the water.
The only current option for alcohol on Savary besides bringing it onto the island is to buy a restaurant-priced beer and meal at Riggers, which has held a licence for 15 years.
Brown said he is constantly asked by customers at Riggers why he can’t do off-sales so they can bring liquor off the premises. He has started a petition backing the idea that already has more than 200 signatures, and has amassed multiple letters of support.
Some do ask why Savary needs a liquor outlet, but Brown said having alcohol at the store will pave the way to it carrying more products and running for a longer season.
“It’s not like I’m trying to get this gigantic liquor depot going,” said Brown. “I’m just trying to compliment my grocery business so we can have more selection.”
Most of all, a liquor store would add convenience. “People come to Savary as prepared as they can, but there’s only so much you can do,” Brown explained. He added that tourists often arrive not knowing that alcohol isn’t available.
Buying more liquor involves paying for a water taxi back to town, and fighting to pay for a parking space, explained Brown.
At this point, he said he’s at a loss with what to do. “I can only speculate why they keep refusing,” he said, “because I’m not getting a lot of clear answers.”
