Log n’ Rail bar back in action
By Rachel Fraser
Valemount’s oldest bar is once again serving drinks. The Log and Rail bar in the Valemount Hotel re-opened for business June 30th, after having its liquor license suspended a year ago. James Chen, owner of the hotel says that since the suspension, he has cut ties with his previous partners and moved forward as the sole owner and operator, working with the Liquor Board to qualify to be re-licensed.
Patrons visiting the bar since the re-opening will be familiar with Wesley Shinn, head bartender and boots-on-the-ground operator. After being evacuated to Valemount from Jasper during the wildfire, Shinn stuck around and decided to look for work. Finding himself temporarily accommodated in room 3 of the hotel, he noticed the closed bar and wanted to find a way to get it open again. Eventually, he just dropped a resume off at the front desk, offering to take it on.
The timing was perfect, and two weeks later he was in there cleaning it up, preparing to open.
Christine Surakka, who operates the Oasis Hotel, bar and liquor store in Cache Creek for Chen, came out for three days to set Shinn up and give him a crash course on how to run the bar. She has since been overseeing operations remotely, and said that between the two of them, things are running well.
“Wesley has been fantastic.”
In addition to running the bar, Shinn is also working on updating the space with paint and minor renovations, and has a lot of ideas for improvements to the sound and equipping the games room.
“I don’t want to change it too much, cause this bar is historic, right? Just a little lipstick on it”
Business has been a bit slow to ramp up as locals catch on that it is open, and they do the bulk of their business after 8pm, particularly as restaurants close and send their leftover guests Shinn’s way. Now it’s shoulder season, Shinn said, but they’ve hosted a few parties, such as engagement parties and stag and stagettes, that have brought in lucrative business. And they’re looking forward to snowmobile season.
They are working on a gambling license and are in the process of bringing in Keno machines, a lottery-like gambling game that is popular in bars and casinos, as well as Pacific Hold’em poker machines. They also plan to host live music and karaoke.
“There’s a lot of potential,” Surakka said. “Wesley wants to jump into things, but you’ve got to take it step by step.”
While the hotel has mostly been operating continuously, Chen closed it briefly for some renovations. He had the carpet removed, and installed new plank flooring throughout, as well as replaced the beds and bedding.
He is also planning some work to the exterior wall on the train side to reduce the train noise for guests, as that has been a source of complaints.
Regarding the former liquor store, Chen said the liquor license required to operate a liquor store is too expensive to justify re-opening it in the now-empty retail space. He said the 14-room hotel is too small to sustain it and would rather see a grocery store in the space as the coolers and similar infrastructure are already in place.
Shinn said he’s hoping for an off-sales license and to soon be able to sell sealed alcoholic beverages to take away, which could meet some of that demand.
The Log and Rail is currently open seven days a week, 4pm to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, and 2pm to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays.
