The Rusted Rake Farm Eatery is set to close on Sunday, Sept. 8 as the owners lose another battle with the province. (Rusted Rake Farm/Facebook)

By Spencer Sterritt

farm to table

Nanoose Bay restaurant to close after losing ongoing battle with provincial land commission

Sep 6, 2019 | 8:37 AM

NANAIMO — The owners of a beloved Nanoose Bay restaurant are fed up after being dealt another blow in a battle with the province over how their business operates.

Will Gemmell and Jodie Lucas, owner of Rusted Rake Farm and the restaurant on their lands on Northwest Bay Rd., announced Friday, Sept. 6 their recent denial from the Agricultural Land Commission to expand with a brewery was too much to bear.

The eatery will close for the last time at the end of Sunday, Sept. 8, after what they called a “long and tiresome battle” in a social media post on Friday.

In comments to NanaimoNewsNOW on Friday, Gemmell said they believed they had provided enough support to the commission to show how the area was ripe for an eatery and brewery. They had already planted two acres of barley and estimated they’d spent roughly $300,000 on equipment.

Gemmell said the denial on Thursday deflated his and Lucas’ moral and the couple is now contemplating how to move the Nanoose Bay farm forward.

VEHICLES DAMAGED

Man facing charges after over 20 vehicles had tires slashed in downtown Nanaimo

11h ago

lasting legacy

Former B.C. premier John Horgan dies aged 65, after third bout with cancer

11h ago

batten down the hatches

Wind warning issued for mid-Island ahead of 'blustery' Pacific storm

13h ago

The commission’s decision said “farming must come first” and the operation of the eatery and brewery was no longer secondary to farm operations.

“There is not a sufficient amount of agriculture to support a restaurant of the Eatery’s size and scale given the number of seats and its hours of operation,” the decision said.

“The Panel finds the farm has become ancillary to the Eatery, rather than vice versa.”

The commission said another issue was the lack of regional government support for the Rusted Rake Farm eatery.

The decision said the restaurant was built without proper zoning, permits or inspections and Gemmell and Lucas “intentionally proceeded” with building the eatery despite knowing it wasn’t permitted.

A restaurant and brewery could still be a possibility if their farm activities grow enough to reach the requirements for supplemental activities on the property, the commission said.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit