In preparation for opening when pandemic protocols permit, the new Sprig of Heather restaurant at R.J. Haney Heritage Village & Museum has applied for a liquor licence.
City council added its support to the application at a recent council meeting.
General manager Susan Mackie said staff are now on site, getting ready to open the park for the season, while making sure they can do so safely. No definite date has been set yet as they await provincial guidelines.
She suggested people check Haney’s website at www.salmonarmmuseum.org for updates.
Mackie spoke enthusiastically of the Sprig of Heather, which has a seating capacity of 145 inside and out to match seating for the dinner theatre. She referred to its beautiful 40-by-40 foot covered pavilion in the heart of the public garden.
She is also looking forward to the opening of the new Children’s Museum & Discovery Centre. Water-themed, its attractions will include a salmon pinball machine, a nature exploration area, a story telling and reading circle, a miniature First Nations winter home, a train table, a water wall with pump and a loading crane for a dock.
Read more: Children’s discovery centre, new restaurant planned for RJ Haney Heritage Village
Read more: Water theme, pinball and fun to flow through Salmon Arm’s new Children’s Museum
Mackie mentioned that one of the challenges for Haney and other museums during the pandemic is keeping the various exhibits sanitized without damaging the collection.
Regarding the liquor licence, Mackie explained that along with a Primary Food Licence application for the Sprig of Heather, Haney has applied for a Patron Participation Entertainment Endorsement.
In years past, the village has operated liquor sales by applying for a special event permit for each community event such as the dinner theatre and the burger and beer event, while clients applied for their own permits for private functions. The new licence will mean Haney won’t have to apply for each permit separately.
Mackie noted that with the new licence, if live music were being played and people danced, for instance, it would not be breaking the liquor licence.
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