in the process of brewing beer. “I’ll always remember that time, 1976-1977,” she laughs colourfully, “because I had an obsession with Elton John, and that was the year he announced his sexual orientation. I just thought – ‘man, there goes my chance!’ I just wanted to marry him – that’s all. Nothing else.”
Despite her tough exterior, Monette admits that being in the position she’s in isn’t always easy – nor is dealing with tough brewers. “Being the GM means that you stick your hands in a little bit of every area of the business. I’ve waitressed, bartended,
“I distinctly remember some people ... said to me as they were leaving … ‘this was just like a house party! This was great!’ ... at night as we’re closing, they’ll say ‘good night, we will see you soon.’ You always know that they’ll be back. And I think that’s the true test.” When they returned to Canada, Monette’s father began immediate work on the construction of a brewpub in Regina, and as a result, began Monette’s career in the brewing industry. An interest in brewing beer and running a pub was never high on Monette’s career list, she’ll admit, but out of loyalty to her family she got involved in the restaurant during its inception in 1990 – and has been there ever since. “I was working as a babysitter then, and I remember bringing the kids in with me every day, babysitting them in the restaurant while it was under construction. My mom, (interviewee Elaine Robertson), was the GM at the time and she did the books, but also had a lot of other responsibilities. I was steadfast with my argument; I was not going to be the one in charge. I didn’t want to be. I was going to be the office manager, but then over time I was always the one who was there during the day. I ended up in the industry, as General Manager, for that reason. I was always dealing with all the businesses, the repairman, the construction guys; anyone who would come in during the day.” Monette’s changeover in the brewing industry, although accidental, seems to have been for a reason. With a firm but whip-smart and sarcastic attitude, she has the disposition necessary to run a business – and her keen eye for detail and memory of particulars are scarily accurate. Monette’s mother puts it best. “I couldn’t have done any of this without Kelly,” exclaims Robertson. “Kelly is … she’s not perfect of course, but she does everything. I would never be able to do what Kelly does, especially in the office. She’s got a mind for numbers and history. She remembers everything. She could probably tell you how much we were charging for chicken wings when we opened – or something crazy like that. She’s sharp when it comes to details, big or small.” As a woman in the manager position, her quick smarts and intelligence have allowed the pub success for many years. When asked by customers and staff alike, Monette can list off the dates of important events in the brewpub’s history, numbers the pub brought in in the late 90s, and years that big changes happened under her management. “At one point in my career, I was forced to fire everybody in the kitchen and start from scratch. It was right after 9/11 happened. I ended up firing everybody except for two staff in the kitchen. Right after that, Mike (Monette’s husband and the restaurant chef) came back to help at the restaurant, and he’s been back ever since.”
bussed, everything. Although, I’ve never really worked in the brewery, even though it’s such a huge part of what we do. And I’ll tell you why. It takes a certain kind of person to brew beer, and let’s just say you need to have a thick skin to work with some of the people in the industry – and I do, but I just decided it wasn’t for me. I keep my distance from that part of it – and we have a brewer now who’s great and who gets the job done right, so why would I get my hands in there? I would just get in the way now. But yes, in the past, there have been some brewers who I had no interest in dealing with. They can be a bit self-centered, to say the least.” Once so quick to get out of the photos and away from the spotlight, Monette ends up having a lot to say once you get her going – and she doesn’t beat around the bush, either. Before she takes off for the day, she puts in a few final words about her affection for the industry. “Mike and I, we’re here to stay. This is our place now. He’s got his hands in the kitchen, I manage the rest, and we do well together. Before, we had talked about possibly starting a place in the Cathedral area, a kind of soup and sandwich bar because I get stupidly happy when I’m making bread, and Mike, well … he’s a genius with soup. But taking over managing the place, and especially now since my parents are slowly moving out of the business, we know we’re here to stay. It’s our place, and we’ve got a good thing happening here.” Before Monette, an equally strong-willed and tough-as-nails woman ran the roost – her mother Elaine Robertson. Robertson is The Bushwakker Brewpub General Manager Emeritus, and her list of accolades runs far longer than a page. Robertson continues to contribute to the functions of the brewpub, assisting the staff with her years of knowledge and helping to make things run smoothly for both the staff and customer. Although she has come to give presentations on brewpub management at international brewpub meetings and now has three generations of family working in the industry, Robertson’s initial transition into the industry wasn’t an easy one. Growing up in the small town of Keswick, New Brunswick, she took immediately to secondary education post-high school. Graduating with a background in sociology and special education, she spent much of her career as a teacher and knew very little about the hospitality industry. “I wasn’t the least bit interested in brewing beer. But when my husband started to do it, the brewery was right in my house. I was so allergic to hops, and when the fellows came to brew, I had to leave during that time in the brewing process. We had a bungalow so the smell was everywhere. I never knew who I was going to meet in the hall – there were people always coming and going, opening the drawers and looking for things. My goodness, it was driving me nuts. I was a special education teacher at the time, and I was quite happy to get FOR SASKATCHEWAN WOMEN
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