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Antenna sprawl could be curtailed Local governments win consultation for cell tower placement
Gary Lindsay, owner of Driftwood Brewery in the Rock Bay neighbourhood, holds one of the popular growler bottles and a glass of beer next to the bottling line in his brewery on Hillside Avenue.
Daniel Palmer News staff
Sharon Tiffin/News staff
Province growls at brewery tax loophole Fans of refillable beer product likely to pay packaged price soon Daniel Palmer News staff
It’s Friday afternoon at the corner of Bridge and David streets in Victoria’s Rock Bay neighbourhood. Five-ton trucks rumble by steel-fenced industrial warehouses, while a steady rush of patrons dutifully file through unmarked doors carrying what look like old moonshine bottles. Inside, staff at the neighbouring Hoyne and Driftwood breweries can barely keep pace with demand for a 19th-century tradition that’s been revived in recent
years, a result of the proliferation of craft brewing in the Capital Region. Sold by most breweries for a one-time price of $5, growlers are 1.8-litre glass jugs that can be filled and refilled for about $10 onsite. While only slightly cheaper than an average six-pack at the liquor store, growler use has exploded in popularity for obvious reasons, said Gary Lindsay, Driftwood brewery owner. “It’s like going to a bakery to get your bread or to a marketplace that has their own farm,” he said. “Anything that connects people to the source of what they’re buying, it means a lot more to them.” Brewery owners also keep more revenue from growler sales. B.C.’s Liquor Distribution Branch takes a lower mark-up on draught than on packaged beer sales, a
difference of .28 cents per litre. But on April 1, the LDB will begin siphoning those savings back into government coffers, arguing patrons are consuming the beer off-site so the draught rate shouldn’t apply. Local brewers can’t predict if the change will impact their bottom line, but the cost will undoubtedly be passed on to the customer. That doesn’t bode well for brewery regulars like Peggy Leonard, a 40-something Victoria resident who fills up two growlers every weekend. “If I’m going to somebody’s house, I’ll bring a growler and everybody wants to try it,” Leonard said, adding a higher price may impact her love for takeaway draught. PLEASE SEE: Brewers growling, Page A6
Score one for the little guy. The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, which oversees the industry, bowed to public pressure and agreed that telecoms should consult municipalities before installing new cell towers. Municipalities can now make nonbinding suggestions for optimal placement and esthetics of the towers, the federal body ruled last week. The move is being celebrated by Esquimalt Coun. Dave Hodgins, who brought the resolution forward at last October’s Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in Victoria. “It’s going to be in our municipal jurisdiction, so we need to be involved in the conversation,” he said. As cell towers become more densely located in urban areas, discussions on esthetic integration are becoming more popular, Hodgins said. “We should be looking at hidden design,” he said. Last year, Vancouver considered replacing new cell towers with V-poles – concept streetlamps that include Wi-Fi, cell towers and even electric vehicle charging stations. dpalmer@vicnews.com