THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1580 – Posted on: 10-May-2021
BREWERY “HOP”PENINGS! Bushwakker Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports our brand new Mexican Lime Radler, Tart Cherry & Raspberry fruit beer, Red Currant Ale and Chinook ESB seasonal brews are currently available in our offsale cooler. There are also many other beers available including a West Coast IPA, Irish Red Ale, Brown, Blonde, Pilsener, Vienna, Pale Ale and a Porter. Keg fills are also available at this time. Sorry no growler fills until we can turn on the taps again when the health order changes and we are permitted to resume some form of in-house dining.
Our brand new MEXICAN LIME RADLER was released on May 5th as part of our Cinco de Mayo Event. We may have just discovered our most quenching and refreshing summertime brew to date!
In addition to taking our beer home in glass bottles and 2 litre jugs direct from our pub, you can find a varying selection of 650 ml bottles of Bushwakker beer in ALL SIX REGINA SLGA stores.
Our brand new Bushwakker Online Ordering Page is now live on our website! You can order everything from our food menu as well as our Bushwakker brews and even select the time you’d like to pick up your order. Visit https://bushwakker.com/shop-2021/and give it a try! Of course, you can continue to place your orders by calling us at 306-359-7276. We still love to hear your friendly voices. Thanks for your support everyone!
Our CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL will be available for takeout this Saturday, May 8th. Instead of a pint of Bushwakker brew, you receive a 650ml glass bottle. Our Monday and Wednesday WINGS & A PINT SPECIAL and Tuesday PIZZA & A PINT SPECIAL are also available with a takeout 650ml bottle of fine Bushwakker brew!
The Bushwakker LOCAL ARTIST WALL for the month of May features the works of KEVIN DOWLER.
Kevin likes to take pictures. Everywhere from a dark basement to a bright mountain top, there is always an attention catching composition to capture. Kevin has been involved in photography since his teen years; starting his craft in a film-based darkroom to working in today’s digital darkroom. For him, photography is a three-step process that includes capturing an image, developing it, and making it into a final print. Resulting in every print being unique. Kevin grew up in New Jersey and has continued to grow his craft in Western Canada. He studied journalism in Alberta and has worked as a journalist and photographer for newspapers and magazines. This career path brought him to Saskatchewan where he has made Regina his home for the past 25 years.
Enjoy Kevin’s vibrant and varied works all this month!
Our CINCO DE MAYO EVENT began on May 5th and was very well received. The Tamales Trio has proven to be a particularly popular dish as has the Cinnamon Churros with Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce and our brand new MEXICAN LIME RADLER! Quantities are limited. Call 306-359-7276 to place your orders. Open 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM. Thanks for your support Regina!
BUSHWAKKER “NEW NORMAL” NOTES
New Expanded Hours of Operation! We will now offer our takeout food and beer Monday to Saturday from 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM. We are closed on Sundays for now. Call 306-359-7276 to place your orders or visit our new online ordering page at https://bushwakker.com/shop-2021/
We kindly ask you place your takeout orders ahead of time by calling us at 306-359-7276 so that we can have your order ready upon your arrival. There is no seating available within the pub but we have placed various physically-distanced X’s throughout the pub where you can wait for your order. Just stand on a red “X” and we will inform you when your order is ready. We also can provide curbside pickup. Just let us know when you will be arriving at out back door and we’ll run it out to you. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Please continue to practice safe health and social distancing practices. Remain connected to one another and to us! In addition to this weekly newsletter, we are very active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check-in with us often as we navigate these continually evolving times together. Try to support local businesses whenever possible. Be vigilant in your resolve to protect yourselves which in turn will protect others. Please don’t let your guard DOWN so we can open back up!
On May 4th the government of Saskatchewan announced their Three Step Plan on how the province will reopen. Your Bushwakker and all Regina restaurants and pubs most likely will not be permitted to offer in-house dining until enough residents have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Step One can begin once three weeks have passed since 70 per cent of people age 40 and over have received their first dose. Currently, 65 per cent of people over 40 have received their first dose in Saskatchewan. This step includes the reopening of restaurants and bars with a maximum of six people to a table. The province estimates this step could begin in the last week of May.
Regina restaurants & bars hopeful, but frustrated with public health measures
Marc Smith CTV News
REGINA — The Government of Saskatchewan has provided residents with a roadmap to reopening through vaccinations, but locked down restaurants and bars in Regina were hoping help would come a bit sooner.
“It’s extremely challenging right now,” Grant Frew, bar manager at Bushwakker Brewpub, told CTV News on Wednesday. “We’re trying to hang on and I know there’s a lot of restaurants that are in worse positions than we are, we’ve got 30 years of experience in Regina and if we’re struggling, I just wonder what is happening for other restaurants.”
The province tightened public health measures in the Regina area in late March, including prohibiting in-person dining at restaurants and bars, which remain open in all other regions.
Over the past week, case numbers and hospitalizations have stabilized in Regina and with that, Frew was hopeful that restaurants and bars would receive the green light to return to in-person dining by next week, when the current measures are set to expire.
During Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, Dr. Saqib Shahab said the province wasn’t considering changing restrictions before the end of May.
“Pubs and restaurants, in addition to having great food and great beer, it’s also about the ambiance and interacting with the server and the pub experience, takeout is just not working,” Frew said.
“It seems very unfair that Regina restaurants are still locked down when our case numbers are going down and other cities and towns are allowed to still have in-house dining.”
Grant Frew, bar manager at Buskwakker Brewpub, speaks with an employee on Wednesday. (Marc Smith/CTV News)
In last week’s Physicians Town Hall, the Saskatchewan Health Authority presented a slide showing that 66 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the province are coming from household contacts, while just six per cent are from social/entertainment and four percent from retail/other business.
Frew said Bushwakker operated safely when open and he’s confident they can continue to keep the public safe if allowed to reopen.
“We were down from about 50 tables to 19 with the three meters apart and all of the sanitizing protocols that we had in place, I heard time and again from our customers how safe they felt coming here,” he said.
ROADMAP TO REOPENING PROVIDES LIGHT AT THE END OF TUNNEL
On Tuesday, the provincial government revealed its roadmap to reopening, which is targeting the end of May for the first loosening of restrictions – three weeks after it hits 70 per cent of residents 40-and-over with one dose of vaccine.
The three-step plan is based around vaccination rates with more restrictions being removed at each step.
Infectious disease physician Dr. Alex Wong said the plan provides residents with hope.
“Trying to incentivize everyone to get vaccinated as a way to move forward towards having more personal freedom is something that we can all agree upon, regardless of where you are in terms of your person or political philosophies,” Dr. Wong said.
“Go get vaccinated,” she said. “That will be the determinant for reopening but also to reduce the strain on our health system.”
To date, 66 per cent of residents 40-and-over have received their first dose and 45 per cent of all adults in the province have been given a shot.
Modelling from the federal government last month indicated provinces should wait until 75 per cent of adults have received one dose and 20 per cent have been fully vaccinated before removing restrictions.
Public health experts have also suggested that due to the increased transmissibility of the variants of concern, a higher target may be needed.
“Based on what we’re seeing out of the U.S., U.K., Israel and other places, the vaccine seems to be working really, really good,” Dr. Wong said. “Obviously we want as much uptake as possible, but I don’t think the [70 per cent] number is dangerous or unreasonable.”
Dr. Wong credits the province for the progress it has made so far on its vaccine rollout, but cautions that it may approach a wall soon as it work will need to be done to vaccinate people currently hesitant and those without the ability to go to a drive-thru or an appointment.
“It’s not a given by any means that we’re going to easily be able to get to 70 per cent and if we set the number higher than that, it just means that there is a more aspirational goal, but the government probably wants something that they think is reasonably achievable,” Dr. Wong said.
Dr. Wong added he’s hopeful that Regina is through its surge in cases and Saskatoon seems to avoided the massive spike that the capital city saw, which could put Saskatchewan in a good position moving forward.
“Maybe an additional six to eight weeks of vaccine into arms across the rest of the province is helping to play a role… honestly I certainly hope that is the case because it would mean we’re not going to see the same surge that we’ve seen in Regina,” he said.
Saskatchewan’s reopening plan is targeting the middle of July for a removal of most public health measures if 70 per cent of adults are vaccinated.
Frew said he’s hopeful the province’s plan works and Bushwakker can return to full capacity this summer.
“I think it’s a little aggressive, but it’s nice to have some positive feelings in a time like this.”
TIME OUT
Three women: one engaged, one married and one a mistress, are chatting about their relationships and decided they needed to spice up their love lives. All three agreed to wear black leather bras, stiletto heels and a mask over their eyes that evening with their respective lovers. After a few days they meet up for lunch and compared notes.
The engaged woman: “The other night when my boyfriend came over he found me with a black leather bodice, tall stilettos and a mask. He saw me and said, ‘You are the woman of my life. I love you.’ Then we made love all night long.”
The mistress: “Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing the leather bodice, heels, mask over my eyes and a raincoat. When I opened the raincoat he didn’t say a word, but we had wild sex all night.”
The married woman: “I sent the kids to stay at my mother’s house for the night when my husband came home I was wearing the leather bodice, black stockings, stilettos and a mask over my eyes. As soon as he came in the door and saw me he said, ‘What’s for dinner, Batman?'”
