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Canteen on the Green rejuvenates Stevens’ spirits

New venture and partnership cooked up with the Mount Brenton Golf Club
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Julie Stevens is looking forward to opening Canteen on the Green at the Mount Brenton Golf Club. (Photo by Don Bodger)

There’s a new door to open for Julie Stevens after closing another one.

A well-known and active Chemainus business person at the Maple Lane Cafe since October of 2012, she was sad to leave the establishment but happy to be starting a new enterprise as the Mount Brenton Golf Club’s food and beverage manager and opening Canteen on the Green next month.

“It’s what I love to do,” Stevens said. “I love to make people happy with food. It’s a win-win really. I’m not leaving Chemainus. I’m still serving the community.”

She continues to live in Nanaimo, having relocated there from Gabriola Island in 1991, but has been entrenched in business in Chemainus for 10 years overall.

It’s been a labour of love at the Maple Lane Cafe, but restrictions since COVID that hit a year ago made it impossible for Stevens to break even with the business at the very least. She continued to provide take-out and delivery meals primarily to seniors.

“It was a good service to the community, for sure,” said Stevens. “I would do it in a heartbeat if they need it. It was more or less a volunteer service.”

Feb. 28 was the last day for the Maple Lane Cafe.

“I actually cried when I left,” Stevens conceded.

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But it’s on to a new opportunity that has her excited. Canteen on the Green is expected to be in full operation by mid-April, with a soft opening possibly a little earlier.

“I think I would have stayed (at Maple Lane Cafe) if this hadn’t been such an amazing offer because I’m not a quitter,” Stevens said. “It was a no-brainer. Just to be able to do what I love to cook and serve people – this has it all.”

The Mount Brenton Golf Club board identified its food and beverage services as the club’s weakest area of operations and felt the need to seriously address it. The addition of Stevens and her more than 25 years of restaurant and catering experience brings that aspect of the club above par.

The board has given her full control of the business, her menu and staffing of the operation.

Being part of a team is most appealing to Stevens at this point in her career.

“It’s been an amazing working relationship with them and myself,” she said. “It’s just a very nice group of people here.

“When you’ve been alone for so long down there, this offers so much more. I hope I’ll do them proud. It’s my intent.”

The plan is to operate a year-round, seven-day a week restaurant at the club that will be open to members, guests and the public. Stevens will be offering an expanded full-service menu, daily specials, theme nights, freshly brewed coffees, her famous desserts and favourite cocktails, wines and alcoholic beverages, including a selection of six different beers on tap from Riot, Red Arrow and Phillips breweries.

Maple Lane Catering will also still be available. There will be a private dining room for meetings or small dining parties and the restaurant can be booked for special occasions as COVID protocols allow.

A unique addition will be a cart service, but not where someone goes around to the golfers. They can call in an order and it will be brought to them on the course.

The board has undertaken an extensive renovation of the bar and kitchen. The kitchen has been expanded to create separate areas for food preparation and dish washing, with new flooring installed, the entire kitchen painted and the creation of a small meeting room.

Stevens is full of praise for the work being done on the renovations by Stuart Money, a club member from Ladysmith.

“This man is so smart,” enthused Stevens. “He’s amazing.”

Best of all for Stevens is the atmosphere at the club, with the fantastic views of the course and the ducks on the ponds from the deck seating and inside.

And the club members and visiting golfers are embracing her presence.

“They’re all waving and they don’t even know me yet,” Stevens noted. “Some of them know my name. It’s very welcoming.”

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Kitchen facilities at the Mount Brenton Golf Club are put to the test by Julie Stevens. (Photo by Don Bodger)
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Julie Stevens looks for some golfers who might like to sample some of her fresh-baked croissants. (Photo by Don Bodger)
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Golfer Patty Nichol is delighted to receive a sample of Julie Stevens’ fresh-baked croissants. (Photo by Don Bodger)
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Julie Stevens inside the Canteen on the Green space being renovated. (Photo by Don Bodger)
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Taps will pour out local beers once Julie Stevens is operational at Canteen on the Green. (Photo by Don Bodger)
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It was sad for Julie Stevens to leave the Maple Lane Cafe space. It now sits empty. (Photo by Don Bodger)


Don Bodger

About the Author: Don Bodger

I've been a part of the newspaper industry since 1980 when I began on a part-time basis covering sports for the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle.
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