Guests ask me what my favourite coffee drink is, and I wish I could tell them some fancy-type “half-sweet, white chocolate, long pour, 2 %, extra hot, dry cappuccino”,  but honestly my favourite is our medium size, medium blend drip roast coffee, which our regulars have lovingly coined as the “Medium, Medium”. Some people might say I’m boring, but I say why complicate something that is already perfect on its own! Isn’t that what great coffee is really all about?  Quality, simplicity, a perfect brew and the enjoyment you get with each sip. Kind of like a good book!

All my life I have loved reading. Unfortunately, when my post-secondary academic career began my love of reading took a hit (I mean, who really wants to start another book on top of a mountain of assigned text readings, scholarly articles, papers, lab reports and exams). In 2011 I decided I wanted to start reading again and the best way to do that would be to challenge myself and see how many books I could read in a year. I set myself a couple of simple rules: 1) I have to have read the ENTIRE book, beginning to end and 2) School comes first, no matter how boring some of my required readings are (I’m a environmental studies major, you have no idea how dull rocks and geological processes can get).

In January, I began my challenge by re-reading one of my favourite books; Joeseph Heller’s “Catch-22“. Captain John Yossarian, the protagonist, is my all-time favourite anti-hero. He rests precariously on the cusp of sanity and insanity, questioning big ideas such as the War, the Army and the inevitability of death on the beautiful Island of Pianosa during the Second World War. What I love about this book is, despite its satirical nature, how authentic the characters really are, an authenticity which is furthered by each of their flaws, much like real people.

By December of 2011 I had finished 24 different novels, from every genre, and at varying difficulties. I was proud! This is not something that every full-time student/part-time barista/socialite/adventurer/rock-enthusiast is capable of!

A few highlights from my 2011 list are: “The Un-bearable Lightness of Being“, by my favourite Czech existential philosopher/author, Milan Kundera. The beautiful and lyrical “Shalimar the Clown” by Salman Rushdie. The gripping exploration of phenomenology in the Deptford Trilogy, starting with the first installment “Fifth Business” by the Canadian writer, Robertson Davies.  ”The Brothers Karamazov” the mammoth sized but worth-your-while epic written by Fyodor Dosteovsky. Henry Miller‘s twisted and humbling “Tropic of Cancer“, or the bone-chilling “Silence of the Lambs” by Thomas Harris, to name a few (needless to say, since the challenge I have read more than 45 books!)…

Books are more than just bound words on pages. They offer us a glimpse of life from another’s perspective, they ask big questions, they develop mystery, excitement and contestation, they teach, they entertain and they bring people together. Much like the café, books are a site where people come together, interact and empathize with one another.

So I offer you a challenge, how many books do you think you can read in a year? And what book would you start with? Would it be one of your favourites, or something you’ve always wanted to read but haven’t found the time? Either way, you won’t know unless you try, and if you do try, try to stop by the café so we can discuss our latest reads.

And really, what goes better with a good book than a great cup of coffee?

-K

I have been working in the hospitality industry for the majority of my working life. There was a short time there where I worked in an abattoir; it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.  That was really hard physical work and at the end of the day you felt it. This was an extremely busy time in my life, I worked with my friends the pigs for 40 hours and then on the weekends I used to deliver propane for a friend of mine who owned a business – Burden Propane.  Who knew there was so much money in Propane, he did.  After my days delivering propane, I would head off to my night job on the weekend as Busboy in the Lakeside Terrace Restaurant at the Harrison Resort.  I remember these times fondly as I paid off all my debts and was just making money. I was also single at the time –what a surprise.

I grew up in Agassiz BC right next door to Harrison Hot Springs. I started working at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa right out of high school.  It was just what you did in our small town.

I worked at the resort for many years and saw four different ownerships starting with the Wosk Family, then Itoman of Japan, followed by Hostmark Hospitality and finally Delaware North. it was quite a ride.  I started as a houseman setting up meetings and cleaning the hotel. My wife is thankful to this day as my bathroom cleaning skills are second to none.  One of the funniest things that ever happened to me, (well funny now but horrible at the time) was when I worked a graveyard shift with instructions to set up a meeting room. This particular meeting required the hanging of banners from the ceiling and setting up the event theatre style for 200 with screen and mics down the middle of the walkway.  So I set off to take care of this job for the evening and was pretty proud of my work the following morning.  When my senior partner came in the  to double check that everything was set up correctly he just about dropped his shorts.  I had set the room up backwards.  We quickly reset the chairs and the stage and screen prior to the guests’ arrival and all was well.  I got a warning.

It has been many years since that day and I have had many successes and challenges since that time, all learning experiences.  What I have learned about mistakes is they are going to happen, but with honesty and integrity you can learn from them.

Matthew Lynam

During my working holiday in Australia almost 10 years ago, I found myself in a tense situation while in Surfers’ Paradise, Queensland.  I was in town to go to a music festival where my favorite DJ, Armin Van Buuren, was headlining.  My stay was to be short, as I need to catch a flight out of Brisbane Airport the next morning to Auckland, and join a tour group.

The festival took place on a large peninsula called ‘The Spit’ which was well out of the main township, so I chose a hostel that was close to this area.  My plan was to go to the festival, get a couple hours sleep, then catch my flight.  What I did not realize however when arranging all this months prior, was A) how far Brisbane is from Surfers Paradise, B) that airport shuttles are very scarce at 4:30 in the morning, and C) how remote a location my hostel was in.

These factors could have  really ruined things for me…I would have not only missed my flight, but I would have also missed my 2 week New Zealand tour which was non-refundable!

Unfortunately the hostel I was staying at was extremely indifferent to my situation – I received no help or advice, was just told that it was “impossible” to get a shuttle that early on a Sunday morning, and that far out of the way.  In addition, they had a no-refund policy on all bookings, meaning I couldn’t move myself to a hostel closer to town.

So here I was, extremely worried that things would fall apart…to take my mind off it, I went into town to visit some friends that were staying at a different hostel.  While having a few drinks in their room, I thought about what the possibility would be that I could maybe talk to an employee at THAT hostel to see if they were more optimistic?  So I did exactly that.  And boy, am I ever glad I did…she called multiple contact & companies before she finally found someone that would shuttle me to where I needed to be at such an ungodly hour.  To say I was grateful would be a major understatement!

So at close to 4:30 in the morning the next day, here I am sitting at the road just outside my hostel, in the dark (literally – again, remote area!) wondering if this would all work out…sure enough, a pair of headlights eventually starts showing up in the distance, which thankfully belonged to my shuttle van.  They brought me into Brisbane just in time to catch my flight to New Zealand.  All was right with the world again.

I really wish I had gotten the girl’s name who helped me so I could thank her later on…not only because she went above the call of duty to help me out of a sticky situation, but the fact that she did it for someone who wasn’t even staying at the hostel she worked at!  Now *that* is great service.

Sincerely,

Spencer Plaitin

Reservations Manager

Photo by: Kevgibbo

I started my hotel career officially in late 80s in Ontario but my first real taste of hotel work was in Banff, Alberta. Back then I was young and full of beans so I worked 7 days a week mostly doing the graveyard shift leaving the days open for skiing. I remember this one place called Timberline lodge where I spent a couple of nights a week. A small and comfortable 50 room hotel located on a hillside adjacent the main highway just outside of Banff village. The stars have never looked brighter from that hotel’s balcony and I would spend my mornings sipping coffee watching the deer and elk cross the hotel’s parking lot.

During the summer months when Banff was overflowing with tourists, it often happened that travelers were literally stuck with no place to stay, as every hotel in the village was at 100% occupancy and the other available option was a penthouse at the Banff Springs for $2500 a night. With all hope for a room exhausted in the village, travelers with no reservations had no choice but to hit the highway again where the nearest chance for a room might be two hours away in Calgary. Before hitting the highway the lonely beacon of the Timberline’s lights on the hillside told Dad to give one more hotel a try. With kids slumped in the back seat and Dad falling asleep at the wheel they were desperate for any place to rest for a few hours.

On one of these nights, such a family arrived and Dad and I discussed his predicament. I then mentioned that there was a large banquet room adjacent to the front desk. If he was interested I could set up some cots in there and he would have use of a private bathroom. To my surprise he loved the idea! We decided on $20 per cot and his security and privacy was assured as I had the only key to the banquet room. He and Mom then brought in 3 sleepy kids, cots were set up and were asleep in minutes. During that summer, other families in the same situation would cross my path in the wee hours of the morning. So I spent the summer bunking families and those I helped along the way thanked me with letters of appreciation.

Banff was my first real taste of hotels but it was that summer’s experience that brought out the “extra mile” sense of responsibility for me. A great personal satisfaction comes from helping out the weary traveler in their time of need. This ability to understand and communicate with people is the key for those young hoteliers starting out in this industry.

Thank you for visiting!