Vancouver Island pub goes viral for Maple Leafs fan surcharge, themed poutine
Vancouver Island pub goes viral for Maple Leafs fan surcharge, themed poutine
Even here on the other side of the country, there's no greater polarizing hockey team than the Toronto Maple Leafs.
There are Leafs fans, and Leafs haters, and in one pub in Sooke, B.C., they get along famously. Despite the pub, 17 Mile House, being nestled in the heart of Canuck country, everybody here is a Leafs fan, or a Habs fan.
A Habs fan owns the place.
"I was born in Montreal," said Ken Whitaker, managing partner of 17 Mile House.
And while lots of Leafs fans drink here, they pay more than others.
There's a Leafs fan surcharge at 17 Mile House. It's an extra two per cent tax on the bill that's tongue-in-cheek, but also very real.
It's something that Leafs fans say is easy to swallow.
"I don't mind paying it," said one customer on Tuesday.
"I just take it out of the server's tip," said another.
One menu item is also aimed directly at Toronto fans, the Maple Leafs Poutine.
"A cold, overpriced dish served with underperforming gravy, ice cold fries, and a side of disappointment," said Whitaker, the pub owner.
And the poutine is priced at the historical total of $67 dollars, the same year that the Toronto Maple Leafs last won a Stanley Cup in 1967.
The poutine itself has gone viral after it was recently referenced in a social media post by hockey podcast, Spittin Chiclets.
With the post spreading like wildfire, the Sooke pub says it's been receiving both positive and negative feedback. But either way, staff take it all in stride.
"We get crazy messages. We get notes left, you get one star ratings on our google review from people from Toronto who have never been here," said Whitaker.
The only thing that will get the Maple Leafs Poutine taken off the menu is if they win a Stanley Cup.
"I'm really not too worried about it. They'll come close but let's be honest, they won't pull it off," said Whitaker.
As Joe Biden makes his first trip to Canada as president of the United States, CTVNews.ca is offering live coverage of the leader's visit. Follow our live blog on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app for the latest updates.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived on Parliament Hill for a jam-packed day of events as part of his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
An Ontario couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
The idea of using firing squads is making a comeback in the U.S. Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorizing firing squads, currently Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
The United States' first lady will be given a sweeping introduction to Canadian sports culture in Ottawa today as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau takes Jill Biden to the curling rink.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived on Parliament Hill for a jam-packed day of events as part of his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
A series of ancient landslides have been “reawakened” in British Columbia's Cariboo region, costing hundreds of millions in federal disaster assistance funds and prompting warnings that logging is connected to the problem.
Beaumont RCMP are advising the public that officers are currently on scene at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School after a threat was made against the school online.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Toronto Coun. Josh Matlow broke council’s code of conduct by criticizing two public employees on Twitter before retaliating against one of them after she filed a complaint, the city’s integrity commissioner has found.
With fares set to increase in a matter of days, a new report has found that Torontonians are already paying more than residents in most other cities for transit when compared to average incomes.
The Calgary Police Service confirms charges have been laid against a driver in connection with Thursday's crash of a semi-truck into the 32nd Avenue N.E. overpass along Deerfoot Trail.
With Calgary Board of Education students set to kick off spring break once the final bell rings Friday afternoon, some Calgarians are eager to leave the country in pursuit of warmer weather with their families.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
Montreal police say they don't think they'll find more than seven bodies in the rubble of an Old Montreal building that caught fire eight days ago. Police told reporters today they don't have reports of more people missing, adding that it's "improbable" there are more than seven victims.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
An uncommon phenomenon lit up the skies across southern Ontario on Thursday night, including in Waterloo region where the aurora borealis – also known as the northern lights - shone bright enough to see with the naked eye.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville. There was no winner Thursday night so the total prize money is now an estimated $1,526,067.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
A recent report from the province’s privacy commissioner says the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI) failed to take appropriate steps after patient treatment files were discovered in a recycling bin.
James White of Essa Township and two other Ontario men made virtual appearances Thursday on charges of forgery and fraud-related offences after police seized over 1,000 allegedly fake paintings, prints and other artworks attributed to the renowned Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau.
An alleged victim of a former staff member of Legacy Christian Academy can now be identified after she successfully petitioned in court to have a publication ban lifted.
In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s provincial budget, school divisions in Saskatchewan were expecting funding levels to increase, with the province repeatedly touting its $1 billion surplus.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
