– by Doreen Marion Gee –
This is the fourth in a six-part series of profiles on some of the Saanich Peninsula’s wonderful restaurants and pubs.
The Rumrunner Pub and Restaurant is more than a beautiful seaside eatery. After 24 years of pleasing local palates, it has become a solid part of people’s lives on the Peninsula. It is a legacy built on long-term caring relationships in the community. As well as their reputation for serving excellent fare with silvery service, The Rumrunner continues to be a reliable community partner, helping to build a supportive neighbourhood.
A well-read and interesting person, Bill Singer loves to tell stories about The Rumrunner, his beloved restaurant that he owns along with his wife, Jane. This time, he reflects on a strange case of serendipity. Recently, some patrons were talking to Bill about a place they visited called “The Snug” in Oak Bay 29 years ago. While there, they’d asked the waiter’s name as they were trying to find the right name for their expected baby. The server said his given name was “Wolf” but he went mainly by “Bill.” Imagine everyone’s surprise when the person they were referring to was Bill Singer himself! These kind of long-term remembrances and connections are part of The Rumrunner’s heritage.
Requests come in regularly from the community to hold memorial services at the oceanside oasis honouring parents who were regular patrons over the years. The restaurant’s family business clearly plays a very special and valuable role in people’s lives in our community – being there in better days, being there at the end of days. “These requests have happened twice in the past few months,” says Bill. “I have been here long enough that I am now losing friends that have been coming from the start.” Above my head is a photo of a deckhand on a boat called “The Malahat,” an old five-mast “rumrunner.” One day, a young visitor exclaimed to Bill: “That’s my father!” Memories cross generations at a restaurant whose name and pictures conjure up ghosts of glorious scalawags. Their very first customer, Eric Fisher, brought a bottle of bootleg rum. He became a treasured friend over the years and when he died, The Rumrunner held his memorial service. “This has happened a lot,” reflects Bill. “I have become an extension of many people’s lives by being here and by being on hand.” Children of past patrons stop by to say how much their parents loved it there. This history of caring close connections with local people has “become a way of life.”
Community spirit is important to the Singers. Bill hires locals whenever possible. “I try to give back how I can.” He has sat on the Board of Directors of the local Chamber of Commerce and has set up the bar at local functions. The Singers donate many gift certificates to local charitable events and organizations every year. Years ago, The Rumrunner won an award for being one of the first “wheelchair accessible” venues for people with disabilities.
Even the design of the restaurant and pub is spacious, warm, inviting and friendly to everyone. As a single woman, I sometimes feel uncomfortable eating right next to couples but at Bill’s restaurant, there are plenty of private hideaways away from the crowd. There is a place for families, for fancy dining – nobody is overlooked. To me, this makes for a more considerate, respectful ambience.
As we talk, Bill points to a familiar woman outside who spends her time collecting bottles. Bill regularly gives her his recyclables: “She has to make a living too.” My previous articles highlighted the excellent fresh high quality food, delicious cuisine and respectful service at The Rumrunner. In this article, my focus is the community-minded, caring and neighbourly side to this successful eating establishment. With today’s savvy consumers, people’s tastes are driven as much by who is behind a product as with the product itself, and patrons will probably agree that The Rumrunner is more than just a place to get a steak and a beer.
