A Note to Our Neighbours

To our surrounding community,

You may notice an additional sign posted regarding applications related to our cidery. We wanted to take a moment to provide some clear context around what these updates mean — and what they do not mean.

First and foremost, we care deeply about being respectful neighbours. We live and work here as well, and maintaining a positive relationship with the community is very important to us.

There are a few key points we would like to clarify:

Why We’ve Applied for These Updates

• Over the years, we have hosted a range of small, community-focused private events such as celebrations of life, anniversary and birthday gatherings, fundraisers for local non-profits, school visits, youth sports groups, and events like Summerland Secondary’s Dry Grad. We also host a limited number of weddings each year (approximately 5).

• These applications are intended to align our licensing with how we already operate in a responsible and regulated way — not to significantly change the scale or nature of our business.

  Capacity Update (Building Code Alignment)

• The capacity increase referenced in the notice reflects the actual occupancy limits of our building as determined by building code and calculated by the architects who designed the space.

• Our current licence was originally set below this capacity. This update is simply to ensure that our licence accurately reflects what the building is already safely designed to accommodate.
  This does not represent a change in how we currently operate.

  Hours Update (Administrative Streamlining)

• The proposed hours provide flexibility to cover occasional events such as weddings, a small number of seasonal evening events, and community programming like Light Up the Vines during the holiday season.

  Similar to our current process of applying for individual event permits, this change is intended to streamline approvals — not to introduce regular late-night operations or increase event frequency.

  Typical Operating Hours

• Our regular day-to-day hours are generally 11:00am to 5:00pm. During the summer season, we may stay open later on select days — such as Friday evenings for live music (ending by 8:00pm) and occasional Saturday events like games or trivia.

  The later hours outlined in the application are intended to provide flexibility for occasional private events and seasonal programming — not for regular late-night operations or extended evening service.

  Events & Frequency

• While permits outline maximum allowances, this does not reflect our actual operations. We do not host large-scale events daily, nor do we intend to. Our events remain occasional and seasonal.

  Music & Noise

• We want to be very clear: we are not, and will never operate as a nightclub. Music is managed with care and consideration.

  We also recognize that the grad fundraiser event recently was louder than our typical events. Based on that experience, we will not be booking future late-evening events with live bands. In addition, we have already adjusted our practices by moving speakers and dance floors indoors in the evening to reduce noise.

  Traffic & Parking

• We recognize that certain larger daytime community events — such as our free Easter egg hunt, our Applepalooza harvest event, and occasional larger celebrations of life — can increase traffic and parking along Johnson Street. We understand this can be frustrating.

  These instances are limited (typically two larger public events per year, plus a small number of larger gatherings), and we continue to look for ways to manage parking and guest flow as responsibly as possible.

  Our Place in the Community

• This is a quiet, agricultural neighbourhood — and that’s exactly why we chose to be here. Our goal is to offer a relaxed, community-oriented space that reflects that setting.

We understand that any change can raise concerns, and we are always open to respectful, constructive conversation. If you have questions or would like to connect with us directly, we welcome that.

Thank you to those who have taken the time to learn more about what we do and for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Ted & Lauren Vollo