Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

rogue wolf

Rogue Wolf nightclub ceases operations Court bailiff seizes assets after protracted financial problems By Andy Stonehouse A troubled and frequently controversial village nightclub has closed its doors following several months of dealings with the pro

Rogue Wolf nightclub ceases operations Court bailiff seizes assets after protracted financial problems By Andy Stonehouse A troubled and frequently controversial village nightclub has closed its doors following several months of dealings with the provincial Ministry of Finance and the liquor licensing branch. The Rogue Wolf, launched in late December of 1996 by partners Ron Knoedler and Rob Gagnon, has ceased operations, following a weekend visit by a court bailiff. Gagnon had been running the club for the past year; there is no indication if the club will reopen. According to information provided by staff at the Ministry of Finance’s headquarters in Victoria, the province’s consumer taxation branch had been "bending over backwards" in an attempt to retrieve liquor taxes owed by the club, but had been unsuccessful. A ministry source explained that after two years of deals, promisory notes and garnisheed bank accounts, last week spelled the end and a bailiff was appointed to retrieve anything of value from the club. It was unclear how much alcohol, fixtures and bar equipment were left over by the time the bailiff arrived. The financial details were also compounded by police and liquor board investigations into allegations that the bar had been operating for many months as an after-hours nightclub, as well as serving liquor to minors or offering "all you can drink" specials. Staff Sgt. Frank Shedden of the Whistler RCMP confirms that the Rogue Wolf had been a focus of attention on the part of the local force, and said he isn’t surprised by news that the doors have closed. "From our perspective, we’d received a series of complaints on their operating practices, such as the types of advertising and the drink specials they offered," he said. "We were involved in that, as we have a keen interest that everyone in town is playing on a level deck. I think we would have continued to look at the Rogue Wolf if they had remained in operation."