Windsor watering hole closes its doors

BY CHRISTY MARSTERS

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Doors to ER’s Wanderer’s Lounge officially closed June 1 as the owner cited tough times as the reason for retiring his business on Water Street in Windsor.

Owner William Strickland said his primary explanation for ending six-and-a-half years of service was due to a growing lack of disposable income to support his business within Hants County. “In the last year the number of our regular patrons who left and went west could fill our capacity every weekend,” he said. “Was ER’s making money? No. I don’t feel that any bar in Hants County, or anywhere else for that matter, is turning a viable profit,” Strickland said. “We were a small bar operating independently. But (rising costs) have affected everyone in this business.”

Taxi fares went up, no smoking legislation was introduced, the weather was dismal, there were increases in wholesale liquor and retailers were allowed to sell alcohol in stores, Strickland said. “Then you’re back to your disposable incomes.”

No margin of error

Profits become so low that there was no margin of error, Strickland noted. “And it just becomes so it’s more affordable for people to stay home. Plus, I feel the Nova Scotia government needs to bring the Liquor Act up to date to have fairness within it. There’s no consistency in the whole thing. The Liquor Act is just a mess from top to bottom. “Still, we did have some loyal customers and without them we would never have been there the six-and-a-half years we were,” Strickland said. “The loyal staff was also as important as the patrons. I’d like to thank everyone for coming out and I hope they had a good time and made memories. ER’s had been what it was.”

Everyone was treated the same at ER’s, Strickland said, and it was all about socializing, Strickland said. “Some came every night. It was like a big house party. We had lots of laughs.”

Earl Pineo, landlord for the pervious ER’s Wanderer’s Lounge, said he does not yet know what will become of his space, but notes it is now opened for renters. “Ideally, it would be nice to see it used for office space instead of a bar, but I’m open to whatever anyone wants to do with it,” Pineo said. “Anybody who wants to rent it can, for whichever way the first guy who comes along wants to. I’ll take what comes.”

Anyone interested can contact Pineo at either 757-3734 (home) or 798-7177 (cell) for additional information.