Concerned business owners and residents in the District of Clearwater continue to press government, Interior Health (IH), and the RCMP for answers regarding 52 Ridge Restaurant. The Clearwater business has been serving food and liquor without a health inspection certificate or a liquor licence.
“I hear people’s frustrations," said Clearwater mayor Merlin Blackwell. "They want to know what’s happening, when it’s happening, and when all this will end.
"The reality of this is that I can’t tell them. It would hamper effective enforcement and it would possibly endanger those doing the enforcement.”
As reported recently in the Times, Clearwater council held a special meeting on Jan. 31 and voted to direct staff to send letters to B.C’s. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General (PSSG) Garry Begg, Minister of Health Josie Osborne, Attorney General Niki Sharma, and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer, requesting the immediate enforcement of liquor licencing and health regulations within the District of Clearwater.
Dean Clifford, who has been described by CBC News as a “guru of the freeman-on-the-land movement,” manages the restaurant, as well as the Clearwater Valley Resort, in which the restaurant is located.
Interior Health has confirmed to the Times that it issued the restaurant a formal public health closure order in February 2024 for failing to meet administrative requirements, “specifically having a valid operating permit and paying annual permit fees.” More recently, IH received a Supreme Court of B.C. injunction stating the restaurant must not operate without a health permit.
“Apparently Interior Health enforcement went back into the restaurant on Thursday, Feb. 13,” Blackwell said. “It was the next step in their injunction process to get it closed permanently."
The mayor added that Clearwater’s fire chief and bylaw officer, as well as one or more people from Technical Safety BC, went into the business in December 2024. "We are working with our lawyers on enforcement solutions,” Blackwell said.
He added that he has been talking to government officials, Trans Mountain, and enforcement agencies for over two years now regarding the illegal food and liquor service apparently taking place at 52 Ridge Restaurant.
“We decided to ramp up advocacy last June because we weren’t seeing anything going on,” said Blackwell. “It was like government had no idea what we were talking about. I spoke with attorney general Niki Sharma in early July of 2024 and with minister Mike Farnworth and his team at PSSG in late July 2024.
“Our staff has attempted to keep this case in their field of attention since then, but the provincial election definitely disrupted that. I have had a conversation with health minister Josie Osborne as recently as Friday [Feb. 14] about Interior Health’s efforts, which seem to be moving forward.”
Blackwell says he will meet with the attorney general and the new solicitor general, Garry Begg, soon. He has also had the opportunity to speak to former PSSG minister Mike Farnworth, who is now minister of highways, about the shortage of RCMP officers stationed in Clearwater.
“It’s my opinion that the loss of those officers is hampering the local RCMP's efforts to take serious enforcement actions on this. I have briefed my MLA a couple times on this,” said Blackwell.
“I have discussed these concerns with Mayor Blackwell and others in the area," said Stamer, who was elected as MLA for the riding in October 2024. "I agree this operation should be shut down if it does not have a permit from Interior Health, and of course no alcohol should be served without a valid liquor licence.
“I have received a copy of the letter from the district regarding 52 Ridge and I will be reaching out to my colleagues in the House. I’ve already spoken with Minister Farnworth on this issue on Feb. 12, before receiving the letter discussing in depth what was happening with this business.
"His question was ‘Why isn’t there any enforcement?’ to which I responded that is a very good question.”
