Celine Boyer and Thierry Mohrbach say that in their three years of owning and operating Rustique Bistro they have not had a problem getting staff.
“It’s easy, you put an ad out in France saying that you have a job for young people who would like to travel, and then you have an employee for two years,” says Mohrbach. “But I don’t feel comfortable doing that anymore, as I wouldn’t want someone to get here only to find they can’t afford to rent a place to live.”
Boyer and Mohrbach know this situation intimately, as they are living it. As of May 1, they are out of a place to live. “We found a place on-island, it was beautiful,” says Boyer. “But it was $3,000 a month. I wish ... .”
The couple (who have three children) also looked for homes to rent in communities that are within commuting distance from Bowen, including Horseshoe Bay, Lion’s Bay and Squamish, but did not find an appropriate and affordable housing situation.
“We know people who have offered to move into the bottom half of their house, and rent us the top half starting in May,” says Mohrbach. “They have two kids as well, so it won’t be permanent but it will do for a few months.”
