Wheelhouse Brewing Company

At the edge of the world, this craft beer outpost has earned a devoted following thanks to its inventive brews, often made with local ingredients.

Wheelhouse Brewing opened its doors on the night before Christmas Eve 2013. The original location was a former construction shop playfully known as “the bunker” due to its lack of windows. This small brewery became a big hit with locals who embraced its rustic and cosy charm, and fell in love with its creative and well-made beers. The atmosphere was jovial and unpretentious, with live music acts performing on the weekends.

Flash forward nearly a decade to when the Wheelhouse’s three founders were presented with an opportunity to take over the former waterfront railway station, which was built in 1922 using Tyndall stone imported from the Prairies. It served the community until the early ’90s and had been sitting empty ever since. How could they say no? It was another diamond in the rough beckoning to have its walls filled with the yeasty scent of beer and the chatter of customers.  The move into the new space occurred in the spring of 2023.

The new location is much larger, which will allow the brewers to make more beer than they could given space limitations in the original location. It also has windows — lots of them! The second level boasts a sunroom with 270 degrees of glass facing southwest toward the ocean.

Another improvement is the addition of a kitchen, including a pizza oven imported from Italy.