STAFF SHOCKED

KELOWNA -- The Kelowna Travelodge "family" is still reeling after its
maintenance man was stabbed in the back by a female drug user early
Thursday.

With the Travelodge logo, a cuddly teddy bear, looking down from the
Abbott Street entrance, owner Peter Cates on Saturday described the
stabbing of his employee as "a complete shock to all of us."

Some news reports have referred to the employee, who didn't want his
name published, as the motel's security man, but Cates said he is "a
kind, gentle, courteous man" who keeps the property in good repair,
sweeping and painting when needed.

When the woman, unknown to anyone at the motel, entered the lobby
shortly before 10 a.m., "she seemed quite distraught, she was not
making any sense and we realized she was high on drugs," he said.

"(The maintenance man) asked her if there was anything he could do for
her.

"At first, he didn't know he'd been stabbed. He was standing at the
front counter with a steak knife sticking out of his back."

The knife went into muscle tissue, narrowly missing his spine, and
didn't hit any vital organs.

"He was very fortunate," said Cates. "He's doing well; he will take a
couple of weeks off. We hope he gets well soon."

"Completely nonchalant about it; she sat down in a chair and waited for
the police to arrive."

The 24-year-old Edmonton woman appeared in court Friday, charged with
aggravated assault with a weapon.

It was the first serious incident at the 52-unit motel since Cates,
37, and his wife, Jennifer, bought it in July 2000.

"We have a very small hotel staff, a close-knit group. It's the
beginning of our busy season, and to start out with this awful thing
has had a profound effect on our staff. It has really scared them,"
said Cates, who has a dozen employees, mostly full-time, during the
winter and as many as 20 during the busy tourist season.

"We are not a haven for drug-users; we're active with the RCMP, the
Downtown Kelowna Association; we do our best to protect our guests and
staff. For such an isolated incident, I don't want it to leave a
lasting impression."

With three small children of their own, the Cateses have tried to make
the Travelodge a family-oriented motel, complete with the Sleepy Bear
Den with theme bedspreads and lampshades.

After looking at properties across Western Canada, Cates returned to
the city where he grew up as a youngster. The Travelodge location
across from City Park's rose garden, tennis courts and children's
water park seemed ideal.

He first noticed transients and drug dealers gathering in the park at
the end of October. RCMP cleaned out the park, but the troublemakers
began gathering in the new year.

"Drug addicts in City Park have never really bothered us. This is the
first real incident we've had, but this could have happened anywhere
in the city. It's not just Kelowna and Nanaimo; it's in every town.
I'm confident the city and senior governments will see this as the
stimulus to crack down," he said.