I tried out the VFR and the DR Dew and both were very nice bikes. I ended up buying the Dr Dew because I found I was in too much of a sitting / leaned back position on the VFR and it made climbing more difficult. If you are comfortable on the bike, I don't think you can go wrong.
I've got hyraulics on my Dr Dew and I'll never go back to mech or v-brakes for a commuter (especially in the rainy season).
I've never owned a Norco, but I've got quite a few friends who ride Norco mountain bikes (mostly hard-core huckers) and they're very happy with the quality and ride.