The District of West Vancouver has purchased the former Boathouse restaurant in Horseshoe Bay to be the new home of the West Vancouver Art Museum.
West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager announced the purchase of the “beautiful and iconic” building at the start of the Feb. 24 council meeting.
“The building has its roots in First Nations heritage and design. The sweeping views over the ocean and up the Howe Sound are stunning. And I believe I speak for all members of council to say this will be an absolutely wonderful community facility as we go forward,” he said.
When the new museum opens in 2026, the collection at the existing art museum inside Gertrude Lawson House will be moved over to the new space, as will items from the Music Box gallery in Ambleside Park. The Music Box is then slated to be torn down and converted into green space.
The top floor of the Boathouse building offers 8,800 square feet of exhibition and programming space, which is more than double the museum’s current space. The main floor would remain flexible for indoor and outdoor programing/gathering uses, with a catering kitchen, gift shop and administrative offices.
The land has been owned by the Sewell family since the 1930s. The restaurant closed in 2016 for the development of the condo project along the bluff. Previously, the 1981 building hosted The Keg and the Lodge restaurants.
In an interview on Thursday, Sager said he could not disclose the purchase price until it had gone through another vote of council, which would happen on March 3. He did say though that the price was “extraordinarily generous” on the part of the Sewell family. The property was last assessed at $5.1 million.
The money for the purchase is coming from municipality’s community amenity contributions that developers provide following negotiations with council prior to new projects being approved. As of 2024, that fund was sitting at $9.6 million.
Sager said they are estimating it will take another $500,000 to $1.5 million to retrofit the space to community gallery standards, which he expects to be fully covered by selling naming rights to the building.
“We have actually got quite a few people who have already expressed interest in naming it,” he said.
West Vancouver artists react
A new home for the West Vancouver Art Museum has long been sought by West Vancouver’s artists and patrons as the existing facilities are too small and lack many basic amenities. But the desire for many in the arts community has been to have a new museum in Ambleside, where it will be easily accessible and benefit from co-location with the district’s other main draws.
Sager’s announcement came as a total surprise, said West Vancouver artist Pierre Coupey. Despite loving Horseshoe Bay, Coupey said he has reservations about the location and the repurposed building.
“As much as it would be nice to have an art gallery there, I just don’t see a refitted restaurant as the best thing for a new West Vancouver Art Museum, which has a mandate to serve the whole community,” he said. “I would love to be in love with this proposal, but I would need much more information, transparency, and consultation before being able to get behind it. West Vancouver deserves a purpose-built art centre that is in the heart of the community.”
In a pointed letter to council, artist Sharon Habib said she was dismayed by the location and the lack of consultation.
“Our museum is a jewel. Why stick it way out in Horseshoe Bay? I realize this might be unintentional but it feels disrespectful. For the vast majority of West Van residents, Horseshoe Bay is a destination that requires effort and planning to get to,” she wrote, adding later: “You owe us an explanation of your process. You owe us an explanation of why you have disregarded the thorough research we paid for. You owe us the decency of a public consultation.”
Painter Ross Penhall, however, said he ultimately would like to see the museum in a purpose-built facility in Ambleside, but after many years of consultations, any new arts facility was welcomed.
He also noted that many great museums have come from repurposing other buildings and that Horseshoe Bay – his own neighbourhood – would be an ideal host.
“I like it. I think it’s fantastic,” he said. “We’re getting a lot of attention now. For a long time, we were like a second thought but it’s becoming a destination. I think there’s a lot to offer here now and I think this is a great place for an arts centre.”
West Vancouver mayor responds
Because the decision to move the art museum involved the purchase of property, negotiations had to be held behind closed doors, Sager said.
“We did go to our arts committees, and they all agreed to review it in camera because of the negotiations, and we have recommendation motions carried unanimously in support of this,” he said.
Sager acknowledged that many in the arts community would prefer to see their museum located centrally in Ambleside, but he defended the new location.
“Horseshoe Bay is part of West Vancouver, and it deserves attention. Horseshoe Bay gets six million people a year who go through that area, and this will, without doubt, generate life and interest out in the bay,” he said, adding that he envisions a Saturday art market on the pier, similar to the one that runs on Salt Spring Island.
And he said, the moving of the West Vancouver Art Museum is not in lieu of a new dedicated arts facility somewhere in Ambleside. Sager said there is a donor willing to fund construction of one if the district can acquire and provide the land.
In the meeting, Sager also paid tribute to the four generations of the Sewell family for their contributions to the community.
As part of the agreement, Dan Sewell said they will be offering two carved panels by Nisga’a artist Norman Tate that currently flank the entrance.
“They really belong with the building. We talked about it, and the Sewell family would like to make them the first donation to the art facility,” he said, drawing applause from the council gallery. “When you do get a chance to see the carvings, you’ll just notice his detail. There’s not a sketch or a line or a slip or anything. It’s just magical art.”
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