The Mountain Woman roadside restaurant has been a Sea to Sky staple for decades, but by the end of September, the blue bus at Britannia Beach will be a thing of the past.
After 39 years, Mountain Woman is closing down due to zoning issues with the new Britannia Beach housing development.
The restaurant, which serves fish and chips, burgers, grilled cheese and more, will remain open until Sept. 18.
The property will be empty by the end of the month.
How it started
Lynne Cook started the Mountain Woman per her then-husband's suggestion as a way for her to earn supplemental income as she did not want to go back to work after having kids. It was supposed to be temporary.
But when her ex-husband left, and Cook had two young children to raise, it was a way to stay afloat.
“As a single mother of two very young children, and [I had] nothing in the pot. I had to make this work. And I did. I turned it into a very successful business through hard work,” Cook recently recalled.
When she wasn’t at the restaurant, she was helping in her children’s classrooms, fulfilling the dream she had at the start. To this day, long-term customers still ask about her sons, said Cook.
In the beginning, she said fishmongers cast their doubts on her ability to make it all work.
“I remember sitting … [where] all the fish businesses were on the Burrard Inlet,” said Cook. “This very large man was at the desk, and he looked over to his buddy, and he goes, ‘They won’t last.’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, you just wait and see.’ And here I am, 39 years later, still running a very successful business.”
Cook said Mountain Women's success came in the face of countless adversities.
In 1991, there was a flood. She reopened within the week.
Ahead of the 2010 Olympics, she thought she would have to pack it all in due to the highway upgrades. Instead, she was able to stay after a petition with more than 4,000 signatures helped sway the Ministry of Transportation's mind.
Why she is leaving
This time, Mountain Woman won’t bounce back.
According to Cook, six square feet of the eatery is on the Adera and Macdonald development property.
This is six feet, Cook claims, needed to finalize a wall required for the final inspection of the Britannia Beach developments.
In the spring, she said was made aware that she would need to relocate.
Cook said she could not move the bus without demolishing the building, and a building inspector agreed. Without the building, she felt Mountain Woman wouldn’t be the same.
She said there is also an issue surrounding waste. With the new sewer system, there are only two connections for wastewater — one for the town and one for the museum. She would need a third hook-up, which she said does not currently exist.
According to Cook, she was informed that her license of occupancy was being revoked. While this is sad news, Cook said she had known prior to the development that once it was completed, she would be forced out.
“I have another year's lease with the highways. And I was hoping to see it out. But I will not be able to,” said Cook.
Developer grateful
Rob Macdonald, the owner and founder of Macdonald developments, wrote to The Squamish Chief that Cook was instrumental in getting the community on board with the Britannia Beach redevelopment.
“Without the efforts of a few community leaders like Lynne, this whole program would not have come together,” wrote Macdonald in a statement.
“Ultimately, the copper flowing from the mine has been stopped, and the sea life ecosystem of Howe Sound is going through a transformational rejuvenation — and the town of Britannia is going through the same thing. These accomplishments by a team of people have been one of the most important things to ever happen on the Howe Sound, Sea to Sky Corridor, and Lynne Cook has been a very important part of that success.”
Cook claims she was offered a spot in the new retail development built by Adera Development Corporation (Adera) and Macdonald Communities but said the cost of rent was too high.
In a statement by Macdonald, he wrote that he hopes they are able to work together again.
Cook said she can’t help but feel emotional thinking about the end.
“I've suffered a lot of adversities and setbacks, and it still keeps on going, and this will be the end. And everything has to go into a dumpster, and it will be a very sad day,” said Cook. “We'll all be standing out there crying.”
She said she needs to start thinking about what items will escape the dumpster as souvenirs.
“I will definitely take the fryers,” said Cook.
In his statement, Macdonald wrote that he is sad to see Cook go.
“Lynne was and remains a tireless worker and community booster, and it is really people like Lynne that are the backbone of her community. She pulls her weight and pulls others along with her,“ wrote Macdonald.
As for the rest of the community, they are sad she can’t stay, Cook said.
“Everyone is very sad, and they can't believe that it's going,” said Cook.
Stop by to say goodbye
She is ready for a break. But not before she has a final goodbye to the establishment and the patrons who made it what it was.
“I will definitely miss everyone. I have long-time customers. I have people coming in as children. And they're now adults, and they're bringing their children,” said Cook. “[I am] seeing spouses, divorce, and then [they] bring in their new boyfriend or girlfriend … And it's been a very enjoyable business — you get to know people because they come in all the time.”
“Everybody's happy when you're cooking [for] them,” she said.
