Lighthouse Pub
| Lighthouse Pub | |
|---|---|
 Lighthouse Pub | |
| Former names | China Gate Cafe |
| General information | |
| Type | Pub / Restaurant / Marina / Float Plane Base |
| Location | Sechelt, British Columbia |
| Address | 5764 Wharf Avenue |
| Construction started | November 1987 |
| Completed | June 1988 |
| Renovated | April 2006 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Post & Beam Wood Structure |
The Lighthouse Pub is a Transportation Corridor / Restaurant and Pub at the southern tip of the Sechelt Inlet. The building was originally a restaurant from the old Expo 86 and have since been slowly transformed into an air and sea gateway[1] to Sechelt.
History
First mention of the proposed by pub was made mention in the Coast News Newspaper in March 24, 1986 edition. But no mention of name or type of building would be built. Only that the location would be on the shores of Porpoise Bay.[2]
The Lighthouse Pub located in Sechelt, BC is one of few remaining restaurant building from Expo 86. The building was formerly the China Gate Restaurant during the exposition and was purchased by Sechelt Developer Len Van Egmond [3] during the auction of buildings after the closing of the expo.
The "Lighthouse" motif that stands on top of the building were actually part of the Space themed McDonalds. Len Van Egmond saw the spaceship and thought that could be made into a lighthouse with some modification.[4]
The complex was incorrectly identified as the Munich Festhaus[5] in the book VANCOUVER'S EXPO 86 by Bill Cotter[6] Published in 1997 by Arcadia Publishing.
Construction
The pilings went into the ground in June 1987 and the building was trucked piece by piece on the Langdale Ferry to the Sunshine Coast and the driving up Highway 101 to Sechelt. The pub is build half on land and half over the water and it was re-opened in June 1988. Previous to the pub location was a the Tyee float plane base and a very small marina for a couple boats.
At that time the complex included:
- The Pub
- Liquor Store
- Rental Space
- Marina
- Float Plane Base
Renovations
A restaurant was built under the lighthouse motif enclosing a previously on deck and opened in December 1994. The pub went through major renovations in 2006. The liquor store was moved offsite and the front of the pub was opened up and the previously small deck was expanded to the entire width of building. The renovations weren't completed until 2007.
Current Status
The establishment has grown into your typical neighbourhood pub with big screen TV's and weekend live entertainment. It also serves a variety of pub fare and local seafood options. But the Complex is also unique as it servers as a transportation hub via its marina to the Sechelt Inlet and its float plane base with regular scheduled flights to Vancouver, Richmond, Nanaimo.
The complex currently houses:
- The Lighthouse Pub
- Buccaneers Restaurant
- Harbour Air / West Coast Air Sechelt Base
- Regional Power Sechelt Office
Gallery
-
The Lighthouse is the former spaceship from an on-site McDonald's
See also
References
- ↑ Nadina Van Egmond Quote.
- ↑ "New Pub Proposed". The Coast News. March 24, 1986. p. 7.
- ↑ Lighthouse Pub History, on a rainy day in November day in 1986
- ↑ Haig-Brown, Alan (March 1989). "Hospitality in Sechelt". WestCoast Hospitality: 25, 26.
- ↑ Expo Lies and Wikipedia
- ↑ VANCOUVER'S EXPO 86, by Bill Cotter.
External links
Coordinates: 49°28′52″N 123°45′28″W / 49.481143°N 123.75782°W