Future of the historic Hollyburn cabins in West Vancouver up in the air

WEST VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you are up in the woods on the North Shore this long weekend, you may catch sight of one of the approximately 100 historic cabins peppered through the forest around the Cypress Mountain ski area. Take a good look, because the future of a colourful piece of local history may be up in the air.

The rustic, hike-in cabins have been there for decades — some have been in families for generations —  but they are not owned; they are leased from the District of West Vancouver, which has formed a working group to look at the future of its “upper lands.”

That future could include the phasing-out of the leases, which has caught the Hollyburn cabin community by surprise.

“There is huge support for the cabin community,” says Jackie Swanson, president of the Hollyburn Ridge Association.

“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs over the years but right now, the West Vancouver mayor, council, and staff unanimously support the cabins. We were shocked with what the study group brought to the table,” she tells News1130.

The hike-in Hollyburn cabins date back to the early years of West Vancouver, with close ties to the local ski and hiking community.

They are a link back to a time when the North Shore was the premier outdoor playground for the Lower Mainland.

“There used to be about 300 cabins on each of Seymour Mountain, Grouse Mountain, and Hollyburn Mountain. Seymour and Grouse have effectively lost all of theirs. Fortunately, on Hollyburn Mountain, we formed an association over 40 years ago and we’ve been advocates of keeping these cabins alive,” says Swanson.

“Our membership extends way beyond cabin-owners to include all kinds of public who have an interest in having us be a watchdog up there.”

Besides regular use by Scout and Girl Guide groups, Swanson says the cabins are a point-of-interest for anyone who enjoys the North Shore mountains.

“It’s just a fantastic area for the public to hike through and see the heritage buildings. The occupants are very interested in cross-country skiing, cabin culture, and mountain culture. It’s a whole fantastic area that people, hopefully, will be able to keep exploring in the future.”

The relationship between the cabin community and the District of West Vancouver has had ups and downs over the decades, but Swanson says they have managed to resolve issues over environmental concerns and inspections and, over the last few years, the relationship with the district has never been better.

The director of planning for the District of West Vancouver agrees.

“Through the years, there have been differences of opinion. But I know if you speak with district staff and with the cabin owners, the relationship over the past five or six is actually about the best it’s ever been,” says Bob Sokol.

That’s why the working group of West Vancouver residents charged with coming up for recommendations for the district’s “upper lands” sparked outrage in the cabin community when they started considering whether or not to phase out the leases.

“The working group was perhaps looking at this in terms of these cabins being in the upper reaches of these upper lands and considering their impact on the natural environment. That’s perhaps why the group was thinking the cabins didn’t have a long-term future there,” Sokol tells News1130.

But at a recent meeting to gather public input, the working group got an earful from cabin supporters.

“I think there are a lot of aspects of the history of the cabins that perhaps the working group is not familiar with and that is an area that district staff will work with the Upper Lands Working Group on to have them become more familiar with the current state of the relationship between the cabin owners and the district, as well as a better understanding of the heritage aspects of the cabins and the importance they have for the region,” he says.

After the meeting, the working group decided to defer any recommendations on the long-term future of the cabins until they take a more detailed look at all the issues.

“It’s an emotional issue but you could say the public process is working,” chuckles Sokol. “It may be messy, but it’s working.”

“The cabin-owners heard the working group was thinking about this. They became alarmed. They came to the meeting and the working group recognizes they have more work to do in this area. It may not have been the best way for it to come about, but it’s a working group of residents who will eventually make recommendations to council and it is ultimately up the district council to decide future policy on the cabins.”

The working group is scheduled to provide a preliminary progress report on June 2nd. It’s likely the final recommendations will be made to West Vancouver Council early next year.