Horseshoe Bay Boathouse New Cultural Facility

Arts and Culture - Current Projects

July 27, 2026 update

Planning work for the future of the former Boathouse building in Horseshoe Bay continues to move ahead.

The Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society is proceeding towards the design work and a Class C cost estimate for tenant improvements to help prepare the space for future programming and use. A Class C estimate is an early-stage cost estimate used during design development to help understand the likely budget range for a project before detailed construction drawings are complete.

The District is also continuing with an Expression of Interest process to identify potential bistro and retail tenants for the former Boathouse building.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Previous updates

At their regular Council meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026, Mayor and Council announced that the District is now working with the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society and the Sitka Foundation to help determine future programming and use of the facility. This new partnership reflects a shared interest in creating a new, welcoming public space to support a range of community, cultural, environmental, and educational opportunities for residents and visitors.

Additional details on programming, renovations, and future uses for the facility will be shared as planning work continues.
At their regular Council meeting on Monday, June 23, a staff report titled Boathouse Update from the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee was received for information and the following motion was approved:

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT
1. the June 12, 2025 report from the Cultural Services Manager titled Boathouse Update from the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee be received for information;
2. staff and Council continue to plan and support an appropriate and centralized location in Ambleside for a purpose-built arts and culture centre;
3. $50,000 from the Community Amenity Contribution fund be used to begin interior clean-up of the Boathouse and make the exterior space available for community pop-up event use as soon as possible;
4. District staff posts an Expression of Interest seeking interested parties for partnership and naming rights for a Boathouse building renovation that will reflect West Vancouver’s strong commitment to the Arts and Culture while ensuring that there are mixed uses that will entice a broad range of users and generate revenue; and
5. Staff continue to work with Council to determine the best uses for the Boathouse on a long-term basis.
View report: Boathouse: Update from the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee
View the presentation
View the Council meeting
A staff report on the proposed interim relocation of the West Vancouver Art Museum to the Horseshoe Bay Boathouse facility will be considered by Council at their regular meeting on Monday, June 23 at 6 p.m.
- View Council meeting agenda
- View report: Boathouse: Update from the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee
The purpose of this report is to update Council on the results of Boathouse space review and propose recommended next steps regarding whether the West Vancouver Art Museum programming can be relocated to the renovated facility on an interim basis.
The Boathouse building requires renovations to transform some or all of the space into a vibrant facility to house the West Vancouver Art Museum on an interim basis. As directed by Council, District staff are currently working with the Art Museum Advisory Panel (AMAP) and the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC) to review the existing Boathouse space and confirm if the West Vancouver Art Museum programming can be temporarily relocated to the renovated facility.

An AMAP subpanel is conducting a space review and will provide recommendations based on their findings to the ACAC. The ACAC will then make a recommendation to Council who will determine the final decision on the best use of the Boathouse.

Updates will be provided on this web page and through direct email updates. An update is expected in late spring 2025.

Moving the West Vancouver Art Museum to the Boathouse is an interim step and not intended to address the long-term plan for a privately funded purpose-built arts and culture facility as identified in the Arts and Culture Facilities Plan in 2019. The District remains committed to supporting efforts to address this future need.
Mayor and Council have acquired the former Boathouse restaurant on the Horseshoe Bay waterfront as part of a multi-phase plan to expand arts and culture spaces for the community.

The former Boathouse building will be converted into a new home for the West Vancouver Art Museum. The renovated facility will have approximately 8,800 square feet of exhibition and programming space, more than double the museum’s current space at Gertrude Lawson House. The top floor will house the main exhibition space, and the lower floor will offer flexible indoor and outdoor program/gathering spaces, a catering kitchen, a gift shop, and administrative offices.

To fund the renovations, Mayor and Council, with the assistance of staff, will consider a plan to privately fund the renovations for the building’s interior and determine future uses and programming for Gertrude Lawson House.

This new facility is anticipated to open in spring 2026. Once the building renovations are complete and the relocated West Vancouver Art Museum opens to the community, the Music Box building will be removed to create more waterfront park space. Programs and staff will be relocated to appropriate spaces, ensuring continued community arts programming for all ages.