The public has been waiting on news of what will happen to the old Horizons Restaurant ever since it closed in 2020 after more than 34 years in business.
The City of Burnaby has announced that it will renovate and run its own restaurant at the site.
Now it looks like it has a new name: Mintara on Burnaby Mountain.
That’s according to a city staff report being presented at council on Monday night.
“Mintara is the Japanese moniker for Burnaby Mountain’s iconic Playground of the Gods, which is referred to as Kamui Mintara in Japanese,” says the report, adding that online searches of the name already draw people to the site. “The name Mintara is derived from ancient (Ainu language) and loosely translates to garden … as a name, Mintara represents the kind of elegance and refinement associated with special events such as weddings and other memorable celebrations, which is especially important for this venue.”
Instead of leasing the site to another restaurant group, the city is renovating the former Horizons restaurant building.
“This work includes investigating the building condition to ensure any issues from fires in the building’s past are fully remedied,” the city told the NOW previously, adding there were fires at the site in 2010 and 2016. “As well, we will be updating and upgrading the facility with the intention to operate it as a city-run, full-service operation.”
No opening date has been set by the city.
The site draws tens of thousands of tourists a year to visit the rose garden, trails and Playground of the Gods, which features powerful wood sculptures.
The city currently runs several eateries through its Food Burnaby operation, including at the Riverway and Burnaby Mountain golf courses. Another food outlet is at the newly christened Christine Sinclair Community Centre.