Britannia Beach residents fought for the survival of the old customs shed until the very end when, weather worn and creaking in the wind, the 94-year-old waterfront structure finely crumbled on Nov. 16.
For travelers passing on Highway 99, the shed was a remnant of times past when the mine was running steady and boats provided the only access to the small community.
But for some residents, the shed was much more than a decrepit shack: it was a symbol of self-empowerment and the community's heritage.
"I think it has always had a special spot in the hearts of people who have lived here for a long time," said 32-year resident and BC Museum of Mining assistant curator Jane Iverson.
"We were adamant to let nature take its course."
The customs shed was created with the wharf in 1916 and was used as a waiting room for passengers venturing on Howe Sound waters and a shelter for supplies like food and mail until 1958. It was a port of entry to Canada until 1963, and was one of the town's main meeting places as residents gathered to see who was coming and going, said Iverson.
"When the mining company was in place it was really the hub of the community," she said.
But the construction of railway tracks and roadways limited the average resident's need for the shed. Not so, however, for The Vindicators: a car club consisting of local teenagers that starting using the shed as a garage in the 1960's. The club even poured a concrete floor in the shed and used it to hold meetings and work on their vehicles, said Iverson.
The shed sat perched on pilings for years until it faced its first major threat in the late 1980's, when town owner Copper Beach Estates arranged for the fire department to burn it down as part of a training exercise. Iverson helped form a Save the Pier committee and rescued the shed by pleading to government officials.
The Save the Pier committee evolved into an economic development committee, which vied for ways to create opportunities for residents, said Iverson.
"We were often disenfranchised because we were a company-owned town. There weren't a lot of opportunities or things that we could participate in and we couldn't make any improvement because the company owned everything."
Four year ago, the residential assets were sold to the residents. And the committee continued efforts to have it preserved as an official historical site.
The group had evolved into the Britannia Beach Waterfront committee by the time the government started looking into clearing the site for the Olympics a year ago, said Iverson.
Over the last few months, the shed's demolition seemed increasingly imminent. But in the end, the historical landmark went of its own accord.
"It was a sad day but kind of satisfying to know that it had met an end and gone down gracefully," she said. "It would have been quite another story if there had been intervention. I think there would have been another fight."
