Burnaby's Deer Lake Hart House lease goes to review with one applicant

For nearly four decades the Hart House restaurant has hosted weddings, baptisms, first communions, anniversaries and birthdays in a Tudor-style mansion the City of Burnaby owns on Deer Lake. The Smolen family has run it since 1988.

The lease expires at the end of 2027. In 2024 the city told the operators it would not be renewed and the property would be folded into city holdings. The city later said it might consider renewing. In August it issued a request for expressions of interest, and submissions have closed with the current operators as the only applicant.

"We totally understand the city's responsibility to meet their obligations and try to do what's best for the community – we happen to think we are the best for the community," said Erkan Esgin, general manager.

A petition launched by the restaurant has more than 2,000 signatures. Sonja Muller, the sales manager, said the restaurant has been where generations of families have marked milestones.

The city says staff are reviewing the responses, and next steps will go to council at a later date, with no date set. The city's review will decide who runs the property after 2027.