Looking for a quick reprieve this weekend so took a quick drive along the Sea to Sky highway up to Britannia Village. A small stop before Squamish, known for their historic mining museum/tourist attraction and little else. However with new townhouses and new retailers moving in, the town is springing up fast.
So we climbed into the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Preferred HEV to see it all for ourselves. This was a sturdy vehicle that helped get us there comfortably and safely. It felt square with its “H” shaped headlight and rounded off corners. A tank of a truck with the capacity to seat eight. Although with minimal leg room for the third fold down back row of seats, it is better left for cargo.
It is noticeably more comfortable for the second row with individual climate control and plenty of ports for phone charging cables. Much like the front row centre console with c-cable ports and a wireless charging pad. I liked the height of this compartment with trays and rubber non-slip grip pad. Set at an accessible arm rest level for easy reach.
Inside, it felt as stocky as it looked on its exterior. Functional and uniform leaving little room for play. It gave me the impression of serious business and ideal to serve its function at the highest level. A vehicle for daily A to B, maximizing its efficiency and not necessarily for more social activities, like we were taking it on today.
I felt this through its wrap around rectangular infotainment system and square knobbed gear shift on the side of the wheel. I found the latter cumbersome and awkward, being unfamiliar. There was the need to dip my head over to make sure it was correctly rotated to either drive or reverse, lest there be a dire mistake. Park was at least easier with a push of the button at the end of the handle. It was reminiscent of old school rod pull down shifters.
There was plenty of room for my passenger and I to be seat comfortably up front. A wide seat with a little bit of a bucket to wrap around and support. Plus just enough lumbar to relive some tension from our backs, due to the extended drive. Comfortable enough for the lengthy drive.
The drive itself was leisurely, easy handling to make the winding roads of the highway breezy. It did not take much work to drive, leaving me more time to enjoy the views that came with the travel. This would be my first drive up this year, a sign of the warmer weather. Sadly the clouds did not cooperate, the rain was intermittent, as quick to disperse as when it started. A sprinkle did not derail our plans, but deterred us from fully utilizing the sunroof up front and the large moon roof at the back half.
We got to our first stop safely. There was plenty of complementary parking around the small town, where we would enjoy a leisurely brunch at the newly opened Copper Beach Bar and Kitchen. One of two spots now open for a bite to eat, and the one of the two with the larger menu.
Visible from the highway with a fantastic view of the mountains beyond the water, Copper Beach carries much history of the area and the role it played in the mining industry.
Here, we stopped for lunch which included classic cocktails and hearty Irish dishes. But more on that in its own post.
Everything was classically done and of the highest quality. As the only full sit down restaurant in the area they could have easily say anything goes, instead they set the bar for all the restaurants to come. This includes the advertised coming soon “Beaucoup Bakery”. This would be the chain’s third location, and to open it here in Britannia Village speaks volumes to the expected volume of people to come to the area.
To help walk off the meal, we decide to explore the village. Cooper Beach opened in September, well before the town’s first General store that only opened a month ago. We took a detour to see what it was like.
Previous to this addition, those who lived in the area had to travel 15km up to Squamish for their grocery needs. A bit of a hassle, considering it is one way either direction, with no alternative routes.
Now they have this general store, which includes a modest selection of fresh produce, florals, meats, canned goods, and home cleaning supplies. Most of the brands were sourced locally like Comox Brie for cheese, Two Rivers for all their steaks and packs of bacon, and Prana dried fruits and nuts.
There was even an alcohol department that was coming soon. Beer cans and bottles still in the boxes, waiting to be put out on display.
The General store also served as the local bakery and pizza joint. A small collection of croissants, danishes, and cookies on display for the former, and a freestanding pizza oven to allude to the latter.
However, it was the Mining museum that drew in the most attention. Its gift shop was named the Company Store and it saw a lot of tourists offering souvenirs from the experience, knickknacks that represented the area, as well as trinkets for gifting.
I paid special attention to all the rocks and the significant powers they held. Picking up a a few for good fortune, wealth, protection, and luck.
We didn’t have the time to visit the actual museum, but could see past the gate that they had a panning for gold experience, that would have been fun to try
The only other retailer in the area was Kawartha Dairy. An ice cream parlour within a shell the building that resembled a church.
This was such a long building to house over 35 flavours of ice cream, including a dairy-free, a plant-based, and a sugar-free option. Majority of the flavours were familiar classics from childhood like cookies and cream, tiger tail, and bubblegum. If you are curious about any, they do offer samples.
I ended up sticking to my usual favourites. I don’t eat ice cream often, so when I do indulge in what I know I like, which is cappuccino and mint chip today. The ice cream is available by the scoop in either a cup or cone. What others consider an extra large or giant scoop, they term “baby” and “small”.
A single scoop is larger than a tennis ball, this is the “baby”. A small scoop is two giant tennis balls, and a large is three. This was a lot more than you need and or that one can handle, I would recommend sharing with a friend.
Best of all is the pricing. Baby is $5.99, small is $7.29, and huge is $8.49. You can’t find those prices for this much ice cream in the city. The ice cream is also available in a custom milkshake or by the tub for you to take and go.
At the back is a soon to be completed patio, overlooking the community park. If the weather wasn’t so drizzly, I would have been playing on the swings and the zip line, or transversing the monkey bars.
There are a couple of benches nearby for sitting and eating, plus public garbage cans to dispose of the cups within. I found this a lovely way to enjoy the afternoon with my friend.
And with that we were done our exploration of Britannia Village. I cannot wait to see what new businesses move in during the next few months. This was a lovely trip, less kilometres then driving to the Fraser Valley from Burnaby, and a lot more scenic with the mountains and water view. Plus a comfortable one, thanks to our Hyundai Santa Fe.
