About Mintara

Mintara sits atop Burnaby Mountain, next to Kamui Mintara (also known as “Playground of the Gods”) – a wooden sculpture created by Nuburi Toko, a renowned Ainu Indigenous artist, and his son Shusei Toko. The stunning artwork was gifted to Burnaby in 1990 from its sister city of Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan.  The restaurant name “Mintara” derives from the title of the sculpture, “Kamui Mintara.” It respects the original intentions of artist Nuburi Toko, who passed away in 2014. In honour of his father, artist Shusei Toko kept the original transliteration for this artwork that tells the story of creatures, gods and people living together on earth.
 
Note: The transliteration of the Ainu language has changed over time and there are various ways to transliterate “Kamui Mintara.” Kamui (or Kamuy) is often translated as gods and “Mintara (or Mintar as commonly written today)” can be translated as garden, yard, park and/or ground. The Ainu are an Indigenous people on the northern island of Hokkaidō, but also once occupied areas in northeastern Honshū in Japan as well as the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, which Russia now administers. 

Mintara presents a grand venue with stunning views of the Burrard Inlet, Indian Arm and the North Shore Mountains.

Here, you’ll find a perfect oasis in our rose garden for outdoor ceremonies and a grand, spacious venue that seats up to 110 guests - as well as other important features:

• Free parking based on availability
• Banquet facilities with expansive windows and remarkable views of the surrounding landscape.
• Complimentary use of a dressing room on wedding day.
• Two large projectors, two smaller televisions around the room that are all networked for slideshow videos.
• Early arrival/loading available morning of the event, with a special drive-in loading/unloading area located a few feet from the venue. 
• Access to the patio overlooking the surrounding views 
• Smoking on the property is only permitted outside of a three-metre radius (or approximately 10 feet) of all doors and windows.

In regards to decorations, please note the following:

• The venue’s catering team or designate must be consulted regarding any displays or signage to be used on the property by the event organizer or guests.
• Any use of nails, staples, glue or any similar materials is not permitted on any walls, doors or ceilings.
• Use of a ladder on the premises is strictly prohibited. 
• Use of confetti, rice, balloons, helium balloons and fake flower petals (including the ceremony site) are not permitted.
• If any of the above items are found onsite, a $500 cleanup charge will be applied.
• At all times, the event organizer must work with the catering team to ensure the decorations comply with the venues rules, regulations and policies.
• No decorations of any kind are permitted in the foyer/lobby and patio area; nor will any changes be made to the lobby/foyer and patio areas for the event.
• The décor and furniture of the clubhouse lobby/foyer and the patio are at the sole discretion of the venue catering team at all times, including the entranceway and patio.

For more details, please email [email protected]