Our Story

Harrison Lake Hideaways is a special property that has slowly grown over many years of dedication. There is always attention and interest in reusing materials and supplies wherever possible, maximizing recycling and repurposing. The two cabins each have their own unique origin story.

The Pan, also known as a Pan-Abode cabin, or D-Log cabin, is a house constructed from pre-cut cedar kit homes / log-style panel cabins. They were popular in western Canada for cottages, worker or seasonal housing, and small permanent dwellings because they were relatively quick to assemble, transportable, and had a rustic log appearance. The Pan was originally located in the Vedder Crossing neighbourhood at the junction of the Chilliwack and Vedder Rivers in Chilliwack, B.C. The name PAN abode is derived from the Greek God of the wilderness and abode meaning home.

Camp/CFB Chilliwack was established in 1941–1942; the base strongly shaped land use and housing in the area through the second half of the 20th century. After the federal military presence wound down in the 1990s, the land was redeveloped into civilian neighbourhoods such as Garrison Crossing and institutional uses (Canada Education Park). Older kit houses, such as the Pan, sometimes no longer met evolving building code, floodplain or servicing requirements (sewer, water, municipal utilities). When housing lots were converted to serviced urban lots, owners either upgraded structures or removed them; the Pan-Abodes at Vedder Crossing were offered for free to anyone who would remove them from the site. Greg just happened to come along and hear about the opportunity!

The cabin was disassembled and brought to its new site via barge from Harrison village. Greg quickly reconstructed the cabin and upgraded the interior to create this cozy getaway cabin offering warm, comfortable living spaces and an incredible, uninterrupted view of the lake that invites total relaxation.

The Hut is a Quonset hut, typically constructed from corrugated steel sheets shaped into arches and bolted to simple steel or wooden frames. It was originally developed during World War II by the US military. They were used for military barracks, offices, storage, workshops, and medical stations because they were cheap, quick to produce, easy to ship and simple to assemble almost anywhere. “Quonset” is derived from an Algonquian word meaning “small, long place”. After the war, many of these buildings were sold to civilians, including in places like Vedder Crossing, where they were repurposed for homes, classrooms, community halls and workshops. The Hut was built at Main Beach on Cultus Lake, where it served for many years as the Main Beach Boat Rental and snack shop, serving ice cream, candy and pop. The business was very successful, and the owner quickly needed more space. Greg was once again at the right place at the right time; he and Geoff, the owner of the boat rental shop, located a larger quonset hut to replace the original. The "new" quonset was once the Mission tourism building on highway 7. 

Greg dismantled the smaller quonset, and it was brought by barge to a newly cleared site at Harrison Lake Hideaways. However, life and work can get in the way of plans, and the building remained well wrapped, hidden, and unbuilt for over 20 years. In late 2022, Greg decided it was finally time to get the project started, and it has been his labour of love for the past 3 years. He has developed and designed every part of the Hut to create a secluded getaway cabin that offers complete privacy while providing all the modern conveniences for a comfortable, worry-free retreat.