North Delta is losing one of its longtime watering holes.
The family-owned Sundowner Pub will be closing at the end of March, according to a post on the establishment's Facebook page on Tuesday morning (March 3).
Staff were told about the closure on Monday (March 2).
"Since the passing of the owner (Ed Podavin), the Sundowner Pub will be regrettably closing its doors at the end of the day on Monday, March 30," reads the post.
"We've been in the business for 35 years in Sunshine Hills and are definitely sad to be ending the era. We hope you will join us in our final weeks to celebrate all the good times had at the 'Downer.' Until then, business will continue as usual! Thank you all for your patronage throughout the years."
Podavin died in September 2014. He was 73.
On Tuesday, Facebook users posted their thoughts about the pub's looming closure.
"This is a sad day for North Delta," wrote Jeff Kenward. "Big Ed always made us feel welcome and contributed (to) many fundraisers that I was a part of, with no hesitation. We need a (goodbye night) for sure."
The Sundowner has hosted meat-draw fundraisers for nearby Pinewood Elementary on Saturday afternoon for many years, among other fundraisers.
Last year, a Browns Social House restaurant opened across the street from the Sundowner, in the same strip mall as the pub's liquor store.
Pub owners have no immediate plans for the site, Christine Podavin, Ed’s daughter, told the Now.
“We closed the pub, which was step one, and now we’re looking for step two,†she said Wednesday (March 4).
“We had planned to do a reno, but we put the hold on that,†she added.
Selling the pub wasn’t an option, Podavin said.
“We really didn’t want to go that route.â€