9. Stewardship: City-Owned Heritage sites

The Hastings Mill Store Museum (1865) 
Roedde House Museum (1893) 
City Hall Windows (1936)

The 1865 Hastings Mill Store Museum, Vancouver’s oldest building, could be endangered through long-term neglect due to lack of support from the City of Vancouver.

Sole existing survivor of the Great Fire of 1886, the building was once the company store for Hastings Mill — located on Burrard Inlet at the foot of Dunlevy Street. In 1930, the store was moved by the Native Daughters of BC to its present location in Pioneer Park at the north foot of Alma Street. Owned by the Native Daughters but located in a City-owned park, this historic site suffers from low public profile and meager funding which, over the long term could have negative consequences for maintenance and heritage conservation standards despite the best efforts of the Daughters.

To preserve this site for future generations, the City could play a much more active role in its stewardship and maintenance.

On the topic of stewardship, we are glad to see that the City is finally doing some remedial work on historic Roedde House Museum after years of refusing to honour its commitment to maintaining Vancouver’s only house museum. The City’s neglect was starting to cause serious damage to this historic building.

However, funding MUST now be secured immediately for the retention and restoration of the City Hall Windows. The main City Hall building, completed in 1936 in the Art Deco style, still has most of its original wood sash, double-hung windows. The windows employ an unusual system that allows both panes to pivot horizontally in addition to moving vertically. Although the windows are an integral part of the building’s heritage value, the City has at various times considered replacing them and has not funded the urgently needed maintenance and rehabilitation.

The City needs to live up to its own heritage standards and fund the required work before it’s too late.

Updates

The Hastings Mill Museum
1575 Alma Street, Vancouver, BC
Call for museum hours: 604-734-1212

Native Daughters of British Columbia Post #1
1575 Alma Street, Vancouver, BC
604-876-9764

The Roedde House Museum
1415 Barclay Street, Vancouver, BC
Call for museum hours: 604-684-7040
www.roeddehouse.org