A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

How An Original Piece Of Vancouver Landed Deep On The West Side

The-Old-Hastings-Mill-Store-Museum

One of the themes that I’m always keen to emphasize in my writing about Vancouver’s historical landscape and events is the relatively short time frame in which they have developed. As a very young city (it turns 129 this year), the variety and types of historic buildings that we see – or have chosen to preserve – span only a few decades. It’s uncommon to pass by structures built prior to 1900 around these parts, which makes Vancouver’s oldest building, the Old Hastings Mill Store, all the more valuable as an icon of our urban beginnings.

Much of Vancouver’s early development was due to the establishment of Edward Stamp’s “B.C. and Vancouver Island Spar, Lumber and Sawmill Company” at the foot of Dunlevy Street in 1865. Known by local First Nations as Kumkumalay, meaning “big leaf maple”, the land used for the sawmill was chosen for its position between the two inlet narrows. By the time Stamp’s company began exporting lumber in 1867, the community featured its own Hastings Mill Store (though the 1930s historic plaque dates it to 1865). The store acted not only as a supply of clothing, food, tools, medicine, and tobacco, but also as the Burrard Inlet’s first post office and library. It was also a gathering place to buy, sell, and connect with other locals and those just passing through. In 1870, following the departure of Edward Stamp, the site was renamed the Hastings Sawmill.

The-Hastings-Mill-Store-pictured-here-was-built-in-1887.-The-original-1867-store-is-to-its-left.-1913-Photo

The original store is also celebrated as being one of the very few buildings to have survived the Great Fire of 1886—an especially remarkable feat considering its proximity to the flames. In 1887, a second Hastings Mill Store was constructed and the original was converted into storage. This second iteration featured a large Boomtown-style façade extending over the front of the original structure, and an adjacent garage area — a significant upgrade from the simple pioneer-style design of the first.

When the call came for the demolition of the mill in 1928, the community rallied together to save the small store and relocate it to a new home. The Native Daughters of British Columbia lead the preservation effort, which included barging the structure to its new home at the bottom of Alma Street on the West Side and restoring it to its original glory. The Old Hastings Mill Store re-opened on January 10, 1931, and was declared a museum by Premier Tolmie the following year. The women’s organization continues to oversee its operations and fundraising today.

The exterior of the store is largely unchanged, save for new windows and shutters, museum signage, and the installation of the mill’s original warning bell (donated by Lieutenant Governor Eric Hamber). Inside, you’ll find a variety of pioneer artifacts, local memorabilia, and an assortment of unique items which earned the museum a Heritage Canada award. Right now the site is only open for a few hours on the weekends, but come summertime you can pop by any day you like (admission is by donation) and enjoy an exclusive glimpse at Vancouver’s pioneer past.

  • The Old Hastings Mill Store
    The Old Hastings Mill Store
  • The Old Hastings Mill Store Museum
    The Old Hastings Mill Store Museum
  • The Hastings Mill Store pictured here was built in 1887. The original 1867 store is to its left. 1913 Photo. (CVA AM54-S4-- Mi P60)
    The Hastings Mill Store pictured here was built in 1887. The original 1867 store is to its left. 1913 Photo. (CVA AM54-S4-- Mi P60)
  • Side View of Museum
    Side View of Museum
  • Shutter Detail
    Shutter Detail
  • Second Hastings Mill Store, 1925 (CVA AM358-S1-- CVA 152-28)
    Second Hastings Mill Store, 1925 (CVA AM358-S1-- CVA 152-28)
  • Second Hastings Mill Store, 1888 (CVA AM54-S4-- Mi P14)
    Second Hastings Mill Store, 1888 (CVA AM54-S4-- Mi P14)
  • Original Door
    Original Door
  • Museum On a Sunny Day
    Museum On a Sunny Day
  • Interior of Hastings Mill Museum, circa 1940s (CVAAM336-S3-3-- CVA 677-200)
    Interior of Hastings Mill Museum, circa 1940s (CVAAM336-S3-3-- CVA 677-200)
  • Hastings Mill Store Plaque, 1931 (CVA AM54-S4-- Mon N16-1)
    Hastings Mill Store Plaque, 1931 (CVA AM54-S4-- Mon N16-1)
  • Hastings Mill Store Museum, 1944 (CVAAM54-S4-- Mon N16 copy
    Hastings Mill Store Museum, 1944 (CVAAM54-S4-- Mon N16 copy
  • Hastings Mill Sign
    Hastings Mill Sign
  • Hansom Cab inside the Hastings Mill Museum (CVA AM336-S3-3-- CVA 677-199) copy
    Hansom Cab inside the Hastings Mill Museum (CVA AM336-S3-3-- CVA 677-199) copy
  • Front View of Museum
    Front View of Museum
  • Front of Museum
    Front of Museum
  • Exterior of Hastings Mill Store Museum, circa 1930s (CVA AM336-S3-2-- CVA 677-990)
    Exterior of Hastings Mill Store Museum, circa 1930s (CVA AM336-S3-2-- CVA 677-990)
  • Bell and Doorway
    Bell and Doorway
  • Back View
    Back View

Vancouver’s History of Independent Grocery Stores, Vol. 10

Discover one of what used to be many Victoria Drive Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood grocery stores: A & B Grocery.

Groundbreaking Eleanor Collins, The City’s ‘First Lady Of Jazz’

Eleanor Collins, celebrated as "Vancouver's first lady of jazz" and recipient of the Order of Canada, passed away on March 3, 2024, at the age of 104. In tribute to her legacy and to extend our condolences to her family, we are republishing Christine Hagemoen's 2017 article that explores Collins' profound impact on Vancouver's music scene.

Vancouver’s History of Independent Grocery Stores, Vol. 9

In her latest instalment, Christine Hagemoen details the progression of Kong’s Grocery in Strathcona.

Kingsgate, the ‘Little Mall That Could’, Turns 50!

A brief history of one of the last remnants of Mount Pleasant’s working-class origins, still standing as an oasis of resistance to the neighbourhood's gentrification.