1801 Georgia Street

Arena at 1805 Georgia at Denman, VPL Accession Number: 6549, Date: 1913.

This small building was a confectionery, grocery and tea room at the northwest corner of Denman Street and Georgia Street. It first appeared in the Vancouver directories in 1919.

Arena at 1805 Georgia at Denman, VPL Accession Number: 6549, Date: 1913. [There is some doubt about the date: the small building in front of the arena does not appear in the Vancouver directories until 1919. As well, the name “Victory Tea Rooms” may refer to the end of the First World War.]

However, the 1912 Vancouver fire insurance map does show a small building at 1805 Georgia Street, at the southeast corner of lot 1.

1800 Block Georgia Street – detail from Goad’s Atlas of the city of Vancouver – 1912 – Vol 1 – Plate 7 – Coal Harbour to Barclay Street and Cardero Street to Stanley Park

There is one reference to this property in Heritage Vancouver Society’s building permits [http://permits.heritagevancouver.org/index.php?cID=1]; searched October 26, 2014.

District:	Vancouver
Permit:	9709
Owner:	Kipp, J. L. [probably George L. Kipp]
Architect:	Pender Carpenter Shop
Builder:	Pender Carpenter Shop
Legal Address:	DL: 185 Block: 64 Sub: Resub: Lot: 1
Date (Y-M-D):	1918-11-28
Street Number:	1801
Street Name:	Georgia Street W
Value:	$1,000.00
Remarks:	Office/Store; store building [BCR]
Reference ID:	VN-1240-1241-22

George L. Kipp’s grocery business was in this building from 1919 to 1921.

In 1922, Duncan M. Mackay appeared in the street directory as the operator of the confectionery; under the names directory, he ran a confectionery at 5050 Somerville Road in South Vancouver.

In 1923 and 1924, Albert Oliver Heise (1874-1950) was operating the confectionery at 1801 Georgia

From 1925 to 1927, the business was called the Arena Confectionery. Edward Birtwistle was the manager.

By 1928, the Georgia Auditorium was on the site. It appears that the Arena Confectionery had moved to 1855 Georgia Street. David H. Steen was the manager.

Georgia Auditorium, 1805 West Georgia (at Denman St.), June 9, 1959. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-69; http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/georgia-auditorium-1805-west-georgia-st;rad

The building at 1801 Georgia Street was very similar to this building at 1800 Georgia Street (shown in 1926). It may even be the same building, moved elsewhere when the Georgia Auditorium went up on the northwest corner of Denman Street and Georgia Street.

Vancouver City Archives, Str N46.01 – [Ensign Motor Supply Company, 1800 West Georgia St.], about 1926, http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/ensign-motor-supply-company-1800-west-georgia-st

Sources

Vancouver directories

“British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLRN-S1C : accessed 26 Oct 2014), Albert Oliver Heise, 06 Nov 1950; citing Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Archives film number B13206, Division of Vital Statistics, Victoria; FHL microfilm 2032634.

“Signs of the Time . . . in 1926,” Vancouver Sun, August 5, 1997, page D12c: “The Ensign Motor Supply Co. could be found at 1800 West Georgia Street in 1926, offering parts and service for all the seafaring residents of the Lower Mainland. . . .” [Includes a version of the photograph of 1800 West Georgia Street, above.]