Keefer Rooms

This four-storey building built in 1912 by Rogers and McKay (cited as building owners and architects) has three upper residential floors and retail on the main floor. In 1913 city directories list the upper floors as “cabins” and Keefer Rooms its name.

Up until 1974 the building contained 74 rooms. It was reduced to 45 in 1975 with the replacement of Single Room Occupancy (SRO) due to stricter by-law enforcement and urban renewal projects. Gain Wah, a traditional Cantonese-style noodle cafe has been operating on the main floor since 1981.

Architecturally, the building includes cornice and brick detailing, bay windows, a side entrance, signage on the facade advertising the rooms. During the 1920s-30s, the ground floor was occupied by a Japanese Grocer and the upper floors list Japanese tenants. There were also private baths, which could have some relationship to traditional communal bathing facilities for the Japanese community, as well as shared bathrooms for the tenants. (If you have further information about the pre-WWII history, please contact VHF).

Source

Canada's Historic Places, VPL City Directories online, City of Vancouver Archives

More information

https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2746