Mission to Seafarers- Flying Angel Mission

Built in 1905 by architect Edward Caton Mahoney, this Craftsman-influenced building was constructed as a general office, sales centre, and showpiece for B.C. Mills, Timber and Trading Company. It featured elaborate interiors and rooms paneled in a variety of different B.C. Mills wood products.

It is thought to be the most well-preserved specimen of Vancouver’s remaining B.C. Mills inventory. The technical innovation of this building rests in the use of insulated prefabricated panels, which were linked together by moulded weather-tight joints and then bolted into place. An elaborate example of these methods, this building features a wrap-around columned verandah, a bellcast hipped roof, and symmetrical gable dormers. The Mission to Seafarers has had a seaman’s mission in this building since 1973.

The heritage value of the Mission to Seafarers building lies in its aesthetic, cultural, and social values. The aesthetic significance of the building lies in its Craftsman-influenced semi-prefabricated construction, for its technical innovation, and as a showpiece for the series of prefabricated structures the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company manufactured between 1904 and 1910.
The technical innovation lies in the use of insulated prefabricated panels linked together by moulded weather-tight joints and then bolted into place. The building is culturally valued for its association with the lumber industry on the waterfront. The building is a physical representation of the B.C. mills Timber and Trading Company- the early leader in the lumber industry. The building was built on the site of a sawmill that began production in 1867 (Hastings Saw Mill Co.).
401 E Waterfront Road served as the headquarters of the Vancouver Harbour Commissioners from 1930-1936, and then for the National Harbours Board from 1936-73.

Source

Canada's Historic Places, Heritage Inventory Summary Report Phase II 1986, VHF Files

More information

http://www.flyingangel.ca/