Description of Historic Place

The historic place at 127 East Pender Street in Vancouver's Chinatown includes the original freestanding facade, the modern building behind it, the open courtyard on the west side, and the parking spaces off the rear lane.

Heritage Value

127 East Pender Street is significant for demonstrating the high civic value placed on heritage conservation in Chinatown and the use of planning tools to achieve it in the years immediately after its designation as an historic area by the Province of British Columbia in 1971.

When the original building, constructed in 1907-08 and subsequently altered, was severely damaged by fire in 1972, the City and its Historic Area Advisory Board initially advocated reconstruction but then, because of building code constraints, accepted the restoration of the facade as a free-standing frame and the construction of a new building behind it, which was completed in 1973 to designs by Henriquez and Todd. This municipal intervention reflects the increased value placed on the 'Chinese-ness' of Chinatown and the story of the Chinese in Canada, a trend seen at the national level in the reduction in discrimination and the adoption of federal policy on multiculturalism.

The facade continues to evoke the memory of the original three-storey building, whose recessed balconies made it an early and characteristic example of Chinatown's distinctive architecture. Typical of uses along Pender Street, the building was occupied over the years by a number of importers, retail merchants, restaurants, and clan associations.

The building is also valued for its association with prominent Chinese businessman, Ron Bick Lee, and the Lee Association. Lee arrived in Victoria at the age of 18 in 1910, working at a local restaurant in Victoria's Chinatown. After moving to Vancouver in 1916, Lee worked in various restaurants, hotels and import stores. He opened the Foo Hung Company in this building in 1921. His import-export business went so well that he expanded into the greenhouse business, operating the Grandview Greenhouse on 50 acres in East Vancouver during the Depression. Like other successful businessmen, Lee was actively involved in the community through different associations, including the Chinese Public School, the Lee Association, Chinatown Lion's Club and the Toi San Benevolent Society.

Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of 127 Pender Street include:
- The elements of the restored facade
- The architectural treatment of the front elevation of the infill behind the façade, which refers to the character of the earlier building in the continuity of floor levels, use of recessed balconies, and broad glazing
- The pattern of use over the years, which illustrates the characteristic mix of small businesses, clubs, and societies that served the Chinese community