Hastings Mill Store Museum

The Hastings Mill Store Museum at 1575 Alma Road, near Jericho Beach in Point Grey, Vancouver, British Columbia, occupies the oldest surviving building in the city. The structure was built in 1865 as the company store of the Hastings Mill, a sawmill on Burrard Inlet that was the first major industrial enterprise in the area and drew the workers who gave rise to Gastown. When the Great Vancouver Fire destroyed the young city in June 1886, the store was one of the few buildings that survived and served as a relief centre, handing out supplies to residents who had lost their homes. In 1930 the building was floated on a barge across the inlet to its current site on Alma Road, an operation that saved it from demolition when the mill site was cleared. It was then opened as a museum by the Native Daughters of British Columbia, who still operate it. The wood-frame building has a simple, early colonial commercial character, and its collections reflect both the pioneer period and the First Nations peoples of the coast. Displays include Coast Salish and other Indigenous baskets, tools and ceremonial items, household objects, clothing, and photographs from the late 19th century, along with items related to the 1886 fire. The museum presents its collection in a crowded, traditional style, with objects arranged in rooms that reflect different aspects of early settlement. The building has required periodic repairs, including to its foundations and timber, and the volunteers who run it continue to maintain the collection. Hours are limited and seasonal, with admission by donation, so visitors should confirm opening times in advance. A visit is brief, typically 30 to 45 minutes, and can be paired with a walk on Jericho Beach.