536 Herald Street

BUILDINGS ASSOCIATED WITH FREEMASONS IN GREATER VICTORIA

This two storey building at 536 Herald Street was built in 1908-1909 by architects Thomas Hooper and C. Elwood Watkins for the B. Wilson Company, which used it as the office and warehouse for its cold storage business.

The B. Wilson Company was controlled by Richard Biggerstaff Wilson, a member of Vancouver & Quadra Lodge No. 2.

It has now been re-developed into a mixed used building with commercial space on the main level and apartments on the second floor.

The adjacent building at 532 Herald Street was built for Wilson Brothers, a wholesale grocery company in which Richard Biggerstaff Wilson was also involved.

Here is a map showing the location of 536 Herald Street:

Here is a Google Street View image of 536 Herald Street:

A Brief History of 536 Herald Street

This two storey building at 536 Herald Street was built in 1908-1909 by architect Thomas Hooper and C. Elwood Watkins for the B. Wilson Company, which used it as the office and warehouse for its cold storage business.

One of the principals of Wilson Brothers was Biggerstaff Wilson (died June 1925, aged 51) whose house at 1770 Rockland Avenue is now on Victoria’s Heritage Registry. Biggerstaff Wilson was also involved in Wilson Brothers, a wholesale grocers, which owned the adjacent building at 532 Herald Street, which has recently been converted into an apartment building known as The Biggerstaff, after Biggerstaff Wilson.

The buildings at 532 Herald Street and 536 Herald Street appear to be part of the same design. But the original building permit, issued by the City of Victoria to “B. Wilson” in November 1908, describes a “new brick building”, “two storey, 14 rooms” for the purpose of “cold storage”, with an estimated construction cost of $25,000. From this description, it appears that this building permit only refers to 536 Herald Street and not to the adjacent building at 532 Herald Street. We will do more research to clarify this.

The B. Wilson Company operated from this building at 536 Herald Street until the early 1970’s. In the 1950’s it also began operating other businesses here, including Wilson Frozen Foods and the Ice Delivery Company. Records for the 1960’s show a Canada Packers branch operating here along with the B. Wilson Company.

Here are some historic photos of the B. Wilson Company’s ice making operations in 1947:

• BC Archives photo I-01835 – photographer: Duncan Macphail
• BC Archives photo I-01836 – photographer: Duncan Macphail
• BC Archives photo I-01837 – photographer: Duncan Macphail
• BC Archives photo I-01838 – photographer: Duncan Macphail

Here are links to some historic photographs of 536 Herald Street:

• City of Victoria Archives photo M04208 – 1959
• City of Victoria Archives photo M04209 – circa 1960

In the 1970’s, Gainer’s Meats took over the building, operating a wholesale meat business. By the 1980’s this building was no longer being used for cold storage and was vacant for lengthy periods.

It has now been re-developed into a mixed used building with commercial space on the main level and apartments on the second floor.

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