Mission to Seafarers – Flying Angels Club

The Mission to Seafarers building may be small in stature, but it’s a mighty piece of Vancouver’s architectural history. Built in 1905, this one-and-a-half-story prefab wood-frame office was ahead of its time, designed by Edward Caton Mahoney with a touch of technical wizardry. The building’s insulated prefabricated panels, linked by weather-tight joints and bolted into place, made it a standout in both innovation and durability.

Originally constructed as a sales center and office, the building’s interiors were a showpiece of B.C. Mills wood products, featuring everything from fir to hemlock, red cedar to balsam. It’s a time capsule of Vancouver’s timber industry, and as the best-preserved specimen of the city’s B.C. Mills inventory, it’s a rare glimpse into the past.

But this building isn’t just a relic but a survivor. Sitting on the site of a sawmill that began operations in 1867, it’s the last structure associated with the Hastings Saw Mill, later known as B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company, that remains in its original location. Over the years, it’s housed everyone from the Vancouver Harbour Commissioners to the National Harbours Board, adapting with the times while keeping its historic charm intact.

In 1981, for the bargain price of one dollar, the building found new life as the Mission to Seafarers. Painted in a distinctive blue, recognized by seafarers around the globe, it became a beacon of hospitality for those far from home. Offering a place to relax, connect with family, or shoot a game of pool, the Mission to Seafarers has continued the tradition of welcoming weary travelers – just as the building has welcomed a century of change.