Balmoral Hotel’s Neon Sign

The Balmoral Hotel, once a proud symbol of Vancouver’s early 20th-century optimism, has finally bowed out. Demolished in August 2024, this century-old building was a testament to the city’s ambition during its heyday. Built between 1911 and 1912 by the architectural firm Parr & Fee, the Balmoral stood as a beacon of entrepreneurial spirit, blending commercial space with upper-floor accommodations in true Gastown fashion.

But the winds of fortune changed, and by the 1940s, the Balmoral had transitioned from a hotel for the city’s movers and shakers to a rooming house for longshoremen, sailors, loggers, and fishermen. Over the decades, the building’s decline mirrored the tough times that swept through Vancouver, eventually becoming an SRO. In July 2017, safety concerns led to an evacuation order, marking this once-grand structure’s beginning of the end.

By February 2022, the Balmoral was officially deemed a public hazard, and the order for its demolition was issued. The removal of the iconic neon blade sign in June 2022 was a somber reminder that the building’s days were numbered. Now, with its demolition complete, the Balmoral Hotel is gone, taking with it a piece of Vancouver’s history and a tangible link to the city’s past.

As the dust settles, Balmoral leaves behind a legacy of prosperity and hardship—a reminder that the city’s story is written not just in glass and steel but also in the bricks and mortar of its old haunts.