Downtown Victoria Tour
Store Street – Sightseeing Guide
Store Street in downtown Victoria runs north-south from Johnson Street at its south end to Pembroke Street at its north end.
It contains a number of historic buildings along with good shopping and restaurants. It also runs through Victoria’s Chinatown.
Here is a map showing the location of Store Street:
Here is a visitors’ guide to Store Street:
Johnson Street – 500 Block – intersects
Store Street – 1400 block
1405-1413 Store Street / 530-540 Johnson Street
This building was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1990.
It was originally built in 1879 and additions which enlarged the building were made in 1883 and 1887.
1415-1425 Store Street – the Scott & Peden Building
This building was built in 1883 as an extension of the adjacent building at 1405-1413 Store Street. It was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1990.
The south end of this building was built in 1882 for Joseph Rhode, who used is as Rhode’s Bakery. In 1900 an addition was built on the north side of the original 1882 building by architect Thomas Hooper.
It was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places as Rhode’s Bakery in 1990.
1441 Store Street / 501 Pandora Avenue
1441 Store Street was originally built in 1913, by architect Jesse M. Warren, as the Station Hotel.
It was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1995.
It is now a mixed use commercial/residential strata building.
At this point, Store Street intersects with Pandora Avenue – 500 Block
1601-1613 Store Street – Swan’s Hotel
This building was originally built in 1913 by architect Milo S. Farwell as a warehouse for Scott & Peden, a feed and grain company which had previously occupied 1415-1425 Store Street, half a block south in what is now Market Square.
It was converted into Swan’s Hotel in 1983.
1610-1612 Store Street – the Janion
The Janion was built in 1891 as a first class hotel. Within 5 years it had become an office building for the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway.
A subsequent owner allowed it to sit vacant and decaying for decades. It was recently renovated into condominiums.
It was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1995.
The building was built in 1913 by Scott & Peden, a feed and grain company, as an addition to their adjacent warehouse at 1601-1613 Store Street, now Swan’s Hotel.
This building is now part of Swan’s Hotel.
1619-1627 Store Street – the Lim Dat Building
This building was built in 1898 by architect Thomas Hooper.
It was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1995.
1630 Store Street was built in 1912 as a machine shop and was occupied by Ramsey’s Machine Works for most of its history.
As an indication of the transformation of this area, beginning in the late 1970’s, from a warehouse and light industrial district into a shopping, entertainment and residential neighbourhood, this building was sold in 2006 and converted from a machine shop to a retail store..
At this point, Store Street is intersected by Fisgard Street on the east and Swift Street on the west. Fisgard Street is the main street of Victoria’s Chinatown. Swift Street leads to the Inner Harbour waterfront.
450 Swift Street – Canoe Brew Pub & Restaurant
450 Swift Street is a short walk west from Store Street along Swift Street.
This building was originally built in 1894 by architect J.C.M. Keith as the power generating station for the City of Victoria’s street light system.
It is now the Canoe Brew Pub & Restaurant.
At this point, Store Street intersects with Herald Street.
This building was built in 1900 for the Victoria Roller Flour & Rice Mill, which used it as a grain mill until 1923, along with the adjacent building at 1900 Store Street, now Capitol Iron.
It has been converted to retail use and is now occupied by Ocean River Sports.
At this point, Store Street intersects with Chatham Street on the east.
1900 Store Street – Capital Iron
1900 Store Street was built in 1862 as a warehouse for Dickson, Campbell & Company, commission merchants.
In 1889-1891 the upper floors were added by the Victoria Roller Flour & Rice Mill, which used it a grain mill until 1923, along with the adjacent building at 1824 Store Street.
It is now Capitol Iron.
At this point Store Street intersects on the east with Discovery Street.
502-508 Discovery Street, at the corner of Store Street and Discovery Street, was built in 1901 by architect Francis Rattenbury, for the B.C. Electric Railway Co., which ran Victoria’s street car system.
Until 1948, when Victoria scrapped its street cars, these buildings were the storage and maintenance depot for Victoria’s street car system.
They are now used as retail and commercial space.
Pembroke Street intersects
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