Redfish Grilled and Deboned

...

Redfish Grill
formerly
Amanda's
formerly
Seven Seas
formerly
Ken's
formerly
New Star
formerly
Commodore
formerly
LD (Little Davenport?) Restaurant,
this started by Gee Pong's father, who also put-up the building itself in the 1910s.
The building has been Chinese-Canadian-owned since its beginning - as was the restaurant on the groundfloor, until that was taken over by an Anglo-Canadian as the
Redfish Grill.
Sometimes there was a single owner, sometimes a family, sometimes a partnership. Partnerships always based on a mutual understanding - no written contracts - and profits were shared equally, regardless of a partner being dishwasher or chef. All partners did what they were good at and were respected for it.

This restaurant, in all its incarnations - like others Chinese-Canadian-owned here - was of great importance, because over many years it gave work to large numbers of Chinese when they arrived in Nelson: often with no skills - like English. Here they learned about pies and BLTs - they also learned the language. It was not only a place of employment but also meant companionship and safety. Many of them are still around, uniformly having become successful in Nelson and area, in Vancouver and Calgary.

In the 70s, the Wong family became owners of the building, running the restaurant as well. But the order of all the restaurant/cafe names and owners - between the beginning and yesterday - may be remembered a bit vaguely now among them. We are looking at about 100 years.

The upstairs was a rooming-house, mostly for single Chinese men but sometimes also for those with a bride brought over from home. Families were started here. Sometimes there were whites.

The history of this building is of remarkable depth - richer than that of most buildings here. But it does not figure within Nelson's one-trick-pony heritage.

A while ago the Redfish Grill building burned down, with the shell left more or less intact. So for a short time there was idle talk of seeing something built here with the facade kept: the ruin immediately becoming more interesting heritagewise than the whole building ever had been.
A representative of the Wongs came to Nelson from Vancouver to initiate the gutting: the shell was declared sound at the time. Also their cheapest right-now option. Then the facade began to crumble - to be unsafe for pedestrians to pass - and as per agreement a temporary covered walkway was put in place.

Now the City wants to see a permanent solution in the matter - a choice of three possibilities: stabilize the existing structure to extend its life-span safely; tear down whatever is left; build.

Councilors became vocal in their meeting, Aug. 13, preferring to keep the shell for now - but bypassing the surely enormous costs for such vanity-project of a surely limited run - only because it is anxious to retain Baker Street's homogeneous heritage-facade, without the blemish of a gap and hole in the ground. A make-up job. Potemkin's villages!
The City can't force any of these options, but it can insist on certain safety-measures. What these would be for securing a thin remaining facade is not known to anyone at this point.
We're probably looking at brick-by-brick and gobs of superglue, with major structural supports behind.

The Star's write-up City takes aim at Redfish structure, Aug. 15, is largely inconsistent with what was discussed in Council, at its end ascribing to David Wahn, City Planner: Obviously a lot of people in the city feel that it is a heritage building and it needs to be preserved, but we have no tools within our legislation to encourage them to rebuild its old glory. Horse-puckie!

I didn't hear him say that, and why would he: Obviously there's really nothing left to be preserved, and neither a lot of people's feelings on this nor the building's old glory have been an issue anywhere at any time. Furthermore, no legislative tools are needed to just encourage.

Au contraire - what did come up in this meeting is that the building is not part of the ubergroup of registered local heritage buildings: of the blood - so to speak. Before the fire this building was of no particular interest to any Anglos.

Also, not once - while discussing this - did anyone on Council mention the very real socio-historical importance of the building, within the context of a very productive Chinese presence locally! Or the very real cultural heritage of several thousand years these people came/come from. Contemplating that could make clear why Nelson-heritage aspirations are probably of little concern to the owner.

I could totally understand that perspective and am embarrassed for Nelson, in view of The Honorable LIU Fei, Consul General of the P.R. of China, recently visiting, based on her (mistaken) assumption that Nelson connects with the Chinese part of its heritage.

A letter with an ultimatum for a decision on the three options to the owner - Su Ying Wong, who died several years ago - is to be crafted now: carefully nudging her away from the wrecking-ball. Most of the attention/time this item got during the meeting was spent on just how to soft-pedal the tear-down option - while having no choice but to mention it.

So there's the kettle of redfish City Hall is not yet dealing with: the property and directly attached funds have been in Probate for ages - there are 5 possible heirs waiting in line. Even if they should all miraculously agree on anything - there's no money to build: the building was underinsured, and the clean-up thus far has been very expensive. They all made their homes in Vancouver years ago - it's just business here. That and the more pushed - the more stubborn they may become! Cultural!

Anybody want to buy a chunk of property? Put-up a faux-heritage building and open a store?

                    

                   Please?

                                                

           Location! Location! Location!

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