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713 Johnson | Access Health Centre | U/C reno


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#1 Rob Randall

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Posted 27 March 2009 - 10:33 AM

Also once known as the Hub Furniture Building and the former 7/11 Bingo hall. Now will provide health services for the street population.

A great history of the building is here, including the answer to a long-standing question--the exact location of the old Johnson St. Romeo's restaurant.

#2 aastra

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Posted 27 March 2009 - 11:44 AM

Very interesting stuff. It's funny how we can forget things like that.

#3 Alan Rycroft

Alan Rycroft

    Victoria Cool Aid Society

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Posted 30 March 2009 - 12:58 PM

Cool Aid is indeed maintaining the heritage characteristics at 713 Johnson Street - and have received a grant from Victoria Heritage to help us do that. Already the windows have been improved and reinstalled in the building - which is rapidly under reconstruction now. Read all about this project at www.ACCESSHealthCentre.ca.

Here is a quick overview of the project...


Health care for Victoria's most vulnerable
Housing shortages, substance use and increasing mental health issues impact every citizen and business in the region. The ACCESS Health Centre will address these issues by delivering one-stop comprehensive services to the Capital Region's most impoverished citizens.
ACCESS is a partnership between AIDS Vancouver Island and Victoria Cool Aid Society. Both organizations have a long history and understanding of the obstacles facing people who are poor, homeless, addicted, living with chronic illness or other challenges in their life.


ACCESS Supporters

Victoria Cool Aid Society · AIDS Vancouver Island · Vancouver Island Health Authority · Capital Regional District · City of Victoria · Government of BC · Victoria Foundation · Fairlane Foods · BC Gaming Corporation · BC Housing · Mr. & Mrs. P.A. Woodward's Foundation · Victoria Foundation · Sun Star Fund · TD Commercial Banking · United Way of Greater Victoria · Wellspring Fund · Cadillac Fairview · Dodd's Furniture Warehouse · Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness


If you would like to talk about the ACCESS Health Centre or make a contribution please feel free to contact myself, Alan Rycroft, at arycroft@CoolAid.org or 250.414.4781.

#4 Caramia

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Posted 30 March 2009 - 09:38 PM

Welcome to the forum Alan, and thanks for the post.
First hand information is always a treat on VV.

:)
Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

#5 Kikadee

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Posted 31 March 2009 - 07:07 AM

Because my office is across the street, and I've got a bird's eye view of the action, I've been following the renovations at 713 Johnson, as well as the street-level reno taking place next door, beneath the York Hotel, at 711 Johnson Street.

On the Access Health website, you can see how this neighbouring building appeared in 1978. I'd draw your attention to the broad wooden signage above the shops--I think one of the businesses is called C. Tayler. Well, this unattractive strip of boarding has been removed, and what do we see beneath it? A long row of tall vertical windows, original to the structure! They are being restored, and will let tonnes of light into the high-ceilinged, red brick interior.

A few weeks ago, as I stared out my office window, I noticed that they had a tradesman on his knees chipping away the cheap old brown tile in the front entrances with some care. I went over to take a closer look, and saw that his work revealed original hexagonal ceramic tiles in ivory, green and blue.

That's when I noticed remnants of a business or building name spelled out in coloured tiles in the west doorway.

When I first checked it out, most of the name was showing: -NCOLN. The site foreman [Phil] told me that this place used to be "The Lincoln," but I don't know where he got the information exactly, and I couldn't find it in a cursory BC Archives search. I finally popped down this week to take a picture, but subsequent window reframing covered the first two letters, so that now all you can see are -OLN.

Does anyone on the forum know if there was a shop, pub or hotel called "The Lincoln" on this site?

 



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