The Wing Sang building is a historic property located at 51 East Pender Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. The building is a testament to Chinatown’s history and development and is significant for its representation of the socio-economic power of leading Chinatown merchants, its role in accommodating a well-to-do family, and its inclusion of a variety of educational, religious, and social uses alongside commercial and residential uses. The building consists of a three-story brick structure on East Pender Street, incorporating stores at ground level with residential accommodation above, and a six-story warehouse and tenement facing the rear lane. The building was constructed in several phases between 1889 and 1912 and is a reflection of the rapid growth and success of the owner, Yip Sang, as well as the character of Chinatown as a mixed-use community.
The brick building is made up of three distinct components. The oldest extant building in Chinatown is the two-story 1889 portion with an above-grade basement, which is not visible today as the street level was raised over time. This portion of the building had mixed uses, with storage at the front and residence at the back. In 1901, a large addition was added to the east of the original building, extending it to a third story. This addition was designed by T.E. Julian, the architect of Holy Rosary Cathedral. Some alterations of the 1901 portion occurred in 1902, including the replacement of the brick semi-circular pediment originally located on the front facade with a metal cornice across the entire building, and the removal of a flag pole originally located on the rooftop. A six-story warehouse and tenement was built in 1912 at the rear of the property. This reflects a period of rapid growth in Chinatown and in Vancouver generally.
The rapid expansion of the Wing Sang building reflects the business success of its owner, Yip Sang. Yip was employed in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway and became a power broker, serving as a paymaster and labour agent, which made him an intermediary between Chinese workers and white employers. After establishing himself, his family, and his import-export business ‘Wing Sang and Company’ in Vancouver, Yip continued to act as a power broker, helping to establish the Chinese Benevolent Association, investing in real estate, and taking an active interest in Chinese politics. His significance is embedded within the community, both through his associations and in the built environment he helped to shape. Yip’s reported interactions with Minister of Labour (and future Prime Minister) W.L. Mackenzie King in 1907-08, in which he claimed compensation for damage caused during the anti-Oriental riots of 1907, may have contributed to the federal government’s decision to criminalize opium with the passage of the Narcotics Act (1908).
The character-defining elements of the Wing Sang building include its location on the north side of Pender Street, Chinatown’s ‘main street’, its wide street frontage juxtaposed with narrow neighboring properties, the difference in the architectural treatment of the first and second phases of construction facing Pender Street, yet the overall harmony of the whole achieved by unifying elements including the sheet-metal cornice, the articulation of the elevation achieved by the arrangement of windows and molded string courses, the contrasting color and texture seen in the brick wall, and the woodwork and moldings of the principal facade, the contrasting window types, with decorated and plain segmental-headed windows and bay windows, and the volume, massing, and articulation of the warehouse/tenement at the rear.
In conclusion, the Wing Sang building is an important historic property in Vancouver that reflects the development of Chinatown, the success of leading Chinatown merchants, and the character of a mixed-use community. The building is significant for its representation of a variety of uses, its construction over several phases, and the contributions of the Yip family to the local community. Its architectural elements and location on Pender Street are character-defining and contribute to its significance as a historic place in Canada.