This corner was first developed with the Badminton Hotel, developed in 1889 and designed by William Blackmore as the Manor House Hotel. By 1936 when this picture was taken the hotel had been replaced by a building quite a bit smaller, and much less ornate than the hotel. Through the early 1930s the hotel building was still standing, but had been converted to apartments, almost all of them occupied by women. In 1936 it appears as ‘new building being erected’, (as it was in this picture) and in 1937 the new occupants are revealed: The 
Vancouver Mortgage Corporation were on the corner in 601, H G Willard sold lamps and decorations next door, and J Sewell sold men’s furnishings in the third store. They had already added their ‘Men’s Shop’ sign above their doorway.
George A Martin was President and managing Director of the Mortgage Corporation. Mr. Martin was Vancouver mayor and sometimes Liberal MP Gerry McGeer’s financial adviser,and a member of the Liberal executive. He was on the executive of a newly formed political party, the NPA.
These days the site is home to the Standard Life Building, a relatively modest 14 storey office tower built in 1977 and (we think) designed by McCarter Nairne and Partners
Image source: City of Vancouver Archives Str N282
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Changing Vancouver 