New Westminster British Columbia - Standing in dust and debris, Eric Pattison peers into the dismantled ceiling of one of New Westminster's most historically important buildings and describes what went on in the B.C. Electric Railway a century ago.
 
"It's historical pedigree is substantial," says Pattison, the architect who's working on the historical restoration of the building at 774 Columbia St.
 
As Pattison describes it, the building was a hub of building for the city and the region. It also played a role in the history of the province.
 
"Now all of the ghosts of the past are coming out," he said.
 
Historical photos of the building show Interurban tram cars entering and leaving the building. It was a hub for transit in the region with cars coming in from Vancouver and others leaving for Fraser Valley destinations as far east as Chilliwack. Hundreds of passengers walked in and out of the building on a daily basis.
 
Photos of today hide that history. The high archways passengers walked through as they embarked and disembarked are hidden by more recent renovations. The high ceiling that allowed the huge interurban cars to enter the building were also covered over. The magnificent brick exterior was concealed by a plaster for more than 50 years.
 
All of those recent alterations are now being torn down so the building can show off its past importance. The changes are part of a heritage revitalization agreement between New Westminster and Ballenas Project Management. Ballenas is restoring the building for its owner, the Salvation Army so it can be used as a thrift store. In exchange, Ballenas gets the unused density from the building that it can transfer to its neighbouring building at 752 Columbia St.
 
Restoration work has begun on the building but it's not much to look at right now. Dust and debris is everywhere as crews slowly tear down the more recent renovations covering the original structure. The stucco, applied in 1954 to cover the exterior brickwork, is being meticulously removed. The hope is it will be structurally sound, otherwise it must be replaced.
 
The B.C. Electric building was constructed in 1910 and designed by prominent architect Samuel MacLure in the Edwardian character. It was an imposing structure that marked the western edge of the "Golden Mile", the bustling commercial corridor along Columbia Street.
 
B.C. Electric, which eventually evolved in to today's BC Hydro, located its head office in the building.
 
When it was eventually sold to become a Wosk's furniture store, it had a modern facelift. It was sold again 30 years later and became a Value Village with more renovations hiding its historical importance. Boardwalk Billiards was the most recent tenant.
 
"What we're doing now is taking it back to its historical finish," said Pattison of the work going on now. "We need to see what we have to work with."
 
The goal is to have the building completed and ready for the Salvation Army to move into by December of this year. Pattison wants to uncover and restore as many features of the building as possible. But it's not likely everything can be kept. Some things may be beyond repair.
 
"See that," said Pattison, pointing into a darkened washroom. "That's the original toilet bowl. The features are Edwardian design. I don't think we'll be using that."
 
Author unknown.