YMCA Building - Nelson, BC - British Columbia Heritage Markers on Waymarking.com

First built as a YMCA in 1909-1910, it served the YMCA until it was taken over by the Royal Canadian Legion in 1926. The design is a product of a collaboration among Alexander Carrie, Haldane and Egg. A somewhat impressive factoid about the building is that it was financed entirely through fundraising, with all the funds required to complete the building being raised in a single weekend.

That calibre of community seems to have waned somewhat, as there is no longer a "Y" in Nelson. It's possible that when the Legion took over this building that was the end of the "Y" in Nelson.

Below is a bit of the story of the building, from the Nelson Heritage Register.

YMCA Building

Description
The three storey brick building is set back from Victoria Street on the southeast corner of the intersection of Victoria and Stanley Streets at the southern edge of downtown Nelson, B.C.

Value
The building is important for its physical presence on its sloping site, and its place in the history of the development of the city’s respectable culture. Constructed in 1909 and opened in 1910, the physical presence of this building and its use as Nelson’s YMCA makes it an important transitional feature between the downtown commercial core and the Uphill residential neighbourhood to the south.

Designed by architects Alexander Carrie, Haldane and Egg, the rather austere brick building appears larger than its 3 storeys because of its high main floor ceiling height, and the drop in grade at its front.

The building is culturally important in displaying the deep commitment to community service exhibited by the citizens of the young city: all the funds necessary to complete the building were raised over a single weekend. The success of the campaign reflects Nelson society’s strong desire to lift the tenor of urban life, accommodating healthy pastimes such as swimming and bowling, at a time when the city offered few opportunities for single men besides the bars and brothels.

The YMCA also offered a reading room, gymnasium, classrooms, plunge pool and sleeping accommodation. Its construction was another important step in solidifying the mature social reputation of Nelson as the “Queen City”.

The building was adapted for use by the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League (BESL) in 1926. Alterations that house Legion activities have left intact some of the interior spaces and finishes, for example, the old YMCA swimming pool has simply been covered over with flooring.

Character Defining Elements

Site
¶ Sloping grade down from back to front of property
¶ Location between commercial and residential areas
¶ Fenced formal lawn area on the Victoria Street side
¶ 54th Battalion carrion
Building
¶ Brick and stone exterior materials
¶ Cornice including dentil work and bracketry
¶ Stone lintels over windows
¶ Arched stone detailed front doorway (facing Victoria)
¶ Side entrance with near-level access from lane end
¶ Brick corbelling near cornice
¶ Stone foundation, exposed to height of approximately 6’ on the Victoria façade
From the Nelson Heritage Register, 2011, number 43, page 65