Article & photos by Lenora A.Hayman.
During Expo’86 the Pender Hotel at 31 W. Pender was a single occupancy rooming house. The owner Jim Duffy was one of the few hotel owners who didn’t “turf out” his tenants in order to force visitors to pay higher rates during the 6 months of Expo’86! Jim Duffy died in 2004 but he would be happy to see that his” Pender Palace” is now the Skwachays Healing Lodge( pronounced Squatch eyes) and also a 3 star boutique hotel, near Vancouver’s Gastown, the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Garden, # 19 Stanley Park Bus, Rogers Arena and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Skwachays refers to the sacred spring waters that covered the marshes and were the door to the spirit world.
Architect Joe Y. Wai has preserved the historic brick façade, with a 3D video inserted at the entrance, honouring First Nations’ Art and Culture. On the roof is a longhouse, with a laser-etched stainless steel panel on the wall and Master Carver Francis Horne Sr’s 40-foot Dreamweaver story pole reaching towards the sky.
The reception area on the ground floor also has the Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery whose CEO is David Eddy. Here the Vancouver Native Housing Society provides a community owned resource for First Nations’ artists, such as Jerry Whitehead from Saskatoon whose bold paintings of powwow dancers and the salmon and frog dancers of Richard Short from Whitehorse, grace the walls. Art work, bentwood boxes, masks, native jewelry and apparel are all for sale.
Six artists have decorated the 18 boutique hotel rooms, on the 5th and 6th floors with door lintels portraying the raven, eagle, bear, wolf and orca.
On the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors are 24 affordable apartments for those at risk of homelessness.
A Sweat Lodge, Smudge Room, Library and Artists workshop are on the roof overlooking the Chinese Millennium Gate on Pender St. and the neon lights of the International Village.
After spending “big bucks” on a show or game at Rogers Arena or BC Place this budget hotel close by could stretch your dollar!