FX Martin’s General Store, Vancouver

Built circa 1885, this two-storey building is located at 23-51 East Cordova Street in Vancouver. It is valued for its association with François-Xavier Martin, one of the first French-Canadian entrepreneurs to settle in Vancouver, and also to build his own building. With its neighbor, the Fortin Hotel, the building forms an architectural and historical urban fabric, representing the beginnings of Francophone entrepreneurship in Vancouver.
Members of the Martin family played significant roles in establishing cultural, social and governance connections with other Francophone communities. Martin himself became Consul of France in Vancouver. His wife was one of the founders of the Alliance française de Vancouver. One of the sons became Consul of Belgium in Alberta, as well as Knight of one order in Belgium and another in the Vatican.