The Traveller’s Hotel opened in Ladysmith in 1913. The swastikas on the facade meant good luck in Sanskrit
I was over on Vancouver Island this week doing some biking and stopped in at Ladysmith. It’s the first time I’ve been there and it was great to walk down a main drag that still has many of its heritage buildings. Most were in good shape—the one glaring exception was the Traveller’s Hotel which sits on a hill on First Avenue.
Swastikas:
The three-storey Edwardian building is in rough shape, but what struck me was the line of brick swastikas along the façade of the building. I was surprised to learn that swastikas were not a Nazi invention but rather something they co-opted from Asian culture in the 1920s.
According to Wikipedia, Swastika (from Sanskrit Svastika) is an ancient religious symbol that means good luck and dates back at least 11,000 years.
The Traveller’s Hotel was built in 1913, years before the Nazi party turned luck into something evil.
History:
Aside from several grave markers in a Japanese cemetery in Cumberland, it may just be the only structure still standing in Canada that has retained these symbols and their true history.
It’s been a couple of decades since the Traveller’s Hotel was an actual hotel. A biker ran wet T-Shirt contests there at one point and for many years it was overrun by squatters.
Other plans that have fallen through over the years include condos and retail, condos and a restaurant, a chocolate manufacturer and a boutique hotel.
Plans:
Realtor Wes Smith says more recently the Traveller’s Hotel almost sold to an investor who planned to renovate the building and turn it into a dispensary and vape lounge, as he did quite successfully with the Globe Hotel in Nanaimo. The deal fell through when the City of Ladysmith introduced a by-law to kick marijuana out of town.
Bridget from the Ladysmith and District Historical Society tells me that when she moved to the town in 1966 the hotel was a “jumping, hopping place” and stayed that way through the 1970s and ‘80s.
“It was the place to go on Saturday nights,” she said. “You couldn’t get a parking place on First Avenue for all the different hotels in the evening and on the weekend.”
I didn’t spend much time in Ladysmith, but there didn’t seem to be a huge amount of night life left.
That may change now that a father and son team (the son is a chef) have bought the building and plan to renovate and revitalize it and open an upscale restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel upstairs. Wes says the plan is to have the restaurant open in the fall.
I’m happy the hotel will survive, I hope the Swastika’s do as well—it’s important not to erase our history.
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22 comments on “Swastikas and the Traveller’s Hotel”
Then you might be equally surprised to learn about Swastika, the town.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika,_Ontario
If you called a town that in a novel, no one would believe you.
The swastika was a prevalent symbol in European-based cultures. Among others, it was the logo of the Rudyard Kipling Boys and Girls Club. It was the Thanks Badge of the Boy Scouts of Canada. It was used on numerous items for babies and toddlers. It was also found in the symbology of numerous North American native groups. There was also a village in Alberta called Swastika. Then of course, it remains the heart of Buddha in Buddhism.
There are many buildings in Canada that still bear the symbol. When the swastikas are linked, then that architectural design is termed the Devil’s Claw. Given its last usage, that really fits.
Thank you Maurice that’s absolutely fascinating. I couldn’t find any other buildings that still had the Swastikas – do you know of any? I’d love to see a picture of the Devil’s Claw (great title for a book btw)
Very interesting but in this day and age of pc agendas I would not be a bit surprised to see a movement to erase another bit of our history. Sir John A MacDonald comes to mind.
We have drive by and often through Ladysmith several times a year. Indeed it has the best-preserved main street I know. And the Old Town Bakery has the best cinnamon buns on Vancouver Island. As for the decorative brickwork, security through obscurity is my advice – lest the Department of Offence Prevention hears about them.
I don’t know about the night life, but there are two good bakeries in Ladysmith!
Found one of them and an amazing book store!
Seems more just a design feature, since they are using them forward and backward.
There is a commercial building here in London Ontario that has 2 of them – inlaid brick – on their facade, but they have been painted over.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. I LIVE IN LADYSMITH AND, HAD I KNOWN YOU WERE VISITING, WOULD HAVE TAKEN YOU TO OUR LOCAL AND MARVELOUS COFFEE SHOP. AT THE MOMENT I’M RESEARCHING LYNN VALLEY HISTORY. A FRIEND WITH WHOM I AM NO LONGER IN TOUCH HAS TOLD ME THAT HIS MOM TURNED TO THE SEX TRADE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT HIM. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CIRCA 1945. THEY LIVED IN A MOST RUDIMENTARY WOOD STRUCTURE, SOMEWHERE ON THE LOWER SLOPE OF FROMME(?) MOUNTAIN. EVE, DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING OF THE HISTORY OF PROSTITUTION IN LYNN VALLEY, OR WHERE I COULD FIND RELEVANT INFORMATION? WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND PUBLICATIONS, LYNDA.
Thanks so much for your kind words. I’ve just sent you a link to the North Vancouver Museum and Archives based in Lynn Valley, they may have some leads for you. Good luck in your research!
NOBODY LOOKS AT A SWASTIKA AND THINKS OF ASIAN CULTURE!
even European travelers are in shock from the site of this Hotel – I have seen their reactions many times.
If Germany does not allow any swastika symbols and takes it down from buildings, It is not right to keep these Swastika symbols in a country that fought Nazism. The Original owner of the hotel was not Asian nor Aboriginal. These symbols should come off that building immediately.
The decision to keep Nazi Swastika on the building is very suspicious. I wonder what is the feeling Jews get when they visit the town and are struck with the site of this awful sign.
For what it’s worth, the hotel is still closed, and there’s no restaurant on the first. I’ve been eyeing the second floor, as potential open-concept office space. But I first need to figure out who owns the place.
Of course, something would have to be done about the decorations.
I am one person who likes the building with all the designs attached from the past. 1912 is a long time ago, and keeping our past educated me, and hopefully will educat more people as they learn the truth.
This hotel has been sold and renovations will start in the fall.
I visited Ladysmith for the first time yesterday and the heritage preservation and repurposing or renovation of these period structures reminds me of Nelson, BC. They have done a great job of preservation and creating a eclectic mix of old and new since the 1980’s.
I was stunned and horrified to see Swastikas on the building. I am of German heritage and that symbol has nothing good associated with it, regardless of its prior history to Natzi Germany. Altering them or removing them would most likely benefit your community. Anyone of Jewish heritage would most likely be very offended to see these displayed on the front of the hotel. They are a conversation piece only because of Nazi Germany and otherwise would probably go unnoticed. It’s your town but a global perspective I am offering. I wonder how many people actually climbed back into their vehicles and just left town after seeing those over the many years?
Hi Brian: I am of Jewish heritage and while I am totally offended by everything that the Swastika represents, I was not offended by the Swastikas on the building, in fact I was very interested to learn about the prior history. So in my opinion, I hope they keep the building and an explanation of its history. Eve
When we erase the past we don’t learn from it…this building is a beautiful piece of history…we have enough visitors that ask the right questions and just enjoy the beauty of our little town…I’m sorry it offends you…if anyone has got in their vehicle and driven away that is sad…The world will become a better place when we all understand where we come from…and can work on changing the things that need changing….Peace!
My parents owned and operated this building as a working pub, restaurant and hotel/hostel/monthly rental apartments from 1981 to around 1999.
It was a busy bustling family run operation for those years and we loved the history and all that we found in our time there. Through renovations bringing to light more history, learning about some of the original fixtures in people’s homes around town, and my dads additions to the fixtures, original glassware returned to us to display, and all… the following number of years found this building deteriorating, and for the first few years the use became very questionable. Our family was saddened at the state of the building. We are extremely excited to hear of the possibility of someone restoring it.
Removing the decorative front would be a tragedy. Over our period of ownership we did have people ask about the patterning on the front and it’s origins need to be preserved and remembered. Indeed, no one wants a repeat of the history of the Nazi’s, and having these reminders keeps us on our toes.
All respect intended.
I completely agree, the facade should remain! Im happy to hear that there may be some restoration. Does the building have new owners?
Google Street view has sanitized the building and blurred out the offending symbols.
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.9929989,-123.8169502,3a,37.5y,228.7h,113.59t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1spVt12cBmyxsNrvbNNxs9Hg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-23.589510544459273%26panoid%3DpVt12cBmyxsNrvbNNxs9Hg%26yaw%3D228.7027097892057!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D