沧海觅遗珠大城小设施

2014-06-032014-06-03 _ 没有评论阅读：2,717 加国博览, 温哥华, 照片, 生活

图/文：刘耀国（Stephen Low）

City Gems – Some of them we often overlooked; Urban Facilities-Some of them we don’t look closely.

City Gems – 滄海遺珠:

(一)加國首間中英文印刷廠，位於華埠的圖新軒印務局日前光榮結業，結束了106年的家族經營。不少古董愛好者來看个究竟,也有西人為了即將開業的餐廳尋找古色古香的陳列品。而UBC及Emily Carr大學、多侖多印刷博物館等也來过尋寶. 圖新軒於1908年由原本是鐵路公司廚師的林烈棠(Lam Lat Tong 譯音)創辦，他與兒子都曾繳付人頭稅.而目前的店東是林烈棠的媳婦林月瓊。今年81歲的林女士由18歲開始就在圖新軒工作. 至今她和下一代都累了, 正是時候好好地退休。

After more than 100 years in business and three generations of family, Ho Sun-Hing Printers in Chinatown will be closing its doors Sunday, March 23, 2014. The company, which has been open since 1908 and at its current location on East Georgia Street since 1961, has seen the print industry change rapidly over the years with the expansion of online print businesses and digital technologies. Yet, Ho Sun Hing Printers has maintained a loyal clientele, despite a reluctance to change with the times. Now the 81 years old owner Hilda Lam and the next generation are ready to retired.

104 years old print shop in Chinatown finally closed its doors for good. 在唐人街营業超过一百年的圖新軒印务局早前結業.平時少人理会的老店忽然引起中外人士注意.

And suddenly many people from the general public to the media, including the Sun and the Courier came to take a look. 我們也把握机会去參觀一下. 刻画鉛字、圖章等隨著數碼印刷科技的到來而變成古董.

Hundreds of pieces of lead typeset in both Chinese and English. 看着這些鉛字想起執字粒的辛苦, 林家上下三代現在都可以鬆一口氣了.

Visitors from out of town. Shop owner Hilda Lam showing them some of the interesting pieces.
店主林月瓊耐心解答市外尊誠來訪者的問題 .

(二)Trade-Ur-Vac-1721-Kingsway 吸塵机修理, 兼有零售及出租等服務.1948年由現在店主之父親開始, 1954年迁到現址至今.两代經营手法都以誠實可靠,價錢公道見稱.顧客群來自大温各区个人或团体及清潔公司等.我們初次光顧便印象深刻,从此凡是修理、配件等都在這里一站式搞掂. 同類店子温哥華以前有三間,今天是買少見少.

When you think of quality products, reliability, and service, you should automatically think of Trade-Ur-Vac Sales & Service. With over 53 years of experience serving not only the lower mainland, but also Burnaby, Richmond,NewWestminster,Surrey、& the North shore.
They know how to get the job done effectively, and carry all the hottest new brands in cleaning as well as supplying those hard to find parts for almost any vacuum ever made for household and commercial uses.

TRADE-UR-VAC Vacuums Sales and Service. 吸塵机零售及修理. 並非名店, 但口碑載道. 滿意的顧客自动為它宣傳.

Carries a huge selection of parts and accessories for Vacuums of all made. 各种零件琳瑯滿目, 總有一件适合你.

Owner Robert McFarland hard at work. 店主羅拔麥華倫聚精會神在工作中.

Mr. McFarland . 麥先生為人低調但很友善.

Souvenir from past years bring back fond memories. 牆上掛滿了旧時物件和照片, 給人一种時光倒流之感覺. 引起絲絲美好的回憶.

Map of the Inside Passage – Mr. McFarland likes Sailing, no doubt. 麥先生定時抽空揚帆出海. 从本省內海旧地圖可見兩代人興趣相同.

( 三) Northern Building Supply-北方建築材料. 60 多年前由畢. 托馬斯創立. 第二次世界大战後經濟起飛木板生意興隆. 北方建材漸漸成為私人經营的最大同類公司.

More than sixty years ago, Bert Thomas founded a Vancouver Institution, and named it Northern Building Supply. On his own, and later with his three sons, Bert took an old sawmill and molded it into one of the city’s most unique privately owned lumber yards. Northern has grown to become the city’s largest privately held, single-location building supply outlet. Northern Building Supply is a “family” business in every sense of the word. An active participant in the business, Bert Thomas worked six days a week, up until his passing in 2010. His sons: Alex, Gord and John now oversee the day-to-day operations .Affectionately known as “Northern”, most of the company’s forty plus employees have worked there for more than twenty years. Bert’s grandchildren, daughters-in-law, and other relations can also be found working there.

Top: Knight Street Bridge 乃街橋.
Bottom: 2 blocks east from the north side of Knight Street Bridge are the Northern Building Supply and the Northern Café. 橋北向東走两个街段便是板廠及餐廳.

(四)Northern Cafe and Grill-1640-E.Kent-北方咖啡店餐廳 ——就在北方建築材料公司樓上, 開業也有60多年, 最近被西今傳媒選為加拿大最古老最破舊的餐廳.多年來我們經常在那一段菲沙河边走动却沒有注意到它们的存在. 今天來訪, 原來板廠佔地頗廣規模很大；餐廳很小却不是很破舊, 反而很有昔日我们熟悉的風味.

Canada’s oldest, most rundown restaurant has its flaws — but at least it’s a real restaurant – National Post, November 08,2013

The Northern Cafe and Grill opened 60 years ago inside a Vancouver lumber yard. Hidden on top of a hardware store on the Fraser River’s north bank, it’s easy to overlook; almost everybody does. It might seem like it’s falling to pieces, but that’s the charm. “The landlord told me one day that he wanted to level the floor. I said, ‘No, don’t touch it. It’s what the customers want,’” says Mr. Mah.

The clubhouse sandwich? Not bad at all. Fresh turkey slices, lots of bacon and tomato and a dressing that Mr. Mah swears “It’s homemade” !

Entrance to the Northern Café and Gill.
樓上餐室入口毫不起眼. 艱為多倫多國家郵報記者找到這里.

Front door of the restaurant. 餐廳如此正門也算獨一無二.

View of the Fraser River, Lumber Yard ground and the Menu on the wall. 牆上餐牌.有云吞,春卷,鍋貼,抄麵抄飯等.

Don’t take life too seriously. 餐廳主人 Jimmy Mah 馬先生(沾美)為人樂觀健談. 育有兩男一女一个在日本一个在香港.

Open for breakfast and lunch only. 餐廳只做早餐和午養. 繁忙時妻子來幫手. 每年停業30天回台山渡假,也順遊中山.

$4.99 Breakfast looks really good. 早餐由五元起,午餐三文治約$7.99. 其中 Club House Sandwich 得各方贊賞在网上極力推介. 我們試過果然用料新鮮,火雞肉更是好味和份量充足.

Easy and friendly atmosphere. The place is old but bright and clean. Picture of Mr. Bert Thomas on the wall .
地方明亮乾淨. 牆上保留着北方建築材料創立者的照片.

Uneven checkerboard floor and bright red bench seats just like the old days. 棋盤式黑白格仔与大紅椅撞色但又是旧時特有風景.所以業主提過要修平凹凸不平的地板, 沾美說萬萬不可.顧客就是要來懷舊一下昔日情調.

The National Post Report and name card of Vancouver South MLA Susanne Anton. 展出國家郵報訪问文章及温哥華南區省議員律政廳廳長蘇珊安彤之名片. 後者曾數次來用午餐.

City Facilities –城市設施:

大城市大設旋我們都感覺到, 但小設施比較容易被忽略, 例如街边救火水龍头, 我們本以為全世界都一样, 其实不然. 今天就來比較比較.

Something new something useful -Cigarette Butt Bin in Gastown. 香煙頭小鐵箱, 既可保持街道清潔又可分類免污染.

Vancouver Fire Hydrants-6200 of them. Almost all of them are red. 温哥華街边救火水龍头共六千二百多个, 幾乎全是紅色.

Some blue ones in downtown and Kitsilano. Red and White for Richmond; white and red for Burnaby.
温哥華有少數藍色的自成一个系統. 在特別事故如地震時食水不能用, 這些藍色水龍头可用海水來救火. 列治文雖然也以紅為主色但頭戴白帽. 本拿比主要是白色.頭戴綠帽另加三點紅. 而素里也是紅色為主加小白點.以後如果被迷途, 只要一看無處不在的水龍头便知道身在那個城市了. 所謂偵探, 不过是細心觀察而已.