Anyone happening upon the Flying Angel Seafarer's Club is probably lost. There was a time when the entire waterfront was accessible to anyone. Not so much now.
From 1975 to 1989 I was a letter carrier. In the early years I worked in the station that included this section of the waterfront. I did not have the seniority to pick this route but my job at the time was to substitute for the people who were off . Yeah, Yeah, most of us were 'off', I mean off as in, away from work.
I delivered mail by truck here for 3 or 4 weeks. It was an experience. Forklifts and trucks constantly on the move, mysterious places to leave the mail and rats the size of Labrador Retrievers. I made up that last bit to give the story some punch. The rats were really no bigger than house cats. There were canneries, grain elevators, the sugar refinery and shipping companies, etc. Some businesses are still there but large sections are now container terminals.
The tidy blue building seemed out of place then and still does today. I believe it used to be known as the Seamen's Mission. It still serves that purpose.
