Fire damages a once-beloved Vancouver music venue along East Hastings (PHOTO)

A onetime well-loved music venue in Vancouver has been ravaged by a fire over the weekend.

The building, located at 109 East Hastings, used to be known as the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret, but the cabaret had shuttered in recent years.

According to the Neon Rainbow website, legendary musician Jimi Hendrix once took the stage at the dive bar, and the Canadian band 54-40 started their careers in the space decades ago, even going on to name an album after it in the ’90s.

The neon sign, created in 1950, lit up the East Hastings block for decades. (www.vancouverneon.com)

For those concerned that the 800-pound historic neon sign went up in flames, they can be assured that it was saved, as it is now in the care of the Museum of Vancouver.

The current building’s leaseholder tells Daily Hive the space has been operating as Buddha’s since it closed as a restaurant in 2019 – and it remains a place for concerts, art shows, food outreach programs, and private events.

Submitted

“The space has been under renovation for the past six months, and was set to re-open later this year. The fire was thankfully minor and did not ‘destroy’ the building. A full restoration of the space will be necessary, but we’ll continue to work towards re opening,” James Andrew said.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services says it was an act of arson, as the blaze was intentionally set with gasoline in a nearby dumpster.

Fire crews responding to 12 fires in the last 24 hours: cooking fires, SRO fires and brush fires. One of those fires at 109 E Hastings was a dumpster fire intentionally set with gasoline, spreading into the building. Call 911 right away if you see smoke or flames.

— Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (@VanFireRescue) August 21, 2023

The fire was among the dozen of incidents emergency crews responded to in just a 24-hour period, at a time when dry conditions persist and the province remains in a state of emergency due to a record-breaking fire season.

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Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said the building was destroyed, it has since been corrected to reflect that the building is damaged.