Storguard Vancouver, at 750 Terminal Avenue, is self storage inside the 1937 Canada Packers building, a heritage landmark the Vancouver Heritage Foundation calls the city's best example of industrial Streamline Moderne. Nearly 1,900 self storage units in about 100 sizes are spread across the old plant and its gated lot, from small cubes to drive-up containers, with covered drive-in loading bays, freight elevators and staff on site 8am–6pm every day and monitored security 24/7.
History = a 1937 meatpacking plant + the only Vancouver building by architect Eric Arthur + red brick and glass block
Selection = about 100 unit sizes + mezzanine "sky" lockers in four different height options + 24-hour drive-up containers
Convenience = large bright lot, covered loading bays + freight elevators + close to Science World and SkyTrain
Character = murals honouring the packing era + Shine Auto Wash on the same lot
Storage With a Story
Most storage buildings are designed to be forgotten. This one was designed to be noticed.
Drive east on Terminal Avenue past Science World and you'll see it: long bands of red brick and glass block, a curved corner, horizontal lines that look like they're moving even when the traffic isn't. It was built in 1937 for one of the biggest food companies in Canada. Today it keeps Vancouver residents' belongings safe.
This is the story of that building, the neighbourhood it grew out of, and why we think a storage facility can be a landmark worth visiting.
Before the Building: Tidal Flats, Rail Yards and a New Avenue
The False Creek tidal flats
The land under 750 Terminal Avenue was once water. The east end of False Creek was a broad tidal flat, part of the territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, who fished and gathered shellfish here for thousands of years. The Squamish name for the eastern shallows is Skwahchays.
Filling the flats for the railways
In 1913, Vancouver voters approved a deal to fill the flats and hand most of the new land to two railways for their yards. Filling began in 1915, using everything from city excavation fill to scrap lumber and brick from local mills. The Great Northern Railway finished its terminal in 1917, and the Canadian Northern Railway opened its station in 1919.
That station is still there. Renamed Pacific Central Station in 1993, it still serves VIA Rail and Amtrak passengers, a short walk from our door.
Terminal Avenue opens for business
Terminal Avenue itself was created in 1922. In 1937–38, a new viaduct lifted the avenue over the rail lines and opened the area to industry. Companies that had outgrown cramped downtown sites could now build big, truck-friendly plants. Canada Packers set the standard.
1937: Canada Packers Builds a Landmark
A meatpacking plant built like a streamliner
Canada Packers was formed in Toronto in 1927 and grew into one of the largest meat packers in the country. In 1937 it built its Vancouver meatpacking plant at 750 Terminal Avenue, with Carter-Halls-Aldinger as the contractor.
The company could have built a plain box. Instead it built in Streamline Moderne, the style of the era's radios, trains and aircraft. Stretched horizontal lines, swooping curves, brick and glass block: the building was meant to look modern, fast and confident.
The only Vancouver building by Eric Arthur
The architect was Eric Arthur, a professor of design at the University of Toronto School of Architecture. Arthur introduced a generation of young architects, including Ned Pratt and Bob Berwick, to the International Style. 750 Terminal Avenue is the only building he designed in Vancouver.
Built in months, photographed all the way
Vancouver photographer Leonard Frank documented the plant from construction in the summer of 1937 to full operation in 1938. His photos, now held by the Vancouver Public Library and displayed within the hallways of the building's current caretakers, Storguard Self Storage; these pictures show the walls going up, bricks being laid and subsequent renovations since.
Canada Packers stayed on Terminal Avenue for decades. City of Vancouver Archives photos from 1986 still show the Canada Packers name on the building. In 1991, the company merged with Maple Leaf Mills to form Maple Leaf Foods.
Chocolate on Terminal Avenue
The building's second act was a sweeter one. House of Brussels Chocolates, founded in Vancouver in 1983 by a family of Belgian chocolatiers, was based at Suite 208, 750 Terminal Avenue in the 2000s, with a factory store on site. Its signature was a moulded chocolate hedgehog, a Belgian symbol of good luck.
From meatpacking to Belgian chocolate to self storage, the building has always been put to work.
Today: A Heritage Building With a New Job
Today, 750 Terminal Avenue is Storguard Vancouver, and our head office is upstairs. Shine Auto Wash, our sister business, shares the lot.
We treat the building as something to keep, not just occupy. The red brick, the glass block and the streamlined curves are still here. So is the old smokestack, and so is the Canada Packers name, inside and out. A smokestack that no longer vents anything still tells you exactly what this place was.
The murals: painted history on our walls
To honour the building's working life, we've added painted murals that recreate the advertising of the packing era: the cans, tins, boxes and posters that once came out of this plant. Look for them while you load. When you do, remember that in 1938 workers stood in this building filling lard cans by hand.
Our team is happy to point the murals out. They're part of the building, and part of the city's story.
Nearly 100 Sizes Under One Roof
A plant built for a national food company turned out to be a remarkable shape for storage. Storguard Vancouver holds nearly 1,900 units in about 100 different sizes, spread from the basement to the upper floors, with ceilings up to about 10 feet in places.
Cubes: main-floor lockers from 3'×2' to 3'×4', for documents, keepsakes and a few boxes.
Mezzanine "sky lockers" in four heights: compact (3–4 ft tall), medium (4–5 ft), full-size (6 ft) and extra-tall (8 ft!, a true rarity for mezzanine lockers!), reached by rolling staircase. There are more than 700 of them, ideal for boxes, bins and seasonal gear.
Main-floor units: close to the loading bays and the office, from small lockers to rooms of more than 200 square feet. The convenience choice.
Basement units: from small lockers to rooms of more than 200 square feet, reached by freight elevator.
Upper-floor units: a wide spread of sizes on the floors above, by freight elevator. The savings choice.
Annex units: mostly 9'×15' rooms but featuring extended access hours until 10pm.
Drive-up containers: outdoor units in the gated lot, mostly 8'×20', with 24-hour access.
Indoor units are climate-controlled (heated). Not sure what fits? Start with our Size Guide, or ask the team. They know every corner of this building.
Built for Moving Day
A 1937 plant built for trucks still works beautifully for moving day.
Covered drive-in loading bays, so you can unload out of the rain.
Freight elevators to every level.
Dollies and carts on site.
Packing supplies and boxes for sale in the office.
Parcel and delivery acceptance, handy for businesses.
Keypad entry and 24/7 video monitoring, with cameras inside and out. You pick up your personal access code in-person on your first visit.
Hours and Access
Office and indoor units: 8am to 6pm every day, with staff on site. Closed on statutory holidays.
Annex indoor units: 8am to 10pm every day, our extended hours access option.
Drive-up containers: accessible 24 hours, with gate access after hours.
Getting Here
You'll find us at 750 Terminal Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6A 2M5, on the edge of Strathcona and the False Creek Flats.
Just west of the Home Depot on Terminal Avenue, across from the red Vancouver Flea Market building.
Close to Science World.
A short walk from Main Street–Science World SkyTrain station and Pacific Central Station.
A few minutes from downtown, Mount Pleasant and East Vancouver.
750 Terminal Avenue: A Timeline
Before 1913: tidal flats at the east end of False Creek, in the territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
1913: Vancouver voters approve filling the flats for railway yards.
1915–1919: the flats are filled; the Great Northern terminal (1917) and Canadian Northern station (1919) open.
1922: Terminal Avenue is created.
1937: Canada Packers builds its Vancouver plant, designed by Eric Arthur; a new viaduct carries Terminal Avenue over the tracks (1937–38).
1938: the plant is in full operation, photographed by Leonard Frank.
1986: City archives photos still show Canada Packers at the address.
1991: Canada Packers merges into what becomes Maple Leaf Foods.
2000s: House of Brussels Chocolates is based at Suite 208.
Today: Storguard Vancouver and Shine Auto Wash, with murals honouring the packing era.
Why We Keep Buildings Like This
Storguard has been locally owned and Canadian for decades. Decisions are made here, by people who live in the neighbourhoods we serve, not at a head office in another city.
That's why this building matters to us. It was built to serve the working life of a growing city. Nearly 90 years later it still serves Vancouver, keeping safe the furniture, records and memories of the people who live and work here. Real staff on site every day, a building with character, and a team that knows your unit: that's what we mean by storage that treats you like a neighbour, not a number.
Checklist: Before Your First Visit
Measure your largest items, then check the Size Guide.
Small items and boxes? Ask about a cube locker or mezzanine locker.
Heavy furniture? Ask for a main-floor unit near the loading bays.
Need after-hours access? Ask about a drive-up container or our special Annex lockers for extended hours access.
Reserve online; reservations are free, no credit card required (reservations are held up to 7 days).
Plan to arrive during office hours for your first visit to pick up your access code.
Bring a quality lock, and keep a list of what you store. We also sell locks at the front desk (packing supplies, too!)
Leave yourself five minutes to look at the painted murals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Storguard Vancouver really in a heritage building? Yes. It occupies the 1937 Canada Packers building at 750 Terminal Avenue, designed by Eric Arthur. The Vancouver Heritage Foundation calls it the city's best example of industrial Streamline Moderne architecture.
What storage sizes are available? About 100 sizes, from 3'×2' cubes and mezzanine lockers in four heights to rooms of more than 200 square feet and 8'×20' drive-up containers. Live availability is on our location page on the Storguard website.
Can I access my unit 24 hours a day? Indoor units are open 8am to 6pm every day, when staff are on site. Drive-up containers are accessible 24 hours, with gate access after hours. Annex lockers have extended access hours until 10pm.
Are the units climate-controlled? Yes, indoor units are climate-controlled (heated). Drive-up containers are outdoor units.
Is there room for a moving truck? Yes. The site has covered drive-in loading bays, freight elevators and a large, accessible, well-lit lot.
Can I rent online? Yes. You can rent, reserve, pay and manage your personal account online, and reservations are free. You'll pick up your access code in person on your first visit.
Can I see the murals? Yes. They're on site, and our team is happy to show you during office hours.
Is there a car wash on site? Yes. Shine Auto Wash, our sister business, shares the lot and is open 24/7.
Store Your Things in a Piece of Vancouver History
Whether you're between homes, renovating, running a business or just out of room, Storguard Vancouver gives you nearly 100 ways to fit, in a building with a story. See unit sizes and reserve free online on our Vancouver location page, or call or text (604) 687-4211.
Storguard Self Storage Vancouver · 750 Terminal Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6A 2M5
We have 5 locations in Metro Vancouver to serve you: Vancouver, Yaletown (Downtown Vancouver), Richmond, Burnaby, and Coquitlam.