Black Strathcona: Vie's Chicken & Steaks

From the early 1900s to the 1960s, the Eastside neighbourhood of Strathcona was home to Vancouver's first and only black community. BlackStrathcona is comprised of ten video stories that celebrate some of the remarkable people and places that made this community vibrant and unique. Stories like Jimi & Nora, feature musician Jimi Hendrix who as a boy in the 1940's lived in Strathcona with his grandmother, and Vie's Chicken & Steaks, featuring Vie Moore who ran a soulfood haven on Union Street frequented by both locals and big name celebrities like Billie Holiday and Sammie Davis Jr.
Visitors can experience BlackStrathcona in two ways: they can access the videos via the website, www.blackstrathcona.com, or, they can experience it interactively by taking a self-guided tour through the neighbourhood. The website displays the story locations, and the videos can be downloaded from street signs to a mobile device and viewed where the stories took place.

[@JanJan-zg1xc]

Love how you told this lovely piece of history

[@CourageousKitchen]

Perfect person to tell this story, thank you.

[@sandramoffat1141]

We used to eat at Vie's occasionally in the 60s. My dad worked behind the train station so I guess that's how he knew about it. I always remember having the most amazing steaks there. Then all of a sudden it was gone. I didn't know for decades about the history of Vie's and the neighbourhood it was in. Even though I was just a kid I'm glad I got to experience a piece of history.

[@markymaypo6657]

Plugged the name in on a whim. Used to come to Vie's almost weekly in the mid to late 1970's. It was all she says and more. The best dang steaks around and the friendliest staff. Vie always came out to say hi to me and my Uncle Jack Donohue (from Jumping Jack's Seafood, another Vancouver icon), who worshipped Vie and her steaks and chicken. Nothing in Van could compare to Vies. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.

[@marymacbc]

I worked with Richard Clark in the Royal Bank many years ago. He was always well respected, great guy.

[@MrAMazuna]

I keep watching this!

[@adventureswithsteph]

Vie Moore was my great grandmother!!! ❤ Mmm mmmmm 🍗🥩 yum....Vie's chicken and steak house!

[@martykong3592]

WOW and THANKS SO MUCH! I grew up in a row house on Princess back in the day, and remembered the old hood well.... I have to ask, if you remember Geraldine, and her brother that also lived on Princess by the alley? He was the fastest kid I ever saw:) I would sit on their porch and ask if could come out to play... Yeo I was just another Chinese kid across the street, but WONDERFUL people everywhere, true humanity.. Thanks aasin for shring your history and video! Cheers :)

[@marknorthwest93]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@55crvic]

I remember my 1st experience there, shown to me by the late Reg Brookshaw, when we were together in the B.C.C.C.A. (BC Custom Car Association) Food to die for. eh!!!

[@DarwinHarmless]

So great to learn about this stuff.

[@lachlansheriff3832]

you are here from socials class

[@brentwoodbay]

Vie was your grandmother? I worked with a guy, Richard , who also said Vie was his grandmother So you must be siblings or cousins? We went there a few times, had a giant steak, but fried in a pan!

[@Brass_Heathen]

Woman you makin' me damn hungry over here.

[@StarMaker_7]

I'm hungry now!