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The Seamen's Haven was a social club and mission that operation from 1944 until 2002 for visiting sailors located on Kingsway Avenue in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. The sailors worked on ships that came to Port Alberni to load lumber and pulp and paper that was shipped to international markets. A little bit of "home away from home" to the thousands of seamen who passed through its portals over the years, the Seamen’s Haven, situated just a block from the heart of the city’s waterfront, was well in keeping with Port Alberni’s reputation of being a hospitable, friendly place to strangers who chance to cross its threshold. ==History== The Haven started in April 1939 by the Women’s Service Club and had its centre in a room in the Carmoor Block building. It was supported by voluntary contributions from the business community of the district. In 1941 the group moved to the Martlow Building, where it operated for 3 years. Through funds from the British Sailor’s Society in Great Britain the present building was erected in 1944. The spacious construction was built with a five roomed apartment upstairs and the main hall on the ground floor, with kitchen, 2 bathrooms, meeting room, great room and writing room. The great room had a dance floor, pool table, ping pong table, card tables, ships lending library and dart board. Similar Havens were chartered in Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec and Sidney Nova Scotia, under one Canadian Headquarters in Toronto. The Haven is one of 109 connected with the British Sailors’ Society that welcome and cater to seaman away from home. It was later affiliated with the International Sailor’s Society of Canada. It is international in scope and visited by all nationalities and faiths. Good fellowship is the main concern of the society, with the added comforts of home such as TV/Video, billiards, reading, and games. Visitors at Christmas received gifts. The Seamen's Haven has at its head a local board of directors. Working in close connection with the Seamen’s Haven was the Seamen’s Hostess Club which was a group of girls between the ages of 18 and 26. Under a chaperone the girls held dances and socials for the seamen and participated with the sailors in billiards, cards and ping pong. The Seamen's Haven was open 5 days per week from 2-11pm and Sunday from 11am to 11pm. It held a Trafalgar Day Tea for many years as a fundraiser. Seamen’s Haven was often written up in "Charts and Compass", the magazine of the British Sailors' International Society. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Seamen's Haven」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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