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On this site, a former Methodist church became a home for Vancouver unionists in 1899. In 1911–12 a new Labor Temple, designed by architect Thomas Hooper, was built here to house union offices, meeting rooms, a print shop, and a bookstore. The Temple became a major centre of labour organizing and public debate and was the headquarters for Canada’s first general strike on 2 August 1918, called to mourn the death of labour leader Ginger Goodwin, resulting in a violent clash with returned soldiers. Financial pressures forced the sale of the building in 1922, and it later passed into provincial ownership.
The 411 Seniors Centre Society’s drop-in centre (1977 - 2012) continued the site's long tradition as a place of community support. In 2014 a local developer completed a major renovation, including seismic upgrades and an addition, restoring the building to its former prominence.