As buildings went up on Broad Street, frame houses and shanties were displaced, causing many small brothels to be closed. And, while it didn’t make the street more respectable, it did create a mix of more up-market and acceptable places.
This was similar to Broughton Street, which was dominated by the Victoria Transfer Company buildings and therefore employed many male workers, so having a brothel nearby didn’t seem to cause too much consternation. This pleased one of Broughton Street’s mainstays, Maud Lord, who previously went by the name of Dora Son.
In February of 1890, the steamer Islander carried passenger Dora Son from Vancouver to Victoria. Whether she was alone is not known, but family lore has it that she was accompanied by a sea captain who promised a future he would not deliver on.