Canadian musicians concerned about sale of Vancouver's Railway Club

The looming sale of Vancouver's treasuredRailway Clubis worrying musicians across Canada, who fear music lovers could lose out because ofone of the country's hottest real estate markets.

The Railway Club, which opened in 1931, startedhosting musicians in 1981 andhas seen the likes of The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo and theBarenakedLadies grace its stage.

A listingfor the venuesays the sale is a"rare opportunity to take over an iconic Vancouver location" and that the business is"priced to sell" at$299,000.

"Anybody who's anybody has played there over the years," saidmusician Del Cowsill, who started theSave the RailwayFacebook page."It's definitely an integral piece of the music scene in Canada."

Former VancouveriteCowsillnow lives in Toronto andhas played the Railway several times. Hesaid touring Canadian musicians put the venueon par with Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern orCalgary's Ironwood.

"I just don't want to see it go because Ithink it's such a great venue, and hearing of its sale, I was concerned that it might be another beloved venue that might become history," said Dell.

The bar is located in a prime spot indowntown Vancouver, one of the country's most expensive cities for residential and commercialreal estate.

The last high-profile arts venue in Vancouver that met its demise wasthe Waldorf, whichwas sold to a real estate developerin 2013.

'A really special place': owner

Steve Silman has owned the Railway Club for the past seven years, and says the unrelenting work involved with running the place is what prompted him to sell.

"If I worked every day, 14 hours aday,I stillwouldn't get everything done," he said.

Still, he hopesthe new owner will be someone who wants to continue the tradition of the Railway Club as one of Vancouver's longest-operating music venues.

"Idon't know too many places that do what we do,having music every night," said Silman.

"It's a really special place ...I'd like to see someone come in and do what we're doing now, and what the owners before us did."