The Man Who Saved a Piece of Port Moody’s History

Fred Soofi opened Il Mercante on Queen Street in 2005, at a moment when there were no grocery stores, no wood-burning pizza ovens, and barely any coffee shops in the city. Over the years, Fred has personally moved and restored six heritage houses in Port Moody — a scale of preservation work most residents have no idea one person is responsible for.

His most visible contribution might be the Apple Yard House, now on St Johns Street and part of the Port Moody Arts Centre. “When the Apple Yard House was going to be demolished, I was approached by someone who asked if I would buy and restore it,” Fred told Port Moody Pulse. He bought it, moved it, and restored it.

Fred has stayed involved in nearly every corner of the community since — the Farmers Market, SHARE Food Bank, and now the PoMoArts Advisory Council. “I found Port Moody a very unique community because the residents really care and are very involved.”

Twenty years in, six heritage houses restored, and Fred is still one of the people quietly shaping what this city becomes — one restaurant, one saved building, one advisory meeting at a time.