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Historic StevestonBy Karoline CullenSeagulls shriek, circling over a forest of fishing boat masts. People clamber along the wooden boardwalks, browsing wares in the stores or catches of the day on the boats. Salt tangs the air and a breeze ruffles the water. This is as descriptive of Steveston today as it might have been in the late 1890’s, when the summer population for this seaside community swelled to 10,000 inhabitants. Steveston lies at the joining of the Fraser River and the sea, in the southwest corner of Richmond. It is a thirty-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, ideal for a day trip from the city. There, you can easily experience some of the village’s past with visits to four historic sites celebrating its fishing and farming heritage.
Britannia was a cannery from 1889 to 1918 and supplied living quarters for Japanese families, who were a major component of the fishing industry. More than 4000 Japanese were in Steveston by the early 1900’s; most men fished and the women worked in the canneries. An example of one of the simple residences, originally built on pilings on the waterfront, is the Murakami House. Built in 1885, it has been reconstructed in the Shipyard and furnished, as it was when the boat-building family lived there. Their garden has been replanted and pink climbing roses adorn the wood siding by the front door. In the 1920’s, the number of Japanese fishing licenses was reduced and many fishermen turned to market gardening. After Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japanese-owned boats, businesses and properties were seized and 2000 Japanese were evacuated from Steveston to the interior of BC. They were allowed to return in 1949.
When you’ve munched on the traditional fish and chips or ice cream, and loaded up on seafood from the boats at the dock, take a stroll along the Heritage Trail towards Garry Point Park. Stop a moment at the Fisherman’s Memorial and watch the boats chugging out to sea. Along with the seagulls’ cries, you may just hear an echo of the cans rattling on the cannery assembly line. For Further Information: London Heritage Farm Britannia Heritage Shipyard National Historic Site Steveston Museum The Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site For fish and chips served in a paper cone and eaten at picnic tables with customized holes to rest the cones in, try Pajo’s at the Wharf (604 272 1588) or at Garry Point Park (604) 204 0767. For more elegant, Italian dining, try La Pergola A wide variety of restaurants, cafes, specialized shops and galleries line Bayview and Moncton Streets. Dyke trails perfect for walking or cycling extend east or north from the village centre. by Karoline Cullen Karoline Cullen is a British Columbia travel writer and photographer who thoroughly enjoys buying fresh seafood at the dock in Steveston. |
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Along the narrow road paralleling the river before the
village centre are the historic house and grounds of London Farm. A restored
and furnished two-story farmhouse from the 1890’s is surrounded by heritage
gardens. Enjoy the ambience given by the original décor
and creaking floorboards as you take tea and scones in the dining room.
Outside, the scent of roses wafts over the pathways, bees collect honey from
the herbs and flowers while chickens cackle beside a display of hand farm
implements. 
Farther along the dyke road is the Britannia Shipyard.
On the site of a once thriving mix of cannery, residences, and boat building
yard, four buildings are restored and open to the public. Across from the
wooden boardwalk, surrounded by pilings, green-gray river grass, and
dinghies marooned by the low tide is a traditional timber framed, L-shaped
cannery. It is the oldest surviving wooden structure on
the Steveston waterfront and from here, the first ship full of canned salmon
left for the UK in 1889. Inside, footsteps ring hollow on the wooden boards
and light streams dimly through the paned windows onto displays of cut-away
wooden models of boats. A senior, putting finishing touches of paint on a
wooden fishing boat that has taken almost three years to restore, guarantees
it is being launched today. However, he smilingly says, he won’t guarantee
it will float. 
From the Shipyard, travel further west to explore the
center of Steveston. On the village main street, what was once the Northern
Bank Building in 1905 now houses a post office and displays of old Steveston.
In a quick stop, peek into the bank manager’s office, a
general store display with an old cash register and a selection of dry
goods, a kitchen, and a bedroom. Another room has black and white of Steveston’s settlers, and its booming farming, and fishing industries. Spot
the bank building in the photo of the main street and see how many canneries
lined the riverbank in another. 
The
Gulf of Georgia Cannery was the largest on the west coast until 1902. At the
peak of its operations, 16,000 to 20,000 fish a day were processed. In 1897,
more than two and a half million cans of salmon were packed. My great-aunt
Winnie worked in the cannery in the early 1940’s. She told many a tale about
the noise and the smells and how busy it was. Fully laden fishing boats
would wallow up to the cannery and the huge loading bay would fill
waist-high with fish. The cannery tour begins in the boiler room with a film
but becomes more interactive after that as you work your way along the
production line. You’ll learn how the fish got into the cans, and how the
cans were vacuum packed and labeled. On the big scale, check how much your
weight in fish would have been worth. See how challenging it was for workers
like Winnie to keep up the hectic pace and marvel at the machinery developed
to speed the entire process even further. 