Steveston
Vancouver, Coast and Mountains Region of British Columbia

places to eat

Steveston's fishing fleet

Steveston was once the greatest salmon port on Canada's west coast, and is still today home to the largest commercial fishing fleet in Canada. Steveston's commerce is geared principally toward fishing and tourism. It is the southwesternmost corner of Richmond, bordered by the mouth of the Fraser River to the south and the Strait of Georgia to the west.

Richmond encompasses Sea Island and Lulu Island, directly south of Vancouver. These islands and the Vancouver mainland are divided by the three forks of the mouth of the Fraser River. Sea Island houses Vancouver International Airport. From there, Steveston is a brief 15 minute drive. The points of interest in Steveston, including the wharf and public fish sales dock, Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Steveston Museum and Post Office, Garry Point, London Farm and Britannia Heritage Shipyards, lie along Richmond's extensive trail and dike system, built to safeguard the low-lying city from seasonal flooding.

Fisherman's Memorial at Garry Point Park

Garry Point Park provides a unique, tranquil, tree-less stroll. From here you can walk along the beach, watch fishing boats, shipping container ships and barges navigate the narrow mouth of the Fraser, and admire the beauty of the North Shore Mountains, Vancouver Island and, on a clear day, Mt. Baker in Washington State. Garry Point Park is also home to the Steveston Fisherman's Memorial which commemorates Steveston based fishermen who have lost their lives at sea.

Directly south of the park, across the river, are the marshes and wooded areas of the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island. Strolling through the many trails within this sanctuary is another wonderful and peaceful way to spend a morning or afternoon.

Steveston is synonymous with FRESH FISH

Steveston Village storefront

Steveston comes alive during the spring-summer-fall seasons, particularly on weekends when the fishermen/women tie up at the wharf and sell their catch directly from their boats to the public. Salmon, tuna, cod, halibut, shrimp and crab are among the most popular items. Recently the fish sales docks have been expanded to accommodate the increasing number of fishing vessels that line the wharf, sometimes two boats deep on either side. In case you wanted to take a taste of Steveston home with you by car or airplane, your purchase can be cut and packaged for shipping/travel for a nominal fee by one of the local merchants within a two block radius of the wharf.

Steveston's colorful, and sometimes sad, history
Steveston is situated at the southwest corner of Lulu Island, at the mouth of the Fraser River. Early Caucasian settlers were attracted to this tree-less, flat land because of its fertile soil. Small farms began to crop up in the 1860s and 70s, sharing the land with the native Coast Salish tribes who made their homes along the Fraser River and Garry Point, the westernmost point of land. Fishing soon became the centre of this small town's existence thanks to the prolific salmon runs at this part of the river. In the 1870s Steveston established itself as a major fishing camp, and soon became the largest fishing town on British Columbia's coast and the largest cannery in the British Empire. So prolific were the salmon in this region that at one point there were 17 canneries lining the South Fraser River along Steveston's waterfront.

Steveston was teeming with activity during the summer fishing season. From Sunday evening to Saturday morning fishermen were out on the water day and night, and the canneries operated between 15 and 18 hours a day. The majority of Steveston's population in the late 1800s and early 1900s were Japanese fishermen and boat builders and their families, and Chinese cannery workers and their families. Native Indians traveled to Steveston for the working months, returning to their homes along BC's coast in September when fishing season ended. Many Chinese and Japanese families went north to Vancouver, 15 miles away, during the off-season and worked in other industries until fishing season once again opened in the spring.

Fishing was a very lucrative business for many years. An exceptional example was 1936, when fishermen were earning $0.55 per fish and made more in one week than many men made all year. It wasn't always that way, of course. Salmon runs go in natural cycles, with major runs every fourth year.

During World War II, the human composition of Steveston changed forever. Japanese workers and their families were forcibly relocated, as they were in many areas of Pacific North America. In British Columbia, no Japanese people could live within 100 miles of the coast. By the time Japanese fishermen and their families were allowed back in to Steveston in 1949, most of the businesses in Steveston were taken over by Caucasian businessmen, as it remains today.

Other major changes have occurred to Steveston over the years. A major flood in 1905 prompted the construction of a dike system surrounding Lulu Island. Today, the western side of Richmond along Sturgeon Banks and the southern side along the Fraser River are lined with a beautiful dike trail that is very popular with walkers, runners and cyclists.

Local history comes alive!
The biggest change, of course, came with the decline of the fishing industry. Of the 17 canneries built along the Fraser River in Steveston, today only three remain. None are operational as canneries, but two are sites of living history.

Gulf of Georgia Cannery

Gulf of Georgia Cannery, once the largest canning operation around, now houses a museum dedicated to preserving the heritage of Steveston's past through educational programs and live demonstrations of the machinery once used in salmon canning and herring reduction. Hands-on experiences are available through educational programs, including crate making and can making. In August there are street theatre performances re-enacting local Steveston history.

The Imperial Cannery/B.C. Packers has recently been shut down and the future of the land is being debated.

Britannia Heritage Shipyards

The Britannia Shipyards made the switch from being a cannery to shipbuilding in 1918. Today it is an 8-acre site that also holds live demonstrations of shipbuilding by craftsman using traditional tools and methods. There are even opportunities for the public to participate in the building of traditional skiffs. It is hoped that the Britannia Shipyards project, which includes reconstruction and preservation of original buildings (only 9 remain), including a recently relocated original cannery row house, will be completed by the end of 2000.

Places to Eat

Cities, Towns & Other Destinations List Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Region