Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Richmond

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Steveston, British Columbia shows the entire process from the cleaning of the fish to the end result of canning. Visitors can see the steps and the filled cans at the end awaiting steaming, all completely Canadian products. CREDIT: Venture Vancouver, SOURCE: www.venturevancouver.com

The end products of the line at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery were closed cans ready to be steamed in enormous pressure chambers.

STATS

HOURS

RATES

Type:

Museum

Season:

All Seasons

Weather:

All Weather

Time:

1 hour 30 minutes

Cost:

What to bring:

Camera, Sense of Curiosity

Located on the southern arm of the Fraser River the Gulf of Georgia Cannery - a National Historic Site - in Steveston, British Columbia offers a chance for visitors to learn about the importance of the Cannery in the West Coast during its operation through interactive exhibits, films, displays and tours showing how the cannery operated and the people who worked to make it one of British Columbia's biggest exports.

Built in 1894, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery operated for over 80 years in the coastal village of Steveston, British Columbia and was considered the leading producer of canned salmon. Hard times fell on the fishing industry due to overfishing and subsequent restrictions and the Cannery was forced to close in 1979 but found new life when it was purchased by the Federal Government and transformed into a Canadian National Historic Site operated by Parks Canada to educate visitors on the canning industry which was once the biggest along British Columbia's West Coast.

Known as the Monster Cannery, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery was the biggest in the region until 1902. In its highest peaking year it produced over 2.5 million cans. It workforce was highly multicultural with European, Chinese, Japanese and Native American workers churning out one of the Province's main exports. However, as canning technology improved, machinery replaced many jobs. The ups and downs of the industry would affect the village and Cannery, its revitalization seen in times of War when soldiers required healthy, protein filled foods and oil from fish was extracted as an alternative power source.

Eventually, overfishing along the coast and new regulations imposed on fishing levels led to the closure of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery in 1979 - the community lobbied the government to save the plant and in turn the buildings were bought by the Canadian Government and the former cannery was opened to the public in 1994, restored as a Museum and National Historic Site filled with old equipment, interactive exhibits, films and information.

Located in picturesque Steveston, British Columbia, this National Historic Site shows visitors the importance of the canning industry in well laid out displays and interesting tours conveys the rich historical past of this West Coast gem.