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Quaint fishing village of Steveston and Harbour Authority Docks |
After a few days editing for
the Waggoner Guide and other computer work, we departed North Vancouver for
Steveston, rounding Point Grey in a northwesterly wind with 4-foot swells. Numerous commercial and sport fishing boats
were off-shore near the North, Middle, and South Arms of the Fraser River. Winding our way through the fishing fleet, we
turned east and followed the marked channel along the Steveston Jetty and
entered this charming fishing community.
Steveston looks like a movie set with its prominent wharf filled with
shops and eateries, and is a delightful place to visit possesing historic significance. The community was named in honor of Manoah
Steves, who arrived here with his family around 1877. It was his son William who developed the
townsite, becoming Steveston in 1889. Today
Steveston is one of several communities within the City of Richmond. Salmon canning began here in 1871 and by the
late 1800’s, there were 15 canneries operating along the Steveston waterfront.
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The historic Britannia Shipyard |
Located east of today’s public wharf, is the
oldest surviving building on the waterfront, the Britannia Shipyard, a timber
framed structure built on pilings in 1889.
This traditional L-shaped building first served as a cannery; but when
the salmon stocks hit a downturn, canneries closed including the Britannia Cannery
which stopped operation in 1917. The
Britannia shipyard maintained the cannery's fleet of boats for many years and constructed new boats.
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Shipyard with Chinese Bunkhouse in distance |
During the
height of cannery operations of the late 1800’s, Chinese, Japanese, First
Nations, and Europeans came to work in the canneries. Single men of minority descent, lived in
barn-like barracks and made up 90 percent of the work force but were paid half that
earned by their white counterpart.
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Homes on pilings connect to a main boardwalk at the old cannery site |
Europeans lived in relative comfort in homes along a boardwalk
which connected to other buildings that stretched over the tidal
land. Homes, canneries, and net sheds
were constructed on pilings with the boardwalk serving as main street. As the cannery became a shipyard, some people
stayed and others moved to the site. One
well known Japanese family, the Murakami family, lived in House #40.
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The Murakami Home and Boatworks building |
Otokichi Murakami built a boatworks in 1929
next to his home. Today the boatworks
building is used for boat building programs and maritime demonstrations. Otokichi and his wife Asayo lived in the
small house on the boardwalk with their ten children until interned in 1942
during WWII. The Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site is within easy
walking distance from the Steveston Public Wharf along a new, wide promenade overlooking
the channel. New condos, with businesses
on the lower level, have recently been constructed along the promenade and a
new moorage facility now provides visiting boaters another viable option when
staying at Steveson. Located east of the
Public Wharf down the channel is the new City of Richmond Parks dock
(604-244-1208) offering 600 feet of moorage with side-tie on both sides of this
substantial concrete dock.
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The new City of Richmond 'Imperial Landing' facility |
First 3-hours
are free. Rates for stays over 3-hours
are posted at the automated pay-station at the head of the ramp. 30amp power on the dock, no water or shower
facilities. The village of Steveston to the west,
and the National Historical site located to the east are within walking distance from this new dock named Imperial Landing.
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A wide promonade with new condos extends between Steveston village and the National Historic Site |
Steveston is a wonderful destination for
boaters looking for a village experience with good eateries, fun shops, character,
and opportunities for hiking to several points of interest.
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Interesting Shopping at Steveston Harbour Authority Wharf |
In addition to the historic cannery/shipyard
site, visitors will find a trail leading west from the village out to Garry
Point with views of the Strait of Georgia. Don't forget to visit the impressive Gulf of Georgia Cannery Museum on the west end of the public wharf. The community of Steveston is definitely worth a stop especially if you haven't visited here recently.
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Good eateries are found on the Wharf and in the Village |