Steveston, on the southwest of what is now the City of Richmond, began taking shape in the 1880s as a fishing and cannery village at the mouth of the Fraser River. Driven by the booming sockeye salmon fishery, workers and entrepreneurs from around the world flocked to this seaside village.
Founded on land purchased and laid out by W.H. Steves, the community grew rapidly through the 1890s and early 1900s with numerous of canneries and boatworks that were owned and operated by a multicultural population that included Indigenous, Chinese, Japanese and European residents. As the fishing industry changed, local heritage places like the Britannia Shipyard and the nearby Gulf of Georgia Cannery were each designated with National Historic Site status, which preserved the physical legacy of this once-thriving industrial port.
Today, Steveston’s picturesque waterfront village, historic boardwalks, and active harbour honour its maritime roots while serving as a vibrant tourism destination. Steveston is also a working fishing port, which makes it a seafood lover’s paradise, where fresh seafood can be purchased right off the dock.
More even more collections of historical photos, please see these previous posts, Old Photographs from Strathcona, Old Photographs from Yaletown, and Old Photographs from Coal Harbour.
The photos above were collected from the City of Vancouver Archives. If you’re interested, additional information can be found for each photograph on their website. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from Vancouver, British Columbia, and across Western Canada. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.
