Located in the historic fishing village of Steveston, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site is a Parks Canada site which presents the history of Canada’s West Coast fishing industry. Built in 1894, the Cannery was once the largest building of its kind and the leading producer of canned salmon in British Columbia. Interactive exhibits bring to life the machines that once churned out millions of cans of salmon. Through guided tours, programs and exhibits, discover the history of the site and its people.
Topics include:
Salmon canning
Herring processing
Commercial fishing
Indigenous fishing
Japanese Canadian History
Chinese Canadian History
Sustainability
Notes from "TV shows filmed at historic places across Canada"
The Gulf of Georgia Cannery, located in the historic fishing village of Steveston, showcases the history of Canada’s West Coast fishing industry. Built in 1894, the Cannery was once the largest building of its kind and the leading producer of canned salmon in British Columbia. Now a Parks Canada site, visitors can learn about salmon canning, herring processing, commercial fishing, indigenous fishing, Japanese Canadian history, Chinese Canadian history, and sustainability through guided tours, programs, and exhibits.
The TV series, Once Upon a Time, a fantasy-adventure drama that brings fairy tale characters to life, was set in the town of Steveston where the Gulf of Georgia Cannery served as the Storybrooke cannery within the show. Today, visitors can stop by the Tourism Richmond Visitor Centre to pick up a walking map that follows the steps of the fairy tale characters, so they can have a magical experience exploring other places close to the cannery like the Steveston post office and visitor centre (the Storybrooke post office), the Cannery Café Seafood House (Granny’s Diner), Pajo’s Fish & Chips (Storybrooke Fish & Chips), and Nikaido (Standard Clocks).
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Amenities
Family-Friendly
Guided Tour
National Historic Site
Parking
Washrooms
Wheelchair Access
Fun Facts
This cannery was nicknamed “The Monster Cannery” when it was first built, because it was the largest of its kind!
The historic cannery is built on 600 wood pilings right on top of the Fraser River. At high tide, you can often hear the waves lapping beneath the floor.
The Cannery’s new feature exhibit “Waves of Innovation: Stories from the West Coast” opened May 1st 2021, and features the stories of the diverse canning and fishing communities which were affected by changes and adaptation in their industries.
Location
12138 Fourth Avenue, Richmond, BC, Canada Get directions
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Following "TV shows filmed at historic places across Canada"
The film and television industry love using historic places as part of their sets for their cinematic creations because historic places tell stories, and they create a nostalgic backdrop for modern stories. Next time you watch your favourite shows, you might just catch a glimpse of a quaint historic fishing village in Nova Scotia or spy a […]
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