The Gulf of Georgia Cannery honours the importance of Canada’s West Coast fishing history by sharing stories of the fishing industry and fishing communities through exhibitions, collections, and programs, and events.
Since the 1980s, the Society has worked in collaboration with Parks Canada to preserve the Cannery facility and is responsible for its interpretation through tours and educational programming, site promotion and regular maintenance.
In addition to operating the national historic site, the Society works to achieve its mission through other activities such as creating annual feature exhibitions related to fishing history and producing community events. In all activities, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society is committed to working with the Steveston community to preserve its fishing heritage and local charm.
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).
