Fishing Industry on the West Coast National Historic Event
Richmond, British Columbia
HSMBC plaque on Gulf of Georgia Cannery NHSC
© Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, 2004
Address :
12138 Fourth Avenue, Steveston, Richmond, British Columbia
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1976-06-15
Other Name(s):
-
Fishing Industry on the West Coast
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
1977-030, 2010-SDC-CED-033
Importance:
Commercial fishing began in the 1830s, salted salmon for the Hudson's Bay Company
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site 12138 Fourth Avenue, Richmond, British Columbia
For thousands of years the fishery has been vitally important to people on Canada's west coast. It provided food for Aboriginal peoples and is still an essential element of their culture. Commercial fishing began in the 1830's when the Hudson's Bay Company salted salmon for export in barrels. More efficient fishing methods, new canning and freezing technologies, and access to remote markets by ship and railway fostered an industry which has for generations employed men and women of many origins. The Gulf of Georgia Cannery, built in 1894, serves as a symbol of this history.