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Shipyards bring nautical history to life

By Hannah Scott, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Published 3:13 PDT, Mon March 30, 2020

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

There’s a window to the past on Steveston’s waterfront.


The Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, which covers 8.14 acres, is the oldest shipyard community in BC.

Constructed in 1889, some of the buildings date back to 1885. In 1992, it was designated as a National Historic Site.

“Britannia engages visitors by showcasing important aspects of Steveston’s culturally diverse and industrial history, and its spectacular natural environment,” says site supervisor Tricia Buemann.

The site highlights the stories of multi-ethnic residents and workers at the Britannia Cannery and Britannia Shipyards. Buildings include the Chinese Bunkhouse, Seine Net Loft, and Murakami House, where Asayo and Otokichi Murakami lived with ten of their children from 1929 to 1942.




“It’s got a blend of how different cultures 100 years ago came together and worked together in the fishing industry and the boat-building industry,” says site society chair Andy Hobbs. “It was its own little mini city with a rural community at the time.”

While the canneries along the Fraser River have been out of operation for decades, the shipyards site now houses a heritage ambassador program.

“It’s very much like a living museum, especially when people are there in costume,” says Hobbs. “One of the goals is to have a portal through time that you can go through and it’s like you’re walking into the past. Having people animating it like that helps make the experience more real and more authentic.”

Hobbs says city staff embraced the living museum concept. For several years, performing casts in costumes have brought the site to life. One cast member, Gordon Cooper, illuminates his role.




Volunteer "heritage ambassadors," dressed in period costume, help visitors see what the site would have been like many years ago.


“We are dressed in full period costume and can often be found demonstrating common activities of the time period: net mending in the Seine Net Loft, Mahjong in the Chinese Bunkhouse, or embroidery in the Murakami House,” says Cooper.

The heritage ambassadors add a hands-on element to the site, but the buildings themselves are the true landmarks.

“When you step inside (the original shipyard building), you can feel the echoes of the past. I am not spiritual or religious, but there is an energy in that building that will consume you,” says Cooper. “Those old wooden boards and supports have many stories to tell, and we’re always here to help translate.”

Both Cooper and Hobbs encourage visitors to take their time to explore as many buildings and exhibits as possible, as each one tells historic stories and helps make history accessible to locals and visitors.




There are still ongoing restorations: the 1890s Japanese Duplex and 1885 First Nations Bunk House are currently undergoing work to make them accessible by visitors. 

Long a point of pride in Steveston, the shipyards is currently closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To learn more about the site, visit their website: britanniashipyard.ca.

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