CANADA HISTORY - Places-Events

Gulf of Georgia Cannery

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery, located at the mouth of the Fraser River in Steveston, British Columbia, is a powerful reminder of the historical importance of the salmon fishery to the province’s economy and cultural identity. Built in 1894, the cannery was one of many along the West Coast, part of a booming industry that processed and exported the abundant salmon caught in the waters of the Georgia Strait and beyond. Today, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is preserved as a National Historic Site, offering a window into the labor-intensive processes of the past and the evolution of the fishing industry. While the methods and scale of the salmon fishery have changed dramatically, the cannery represents a bygone era when thousands of workers and hundreds of vessels played an integral role in this vital industry.

Origins of the Cannery and the Salmon Fishery

The salmon fishery in British Columbia has a long and complex history, deeply intertwined with both Indigenous traditions and European settlement. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples along the coast of British Columbia relied on the annual salmon runs for food, trade, and cultural practices. The salmon was central to their way of life, and sophisticated methods of fishing and preservation were developed to ensure that communities could rely on this resource year-round.

With the arrival of European settlers in the 19th century, the salmon fishery began to take on a new, commercial dimension. British Columbia’s economy was booming, driven by the fur trade, gold rushes, and the growth of Vancouver as a major port city. As the demand for food and resources grew, the potential for commercializing the abundant salmon runs of the Fraser River became apparent. The first commercial salmon canneries were established in the 1870s, but it was not until the 1890s that the industry truly took off.

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery was built in 1894 by the Anglo-British Columbia Packing Company. It was one of several canneries in Steveston, a small fishing village located at the mouth of the Fraser River. Steveston became the center of British Columbia’s salmon canning industry, with dozens of canneries operating at its peak. The location was ideal for fishing fleets, as the Fraser River was one of the most prolific salmon rivers in the world. Every year, millions of salmon would return to the river to spawn, providing a reliable and plentiful resource for the canneries.

The Cannery and the Political Context

The establishment of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and the broader salmon canning industry took place against a backdrop of rapid industrialization and expansion in British Columbia. The late 19th century was a period of significant economic growth, spurred on by the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, which connected British Columbia to the rest of Canada and opened new markets for goods produced on the West Coast.

However, the development of the salmon fishery also had significant environmental and social implications. The commercial exploitation of salmon had a profound impact on the fish populations, leading to concerns about overfishing even in the early days of the industry. Additionally, the cannery industry was highly labor-intensive, relying on a large workforce that included Indigenous people, Chinese immigrants, Japanese fishermen, and European settlers. The laborers worked in difficult and often dangerous conditions, with long hours and low pay. The cannery industry became a microcosm of the broader issues of labor exploitation, racism, and social inequality that were prevalent in British Columbia at the time.

The salmon canneries also played a role in shaping British Columbia’s relationship with the federal government and international trade. As one of the province’s most valuable exports, salmon was shipped around the world, first on fast clipper ships and later on steam-powered merchant vessels. The demand for canned salmon in Britain, Europe, and other markets helped drive the expansion of the industry and cemented British Columbia’s place in the global economy.

The Process of Salmon Canning

At the heart of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery’s operations was the labor-intensive process of canning salmon. The fishing season would begin with fleets of vessels—usually small, open boats known as "gillnetters"—heading out into the waters of the Georgia Strait to catch the returning salmon. The fish were caught using gillnets, a method that allowed fishermen to target specific sizes of fish.

Once the salmon were caught, they were brought back to the cannery, where the real work began. The cannery was a hive of activity, with workers sorting, cleaning, and preparing the fish for canning. In the early days, this work was done almost entirely by hand, with workers using knives to gut and clean the fish, which were then packed into cans. The cans were sealed and cooked in large steam boilers to preserve the fish.

The work was hard, repetitive, and dangerous. The cannery floors were often slick with fish oil and water, and accidents were common. Many of the workers were seasonal laborers, and the workforce was highly diverse. Chinese workers, in particular, were employed in large numbers in the canneries, often performing the most grueling and poorly paid tasks. Japanese fishermen played a crucial role in the fishing fleets, while Indigenous workers were also integral to the operation, bringing generations of fishing knowledge to the industry.

The Decline of the Traditional Cannery and the Evolution of the Industry

By the mid-20th century, the traditional labor-intensive methods of salmon canning began to give way to modernization. Advances in technology and automation reduced the need for manual labor, and many of the smaller, independent canneries could no longer compete with larger, more mechanized operations. The Gulf of Georgia Cannery ceased operations in 1979, by which time much of the fishing and canning industry had consolidated into fewer, larger companies.

Despite these changes, the salmon fishery remains a vital part of British Columbia’s economy and cultural identity. While the industry has been transformed by technology, with machines and computers now handling much of the processing work, the legacy of the canneries and the people who worked in them continues to shape the region. Environmental concerns, particularly the sustainability of wild salmon populations, have become central to discussions about the future of the industry. Today, the salmon fishery is heavily regulated to prevent overfishing and protect endangered species.

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery as a National Historic Site

In 1984, just a few years after the cannery closed, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery was designated a National Historic Site. Managed by Parks Canada, the site was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1994, a century after it was first built. The museum offers visitors an immersive experience, taking them through the entire process of salmon canning with realistic exhibits that recreate the sights, sounds, and smells of the working cannery.

The museum preserves the original sections of the building, including the canning floor and the processing equipment used by workers. Exhibits explore the history of the salmon fishery, the lives of the workers, and the technological changes that transformed the industry over time. Visitors can learn about the different roles played by Indigenous, Chinese, Japanese, and European workers, as well as the environmental impact of the fishery on British Columbia’s ecosystems.

A visit to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery allows people to step back in time and experience a way of life that shaped the development of the region. The cannery, once a bustling center of industrial activity, now serves as a reminder of the thousands of people who worked in the industry and the economic forces that drove British Columbia’s growth.

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery is a crucial part of British Columbia’s industrial and cultural heritage. Built in 1894, it was a key player in the salmon canning industry, which fueled economic growth and helped connect British Columbia to global markets. The labor-intensive work of the cannery, carried out by a diverse workforce, shaped the social and economic fabric of the region. Although the industry has evolved and many of the traditional canneries have disappeared, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery remains as a National Historic Site, preserving the history of the salmon fishery for future generations. The site stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of the salmon fishery in British Columbia and the people who built their lives around it.