Britannia Heritage Shipyard National Historic Site (Richmond, British Columbia)

Canada / British Columbia / Vancouver / Richmond, British Columbia
 museum, place with historical importance, shipyard, historical building
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This complex of historic buildings is a heritage site and National Historic Site of Canada. Britannia Heritage Shipyard is an authentic representation of the once-thriving community of canneries, boat yards, residences and stores. It contains several heritage buildings including three separate shipyards and boatworks, residences, and bunkhouses for many nationalities. The shipyards actively restore, repair and preserve vessels of both the Shipyard's heritage boat collection and for private owners.

The historic buildings include:

* Murakami Visitor Centre--the residence was built in 1885 on piles over the marsh. The Murakami family (with 10 children) lived in the residence until 1942. The refurbished home and adjoining family-owned boatworks (which was built in 1929) opened in 1998 as the Murakami Visitor Centre.

* The Shipyard--built in 1889 as the Britannia salmon cannery, in 1918 it was converted into the Britannia shipyard and repair shop for the ABC Packing Company's fleet of fishing boats, and operated until 1979.

* Richmond Boat Builders (Kishi boat works)--boat works built in 1932 by the Kishi family.

* Cannery Office--built in 1890, served as office for both cannery and shipyard. It has recently been restored with interpretive displays.

* Stilt Houses--four homes built in Steveston in the late 1800s as fishermen's dwellings and later moved to this site. The 2 red-painted houses were purchased by John Murchison, Steveston's first police chief and customs officer, in 1895 and used as his home and office. The third house was a worker's bunkhouse, and the fourth house was home of the Point family.

* Chinese Bunk House--originally built around 1920 at a cannery in Knight Inlet, this bunkhouse was relocated in 1951 by BC Packers to Steveston and became home to 75-100 Chinese cannery workers. After that cannery closed, the bunk house was again moved to Britannia and restored with the assistance of the Richmond Chinese Community Society

These five buildings form the "How We Lived" exhibit which interprets the cultural diversity and lifestyles of the Britannia site through inside and outside displays. The exhibits are: Murchison's Gifts and Information, Manager's House, Men's Bunkhouse, Point House, and Chinese Bunkhouse

* Japanese Duplex--the last surviving of a complex of 16 buildings built in the 1890s and used by Japanese workers at the Phoenix cannery which was once located just west of Britannia. (currently not open to public)

* First Peoples Bunk House--built in 1885 to house native cannery workers. (currently not open to public)

* Seine Net Loft--built around 1954 for the Anglo British Columbia Packing Company. Mainly used as artifacts storage and restoration, a new exhibit displaying the collection of the Lubzinski Wheel Plant (which manufactured ship's steering wheels) will open in spring 2011.

Historic boats include:
* SS Master--steam-powered wooden hulled tugboat built in 1923 and currently owned by the SS Master Society, this boat is a "resident" of Britannia but can also spend extended periods at the Vancouver Maritime Museum.
* Silver Ann--the last boat built by Kishi in 1968, this gill-net fishing boat was recently restored
* Iona--a double-ender wooden fishing boat built in the 1930s and known as a "collector boat", she was donated to Britannia in 1991 by Steveston's Koyanaga family and is currently undergoing restoration.
* Shuchona IV--drum seiner fishing boat
* M.V. Fleetwood--a 56-foot rumrunner boat that plied the waters of the Gulf of Georgia in the 1930s, delivering bootlegged booze to the USA during the Prohibition era. This sleek, powerful boat could run at 40 knots and could easily outrun any law enforcement vessel.
* Merrilee II--a historic wooden pleasure craft built in 1950

Steveston's waterfront path passes through the site, and includes the historic boardwalk that was once the main street for the homes and bunk houses.

See www.britannia-hss.ca/ or www.richmond.ca/culture/sites/britannia/about.htm
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   49°7'14"N   123°10'11"W

Comments

  • E.M. moto183@hotmail.com, I have a 1939 japanese double'ender fish boat still going strong, built I've been told by the" KISHI BOAT WORK'S" in Steveston.If you are interest'ed to learn more for the museum please contact me on Gabriola Island at 1835 Lackehaven drive V0N 1X6 or at the above E.M. address. Tony.
  • Anthony Challoner. I sold " Little Abe" the 24ft 1939 Japanese double' ender in 2013 to Bill Beedie of Gabriola island. It is moored at Pages marina and is up fore sale again/
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