St. Jean's Cannery in Nanaimo is the last remaining commercial cannery in British Columbia. It operates on a smaller scale than the historic salmon canneries.
1961-present
49°08’15.5″N 123°55’51.5″W
St. Jean’s Cannery was first established in the 1950s as “St. Jean’s Smudgies Smoked Oysters”. Because oysters didn’t keep long in plastic bags, the owner, Armand St. Jean, invested in a hand steamer. He began putting his oysters into glass jars, eventually canning them in tins. What began as a “boutique” cannery in Nanaimo, eventually grew to include more equipment and offer different products. In 1964 Armand St. Jean developed a method of smoking and canning salmon to attract the sport fishing market.
Today St. Jean’s is owned and operated by five Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations and offers a wide range of products. Sports fishermen can also bring their catch to St. Jean’s to be canned.
St. Jean's Cannery in Nanaimo operates on a small scale, packing both commercially caught salmon and fish brought in by sport fishermen. Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society Archives, image courtesy of Sheldon Nider.
Cans of salmon are stacked in metal crates for cooking at the St. Jean's Cannery, 2017. Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society Archives, image courtesy of Sheldon Nider.
Workers at the St.Jean's Cannery in Nanaimo cut the fish and fill the cans by hand. Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society Archives, image courtesy of Sheldon Nider.