Hand tinted image of Carlisle Cannery buildings, including cannery structures and workers' lodgings, viewed from the top of a nearby hill.

Salmon Canning in B.C.

Screen shot of a portion of the black and grey cannery map from this website. Orange dots indicate the location of canneries in Rivers Inlet. — Map of a portion of the coastline of B.C., showing the location of some of the canneries in Rivers Inlet.

Map

Canneries once dotted the coast line of British Columbia. Zoom in and click on each point on the interactive map to learn about a cannery. Use the list view to explore the canneries alphabetically.

Men walk in a long line on a path on the dike along the Steveston waterfront. — Striking workers march in lines on the Steveston boardwalk. Henry Joseph Woodside, Library and Archives Canada, PA-017207

Timeline

The canning industry has had its ups and downs. Trace the technological innovations that transformed the industry. Investigate how local and global events influenced the industry.

Women stand in rows at the cleaning tables. Several women look toward the camera. — Indigenous women wash fish during canning preparation at a BC Cannery, Annieville. Image 1980-052-174 courtesy of the Delta Museum and Archives

Working The Line

How does the fish get in the can? Follow each step from tide to tin. Find out what it was like to work in a cannery and how the mechanization of the industry changed workers' jobs.

Steveston waterfront showing many buildings lined up along the Fraser River, with boats in the water. — Federation Cannery, with the Imperial Cannery in the distance on the Steveston Waterfront. Image 2183 courtesy of the Vancouver Public Library.

Build Your Own Cannery: A Game

Travel back in time and imagine you are a cannery manager. Have some fun and test your knowledge. Will you run a successful cannery?

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