Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Snow

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery is a Parks Canada national historic site showcasing the history of the salmon canning industry in Richmond’s Steveston Village.

To learn about special events that take place at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, click Cannery Events. Or, to learn about the historic site in general, see below.

For the attraction’s official website visit gulfofgeorgiacannery.com.

Note: Since late May in 2023, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery had a feature exhibition called Fish Tales. The exhibit celebrated seafood and the ways it has connected diverse communities with Canada’s history of West Coast fishing. The exhibition offered an immersive experience that looks at how we catch seafood, where we eat it, and who we share it with.

In this article you’ll find the following information about the cannery:

Admission Prices | Hours | Events | Tips and Advice | Other Information

Steveston Village Cannery

Located at 12138 Fourth Avenue in the heart of Steveston Village at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Moncton Street, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is a museum where visitors can learn about the region’s salmon-canning past.

The national historic site has a collection of displays showcasing the history, economic importance, manufacturing processes and lives of the people who made a living fishing and working at the cannery over the years.

The venue is wheelchair accessible, a good place to learn about BC history and makes for an enjoyable and educational break while exploring the rest of Steveston Village.

Expect to spend up to about one hour, plus or minus, going through the cannery.

The cannery is especially worthwhile on rainy days when you want to escape to somewhere indoors.

Gulf Cannery Fishermen Display — Fishermen Display at the Cannery

Admission Prices

Below are the Cannery’s admission prices as of February 2023. (Note: Prices are subject to change.)

Adults: $12.50
Seniors (ages 65+): $10.75
Youth (ages 17 and under): Free (when accompanied by a paying adult)

Members of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society get in for free as well. Plus, current members of the military, veterans and their immediate family members also get free admission as of 2024.

Cannery Hours

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery is open most days from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. It’s closed on statutory holidays between October and January (i.e., Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day).

Except for the above holidays, the attraction is open every other day for the rest of the year, unless there are special events and closures.

Gulf Cannery Fish Displays — An informational display about fish

Events at the Cannery

There are all kinds of activities that take place at or near the Cannery over the course of the year, including seasonal events like Canada Day festivities, Halloween events and Christmas Tree Displays in December. The venue also hosts weekly live music events in the summer.

To find out what’s happening in the months ahead, check out the Cannery Event Calendar.

Below are examples of just some of the many events that take place at the historic site in Steveston Village.

For more detailed information about events at the historic site, see our article about Gulf of Georgia Cannery Events.

Gulf of Georgia Cannery at Waterfront

Halloween at the Cannery

An example of an event at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is when Halloween is celebrated with some kind of haunted attraction and kid-friendly activities on the last Saturday and Sunday of October each year. It often has a “Haunted Sea” theme.

The Halloween event includes a child-friendly haunted house-style exhibit featuring sea monsters, cobwebs and other spooky maritime-themed characters. There are also games, crafts activities and the usual selection of the museum’s regular things to see.

In 2023 “The Haunted Sea” ran from October 2nd until November 5th. It operated from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm each day. The cost was the same as the regular admission to the cannery. 2024 details are to be confirmed.

Click Gulf Cannery at Halloween for more details.

Festival of Trees

The Festival of Trees is when the Gulf of Georgia Cannery gets filled with Christmas trees that are decorated by area merchants and community organizations for all of December. It’s not so much a “festival” as simply a nice time to see the Cannery with holiday decorations.

Although the Festival of Trees itself isn’t a major event with lots of activities, there are additional special things to see and do at the Cannery and surrounding area on the first Sunday in December. That’s when Santa arrives and there are dozens of classic cars on display just a block or so away.

Click Christmas in Steveston Village for information about the event on the first Sunday in December, or click Festival of Trees for further details about the month-long holiday decorations at the Cannery.

Santa Police Escort in Steveston Village — Christmas in Steveston Village

Other Information

Click the Gulf of Georgia Cannery for the site’s official website.

Click Steveston Farmers and Artisan Market for more information about the Sunday markets from May to October that take place just down the street. For details about other markets in the Lower Mainland throughout the year, click Vancouver Farmers Markets.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following: