The 1940s to 1960s were busy years for British Columbia’s fish canning and processing industry.

In fish canneries like BC Packers' Imperial Plant in Steveston and Namu Plant on the central coast, salmon canning and herring reduction were the main activities. But there were many others that kept people employed at canneries throughout the year. It was an era of people and machines. Men and women worked alongside a vast array of fully automated machines in a noisy, fast-paced environment. The jobs were often difficult and repetitious. The conditions were often cold and wet. Along with the challenges and the struggles of a working life in the cannery, most workers remember the friendships, the good times, and the hard work that went into making an honest dollar.