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In Their Words : The Story of BC Packers
A cannery worker in her uniform
Chinese cannery workers smoking during a break
Chinese cannery workers at Imperial cannery, smoking during a break. Circa 1913.
Vancouver Public Library 2101
Japanese-Canadian Imperial Cannery women laughing Indo-Canadian men sorting oyster Chinese Cannery workers smoking during a break Worker in a hardhat outside the rebuilt Namu plant First Nation women washing fish at cannery Multi-cultural cannery housing

A Multicultural Industry

From its beginning in the 1870s until the present day, British Columbia's fishing industry has provided employment to thousands of people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

During nearly 100 years of operation along the coast of British Columbia, BC Packers employed men and women of First Nations, Chinese, Japanese, Indo-Canadian and countless European origins. Each group played a significant role in the industry. Over time, a great mix of cultural communities grew up around the canneries on the Fraser River at Steveston.

Click on the links above to learn more about the company and the roles the various ethnic communities played in the history of BC Packers and in British Columbia's fishing and processing industry.

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