Steveston Village, Each summer large numbers of Japanese, Chinese, First Nations, and Euro-Canadian fishers and cannery workers descended on the village, joining a growing year-round settlement. The fishery also supported a significant boatbuilding and shipbuilding industry. Sailing ships from around the world visited the harbour to take on cargoes of canned salmon. The Gulf of Georgia Cannery, built in 1894 and at one time the largest plant in British Columbia, was reopened as a national historic site in 1994, and remains open today, recently given an award for Canada's best historic site. Today, Steveston still maintains the character of a quaint, historic fishing village, with over 600 fishing boats––Canada's largest fleet––calling Steveston Harbour home. Steveston has also become known as "The Gateway to the Orca," referring to the very active whale watching industry calling Steveston Harbour home. Return