City Walks Vancouver #37: Steveston

From City Walks Vancouver, 50 Adventures On Foot, I selected card #37: Steveston, to explore the hidden gems of Vancouver. Described as a bustling fishing community, it's located south of Vancouver in Richmond about a 30-minute drive from where I live. Not as touristy as other local attractions, Steveston's charm is perhaps in it's unique history as a small fishing village made up of Japanese, Chinese and European immigrants. You can still see remnants of its interesting past today of the abandoned cannery, which once was the largest canning operation in North America, along with historic residences that were occupied by Japanese and Chinese families near the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Part of the fun of coming here is seeing all the fishermen and their boats full of different varieties of fresh fish and shrimp caught that day. The best part about buying from these fishermen is knowing that it's fresh and where it comes from. And at ten dollars for three pounds of shrimp, prices aren't bad either.

If you'd rather eat out than cook your own seafood, you can certainly find a number of seafood restaurants right along the docks. My first mission upon arriving into Steveston was to find some good fish and chips to fill my empty stomach. It didn't take long before I found myself at the Sockeye City Grill ordering a one piece cod and chips. Their menu also featured a choice of halibut or salmon. Not exactly a fish connoisseur, perhaps I can try the other varieties of fish and chips and develop a more sophisticated palate later on.

After lunch, I decided to walk off my meal so I could return for some ice cream that everyone seemed to be enjoying so much. The walk led me to Garry Point Park which is surrounded by great views of the water and offers plenty of space for kite flying. There definitely isn't a lack of seating areas in this park as numerous benches are placed along the gravel trails and a few sandy beaches with logs makes it easy to plop down anywhere and enjoy the view.

Of course this walk can't be complete without some history, which is just what I got as I walked east on the boardwalk. Along my walk I came upon an old cannery and some historic residences. One of them known as the Murakami house is open to the public for viewing. Built around 1885, it was the home of a boat builder named Otokishi Murakami, his wife Asayo, and their children. Asayo arrived in British Columbia as a picture bride and was to be married to a Japanese fishermen she'd never met. But when she saw him, she knew it could not work and broke off the marriage. Talk about guts! She worked the next three years picking strawberries and at a fish cannery to repay her suitor for the voyage. Later she was introduced to Otokishi by a matchmaker who she married. Asayo passed away at the age of 104 and was considered to be the last living picture bride in Canada. For pictures of the Murakami house and highlights of this walk, please visit my gallery.