HERITAGE WOODEN BOAT RESTORATION

Bringing Steveston’s Maritime Legacy to Life

Walk along the wooden boardwalks of Steveston’s Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site this summer, and you might hear the clamour and buzz of woodworking tools in action. Inside the historic Richmond Boat Builders workshop, a new chapter of maritime heritage is unfolding, plank by plank.

This year marks the launch of an exciting new heritage boat restoration program to preserve and celebrate the craftsmanship of wooden boat building in Steveston. Located in the Richmond Boat Builders, one of Britannia Shipyards’ original heritage buildings, the program offers the public a rare opportunity to witness history in the making.

The Richmond Boat Builders workshop once buzzed with the activity of skilled shipwrights and apprentices producing high quality vessels for BC’s salmon fishing fleet. It was built in the 1930s by the family of Saeji Kishi, one of several Japanese Canadian boat-building families who shaped Steveston’s maritime history.

The Kishi family, like many others in the Japanese Canadian community, played a vital role in establishing Steveston as a centre for commercial fishing. Known for their craftsmanship, the boats they built were not only functional and durable but also elegant in design and made to handle the demanding conditions of the Fraser River. Even during the internment of Japanese Canadians in the Second World War, the Kishi family’s skills remained in demand. While forcibly uprooted to Christina Lake in BC’s interior, they continued building fishing boats, shipping them by rail over 100 miles to the coast. Their work stands as a testament to the resilience and enduring legacy of Japanese Canadian boat builders.

“The Kishi family are very appreciative to have the history of the Kishi Boat Works included at the Richmond Boat Builders displays and programs,” says Glenn Kishi, who was consulted in the development of the workshop restoration, its exhibits, and programs. “We are proud to share the legacy of the Japanese craftsmanship (of) our grandfather Saeji Kishi, our dad Jim (Yoichi) Kishi, and our uncle Wayne (Etsuo) Kishi… with many others when they visit the site.”

Restoring the Crystal S.

The launch of this restoration program is more than just a revival of old boats. It reconnects the community to the lesser-known history of Japanese Canadian boat building craftsmanship, ingenuity, and resilience that shaped the West Coast maritime industry.

The first restoration project is the Crystal S, a 1963 wooden gillnetter troller fishing boat built in Steveston by Japanese Canadian boat builder Mamoru Sakamoto. While the Crystal S has its own fascinating backstory, what truly brings this project to life is the interactive process of restoration itself.

Dave Sharp, Britannia Shipyards’ resident shipwright, has been tasked with restoring the vessel using both traditional and modern techniques. Visitors can watch as seams are caulked, frames are replaced, and age-worn planks are carefully brought back to life. Tools of the trade, some with Japanese origin and some western, are on display and in use, providing a direct link to the working traditions of the past.

Public Engagement and Education

Throughout the summer, the Britannia Shipyards offers daily programs and tours to deepen visitors' understanding of Steveston’s rich boat-building history. Guided tours run twice daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., leading guests through the heritage buildings and sharing the stories of the people and industries that once animated the waterfront.

The restored Richmond Boat Builders has been designed to be accessible and educational. New interactive exhibits and live demonstrations allow guests of all ages to engage with the craft. Whether you're a lifelong maritime enthusiast or a curious newcomer, the opportunity to see a shipwright in action and to ask questions along the way is both rare and rewarding.

Special events such as Doors Open Richmond, boat rendezvous weekends, and the upcoming Richmond Maritime Festival on August 23 and 24, provide an even deeper dive, offering a closer look at the tools and techniques of boat building past and present.

Honouring Heritage and Community

The restoration of heritage boats goes beyond aesthetics or nostalgia. It represents an act of cultural preservation. The wooden fishing boats of Steveston weren’t just tools of the trade; they were symbols of community, self-sufficiency, and craftsmanship, often built by hand by families whose names still resonate in Richmond’s history.

The Kishi family’s original shop, once a workplace and community hub, is now a living classroom. By restoring boats within its original walls, the heritage program, supported by the Province of British Columbia’s Destination Development Fund, honours the Japanese Canadian families who contributed so much to the development of BC’s maritime industries, even as they faced dispossession and discrimination during the Second World War.

The new programs and exhibits invite both locals and visitors to experience the resilience and ingenuity of past generations, and to understand how cultural traditions are preserved not only in archives and museums, but also in skilled hands, working wood, and floating vessels.

Plan Your Visit

The heritage boat restoration program at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, at 5180 Westwater Drive, is open daily throughout the summer from 10am to 5pm. After October 13, Thanksgiving Monday, Britannia Shipyards’ Fall and Winter open hours will change to Fridays to Sundays, 10am to 4pm.

Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to drop in, explore the exhibits, and engage with staff and volunteers about the tools, techniques, and craftsmanship that bring this story to life.

For more details and to follow restoration progress, visit: brittaniashipyards.ca