animated man
NATURE
· Light and Life in the Ocean
FIRST PEOPLES
· Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nations
HISTORY
· A Coastal Place
This is a link to a map of the waters of British Columbia with optional close-ups of the Southeastern Valleys and Vancouver Island's West Coast

FOCUS  Vancouver Island’s West Coast - Coastal Waters
A Coastal Place
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This is a black and white photograph of a reduction plant with scows of pilchards being unloaded in the foreground.
Reduction plant with scows of pilchards being unloaded. RBCM PN11763.
The innovative Nootka operation not only canned salmon, but also was the first to can pilchards (Pacific Sardine). The stench from reduction plants, such as that operated at Nootka, permeated whole regions and discouraged visitors. Reduction plants converted pilchards and herring into oil and meal.
Receipts showing fish landed at Nootka Cannery in 1921. RBCM.
This is a photograph of two receipts showing fish landed at Nootka Cannery in 1921.
Model of the Britannia Cannery, located in the RBCM Fishing Gallery.
RBCM 975.229.1.
This is a photograph of a model of the Britannia Cannery, located in the RBCM Fishing Gallery.
First Nations, Chinese, Japanese and Europeans all lived around the cannery during the season, returning to their homes only when the last can had been filled. The Chinese and Japanese workers lived in two-storey bunkhouses, while seven communal houses were built to accommodate the First Nations workers and their families. The cannery operated 24 hours a day, and by working a ten-hour day plus two hours of overtime, each employee could earn as much as seventy dollars a month. Bought by the Canadian Fishing Company for its herring and pilchard capacity in 1945, the plant closed when the pilchards disappeared. The buildings were eventually converted into a lodge for sports fishing.
First Nations housing, adjacent to the Nootka Cannery. RBCM PN11759.
This is a black and white photograph of First Nations housing, adjacent to the Nootka Cannery, with people in the centre.
Soldering stove used when hand manufacturing cans, Skeena river about 1900. RBCM 974.119.1.
This is a photograph of a soldering stove used when hand manufacturing cans, with two cans on the left.
Cargo manifest for the Ship Maquinna, when hauling goods to Nootka in 1922. RBCM.
This is a photograph of a Canadian Pacific Railway cargo manifest for the Ship Maquinna 1922.
Goods sold by a Vancouver wholesaler to Nootka Cannery in 1921. RBCM.
This is a photograph of a receipt for goods sold by a Vancouver wholesaler to Nootka Cannery in 1921.
A Coastal Place - 
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