About Britannia

Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site
5180 Westwater Drive
Richmond BC, V7E 6P3
Phone: 604-238-8050 
Fax: 604-238-8040
Email: britannia@richmond.ca

Travel and COVID-19
Travel restrictions for non-essential travel in BC are currently in place. To learn more about BC's travel restrictions, essential travel inclusions and to find out the health area you currently reside in, visit www.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Britannia Shipyards has met the global health and hygiene protocols outlined by the World Travel and Tourism Council. 

Explore Richmond’s Heritage Safely 

Changes include: 

• Mandatory masks inside buildings
• Strict requirement of visitors to follow physical distancing guidelines
• Hand sanitizer stations positioned at the entrance to each building 
• Adherence to the building’s entry and exit rules with ropeways and signage ensuring the flow of one-way traffic
• Programs, tours and rentals currently on hold

The reopening of facilities is part of the City’s Restoring Richmond Plan, a careful and phased approach to restoring recreational and community programs, services and amenities that were placed on hold in March 2020. While the City encourages people to be active and enjoy the benefits of social connectivity, it also wants to ensure any restoration of services is done safely and strictly adheres to public health and WorkSafeBC guidelines.

Visit www.richmond.ca/covid19 and the City's social media channels for updates about the City's Restoring Richmond Plan.

Facility Hours
Spring (until Jun 30): Thu-Sun, 12:00-4:00pm
Note: Limited buildings are open. Each day, two of the following buildings will be open: the Shipyard, the Seine Net Loft, the Manager's House, the Murakami House and/or the Chinese Bunkhouse

Summer (Jul 1-Sep 6): Mon-Sun, 12:00-4:00pm

Facility Staff
Program Manager: Tricia Buemann
Heritage Coordinator: Tom Long
Museum Coordinator: Gabrielle Sharp
Waterfront Coordinator: Geoff Bramhill
Visitor Services Associate: Lynsey Li

Facilities and Services
Food: Salty's Lobster Shack is on site Wed-Sun, 11:30am-7:00pm
Parking: free parking in lot and on street
Accessible washrooms
Picnic tables and field

Site Information    
Britannia Shipyards is an authentic representation of a once thriving community of canneries, boat yards, residences and stores.

City of Richmond staff and dedicated volunteers work together to preserve and restore the shipyard and surrounding buildings as an active wooden boat centre and waterfront park. Tour the oldest shipyard buildings in British Columbia, and observe ongoing boat restoration projects experiencing a bygone time when fishing and boatbuilding were flourishing industries on the Fraser River.

Many of the buildings date back to 1885 and tell the

stories of multi-ethnic residents and workers at the Britannia Cannery and Britannia Shipyards: Chinese, European, First Nations and Japanese. This collection of buildings has national value and was designated a National Historic Site in 1992 by the National Historic Sites and Monuments Board.

Videos
Enjoy the videos below that explore Britannia Shipyards in different ways: 

The Art of Britannia – Painting a History

In the video above, the art of Wan Li Zhang and Cathy Kluthe is used as a window to explore the history of Britannia's outdoor industrial site. 

Silver Ann – Britannia’s Last Wooden Gillnetter

In the video above, the intersection of boat building traditions from diverse cultures is explored, which led to the creation of the gillnetter the Silver Ann in 1969, the last wooden boat to be built at Britannia.

Britannia Shipyard - Main

Britannia Shipyard - Doris Forsyth's Office & Store

Providence - Flagship of the City of Richmond and Britannia Shipyards

Murakami Family Videos
A Capture of Memories: The Murakami Family at Britannia: This short film explores the Japanese Canadian experience through the memories of the Murakami family at Britannia.

Obachan's Garden: Asayo Murakami, 103 years old, recalls life in Japan, her arrival in Canada as a "picture bride," her determination to marry a man of her choice, the bombing of Hiroshima and the forced relocation of her family during WWII.

Follow us on Social Media
 @Britannia Shipyards
 @BritShipyards

Free Mobile Tours
When the site buildings are closed, visitors who have downloaded the free City of Richmond app, can take self-guided mobile tours of 12 site buildings.

If the Locations Services function of your mobile device is turned on, your phone will alert you when you're in the vicinity of a building entryway. The information transmitted is full with stories, photos and films that can be browsed at leisure. These histories are also available through Britannia's 'Points of Interest' tab of the City of Richmond app.  

To take 3D interactive tours of some of the exhibit buildings, see the links above.

Group Tours
Suspended until further notice
If your group is planning a trip to Britannia, it's recommended to call in advance to speak to a staff member and to also read the information below.

 Group visits

Facility Rentals
Suspended until further notice

Photography
​Visitors are welcome to take interior photos provided no equipment is set up and the pathways are not blocked for others. For photo shoots inside any of the buildings, e.g., weddings, family photos, head shots or group hobby photography, prior permission must be given. For more information, click on the link below.

 Photography Guidelines 2020

Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site Strategic Plan 2014 - 2018
The City has updated the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site Strategic Plan within the context of and in support of the outcomes of the 2014 Council Term Goals, the 2022 Parks and Open Space Strategy and the 2007 Museum and Heritage Strategy and have developed a new mission, vision and six strategic focus areas. 

The purpose of the strategic plan is to provide a framework for decision-making in the years ahead and to assist Richmond's rapid growth to make the City's unique historic sites even more valuable to residents and visitors.

The strategy explores Britannia Shipyards' past, current context and future as Britannia continues to contribute to making the City of Richmond the most appealing, livable and well-managed community in Canada.
 Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site Strategic Plan 2014 - 2018

Partners
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site Society: www.britanniashipyard.ca
SS Master Society: www.ssmaster.org

​Quick Links to Web Pages
Keep checking back for updates as parts of the site are gradually opened. 

• Programs & Events
• Park Site
• Exhibits
• School Programs
• Volunteer Opportunities