Asian Heritage Month
May is Asian Heritage Month, which is an opportunity to learn about Asian cultures and celebrate the many contributions and achievements of Canadians of Asian heritage. Richmond has one of the largest Asian populations in Canada and we encourage people to take this opportunity to learn about the cultural diversity and influence on our community.
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site
Learn about the legacy and contributions of Asian Canadians whose hard work and determination helped build the fishing, canning and boatbuilding industries in Steveston. Places to visit at this venue:- Chinese Bunkhouse
- Murakami House
- Richmond Boat Builders
Richmond Boat Builders
Daily 10:00am-5:00pm
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, 5180 Westwater Drive
View the boatworks originally built in the 1930s by the Kishi family. Learn about the skills, tools, and methods involved in traditional boat building, including those that were passed down from the Japanese Canadian boat builders in Steveston. See the progress of the Crystal S wooden fishing boat restoration project, a boat built originally by Mamoru Sakamoto in Steveston.
Info: Richmond Boat Builders
Richmond Art Gallery
Restless by Nature: Mary Sui Yee Wong, 1990s to the present
Until June 8
Wong’s engagement with personal memory, cultural history, familial legacy, Orientalism, and anti-Asian sentiment within Canada. Exhibition showcases sculpture, photographs, video, costume, a public artwork, and culminates with a new performance-based work.
Info: Restless by Nature
Chinese Business Exhibition: Hong Wo 同和
Until May 30
Hong Wo & Co. General Merchants and its owner Ling Lam have a rich history that intersects with the development of Richmond. In the late nineteenth century, Ling Lam, a young immigrant from China, arrived in Victoria. In 1895, Lam purchased property in Steveston and opened the Hong Wo store, whose Chinese name 同和 means “Peace Together” or “Living in Harmony.” The general store became a vital part of the Steveston waterfront community for nearly a century.
Richmond Museum
From Then to Now: How Japanese Canadians contributed to Richmond over 100 years
Daily 10:00am-5:00pm
Richmond Museum Extension (inside the Richmond Cultural Centre)
Steveston’s Japanese Canadian community has contributed greatly to our city for more than a century. Since the arrival of Manzo Nagano in 1887, the first Japanese immigrant to Canada, Japanese Canadians have persevered and contributed to Steveston and Richmond, especially in the fishing and farming industries. Many of their community’s contributions are all the more remarkable as they were made under restrictive policies and regulations. This exhibit highlights many of the projects undertaken by the local Japanese Canadian community.
Richmond Public Library
Mandarin Reading Club
Mon, May 12 - 1:00-3:00pm
Brighouse - 2nd Floor Program Room
Reading Club members will meet once a month on the 2nd Monday of each month from 1:00-3:00pm.
Info: Mandarin Reading Club
Taiwanese Reading Club
Wed, May 14 - 2:00-4:00pm
Brighouse - 2nd Floor Program Room
Reading Club members will meet once a month on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 2:00-4:00pm.
Info: Taiwanese Reading Club
Cantonese Opera Behind the Scenes
Sun, May 18 - 11:00am-2:30pm
Brighouse - Launchpad Lecture Area
Experience the magic of Cantonese opera from behind the curtain!
Info: Cantonese Opera
Writer-in-Residence: Taslim Jaffer
Until May 31
Brighouse
2025 Writer-in-Residence, Taslim Jaffer, will guide attendees through a series of workshops. Topics include Inter-Generational Story Project, Memoir Writing, Stories of Identity and Home, Bilingual Poems, Teen Writing Circle and a panel discussion about the publishing process.
Info: Writer-in-Residence
Steveston Museum and Post Office
Japanese Fishermen's Benevolent Society Building
Mon to Sat 10:00am-5:00pm, Sun 12:00-4:00pm
Japanese Benevolent Society Building, at Steveston Museum and Post Office 3811 Moncton Street
“Okagesama de: I am what I am because of you”
Visit the Japanese Fishermen’s Benevolent Society Building, with exhibits on Steveston’s Japanese Canadian history. See the temporary display “Okagesama de”, featuring a video interview with some of Steveston’s pioneers, who share stories about the Internment of Japanese Canadians in 1942-49, and its effects on the community.