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
Britannia Shipyards is an authentic representation of a once-thriving community of canneries, boat yards and residences. Many of the heritage buildings date back to the 1880s and tell the stories of the Chinese, European, Indigenous and Japanese workers through authentic recreations of living and working spaces.
Facility Hours
Sep 7-Dec 31: Tue-Sun 12:00-4:00pm (no reservations or advance bookings required)
Remembrance Day Hours
Thu, Nov 11: Closed
All buildings are open during operational hours, but may be closed due to unforeseen circumstances such as high tides or for maintenance. Check site signage for hours or call 604-238-8050 on day of visit for confirmation.
Facilities & Services
- Parking: free parking in lot and on street
- Accessible washrooms
- Picnic tables and field
What's On This Fall
During a visit to Britannia, visitors can explore the numerous exhibits in site buildings and expect to see costumed interpreters and historical demonstrations from when the site was home to a booming community of workers and their families. In addition to the heritage buildings, visitors should be on the lookout for vintage wooden boats moored along the Shipyards docks.
A new activity booklet allows kids to discover engaging aspects of various buildings as they play the role of junior boat builder. Participants can pick up the free activity booklet at the front of the Britannia Shipyards building during operational hours.
We strive to have all of our buildings open during operational hours. Sometimes we may have to close one due to unforeseen circumstances like high tides or maintenance. Please check our site signage to see what's open, or give us a call on the day of your visit.
There are also numerous other heritage sites close by to enjoy: London Heritage Farm, Steveston Museum and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
COVID-19
Britannia Shipyards has met the global health and hygiene protocols outlined by the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Explore Richmond’s Heritage Safely
- 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 Staff
Program Manager: Tricia Buemann
Heritage Coordinator: Tom Long
Museum Coordinator: Gabrielle Sharp
Visitor Services Associate: Lynsey Li
Recreation Leader: Lucy Higgs-Lockie
Site Information 
Britannia Shipyards is an authentic representation of a once thriving community of canneries, boat yards and residences.
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.
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.
Enjoy these other videos about Britannia Shipyards:
Britannia Shipyard - Main
Britannia Shipyard - Doris Forsyth's Office & Store
Providence - Flagship of the City of Richmond and Britannia Shipyards
Virtual Tours
Using Chrome, IE11+ or Firefox, explore the following buildings:
Visitor Centre
Shipyard
Chinese Bunkhouse
Murakami House
Seine Net Loft
Manager's House
Men's Bunkhouse
Point House
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
If you are interested in renting a space at Britannia, email britannia@richmond.ca to be added to the mailing list. When rental bookings resume, an email will be sent with new rental pricing and policies.
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.