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Online Heritage Inventory

Paramount Cannery West Building

General Information
Thumbnail photograph of Paramount Cannery West Building
Click to see full image
Type of Resource: Building
Common Name: Paramount Cannery West Building
Address: 12620 Trites Road
Neighbourhood (Planning Area Name): Steveston
Construction Date: 1906-1956
Current Owner: Federal Government
Designated: No

Statement of Significance
Description of Site
The two buildings which make up the Paramount Cannery were constructed at different time periods and their contrasting designs reflect this. The western portion of the cannery is a massive building with a barrel vaulted roof facing the street and a gabled section facing the river and associated wharf.

 Statement of Values
The Paramount Cannery has heritage value through its historical association with the fishing industry and fish processing in Steveston. Part of the boom in salmon fishing and canning that helped Steveston develop, the Paramount eventually became the service centre for the southern gillnet fishery operation.
Originally constructed in 1906, the Paramount Cannery West building is one of the early cannery sites, and has aesthetic value as part of an excellent grouping of early industrial cannery structures. As one of the few cannery complexes still intact, these structures help to retain the historic character of the Steveston riverfront.

 Character Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the site include:
· The contribution of the cannery structure to the industrial working waterfront character
· The design elements of the cannery building, including the rectangular plan, the foundation of wooden piles and fill, vaulted roof with skylights and gable dormer at the north end, and the gable roof at the south end
· Large hangar doors opening onto the wharf at the south side
· Tools, machinery, boats, and other objects that support the function of the cannery.
The two main buildings of the cannery complex extant on the site each have its own design characteristics. The two buildings sit side by side. The. This (west) building is assumed to be the original cannery, and would have housed the canning lines and original reduction plant. The north end of the building has a; at the south (water) end the building has a gable roof covered in sheet metal. The vaulted roof has a large gable dormer. The cladding of this building is corrugated vertical sheet metal with some wood siding in the gable ends. The building has large hangar doors opening onto a wharf on the water (south) side and several large door openings on the west side of the cannery building.

 History
The two buildings which make up the Paramount Cannery were constructed at different time periods and their contrasting designs reflect this. The western portion of the cannery is a massive building with a barrel vaulted roof facing the street and a gabled section facing the river and associated wharf.

 Architectural Significance
Architectural Style
Working Industrial

 Building Type
Fish Cannery and Processing

 Design Features
The two main buildings of the cannery complex extant on the site each have its own design characteristics. The two buildings sit side by side. The plan shape of the west building is rectangular, with a foundation of wooden piles and fill. This (west) building is assumed to be the original cannery, and would have housed the canning lines and original reduction plant. The north end of the building has a vaulted roof with an asphalt cover and skylights; at the south (water) end the building has a gable roof covered in sheet metal. The vaulted roof has a large gable dormer. The cladding of this building is corrugated vertical sheet metal with some wood siding in the gable ends. The building has large hangar doors opening onto a wharf on the water (south) side and several large door openings on the west side of the cannery building.

 Construction Method
Wood frame construction

 Landscape Significance
Landscape Element
Cultural Landscape/Natural Environment

 Design Attributes
The Cannery is part of the evolved cultural landscape along Cannery Channel, which has been shaped through use by human activity. Landscape elements important to the site include the river and the wharves and pilings associated with the building complex. The relationship of the cannery structure to the river is also an important aspect of the landscape.

 Integrity
Alterations
The Paramount Cannery complex has gone through numerous changes throughout its lifetime. New miscellaneous structures have been built, others have been replaced, and, possibly, older buildings incorporated into new. The distinct barrel vaulted roof of the west building is still a prominent feature, and the relationship of the building to the waterfront is still intact. Alterations and additions to the cannery structure(s) are important in that they document changes over time due to functional requirements.

 Original Location
Yes

 Condition
The west building appears to be in good condition.

 Lost
No

 Documentation
Evaluated By
Denise Cook BLA, PBD (Public History)

 Date
Sunday, September 24, 2000

 Documentation
Inventory Sheets by Foundation Group Designs, January 1990
“Heritage Inventory Phase II” by Foundation Group Designs May 1989

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