Steveston Historical Society

10/17/2026

Tomorrow’s the Municipal election, and with 90 candidates running for Mayor, Council and School Trustee, it can be hard to decide between so many options.

Two weeks ago, we asked every candidate five questions about protecting historic places, supporting the organizations that care for them, helping students learn local history, and telling our community’s stories—including the difficult parts.

Almost two thirds responded! Read the answers here: https://historicsteveston.ca/2026-candidates/?utm_source=fb&utm_campaign=candidates2026&utm_content=answers

We encourage you to read with curiosity and respect, take follow-up questions directly to the candidates, and share the replies with others who care about our local heritage.

And make sure to go vote tomorrow. Local elections might not have the profile of higher office, but it is *absolutely* the most consequential for your day-to-day life. And to the work that we do. So, get informed and go vote!

This month, the Steveston Historical Society asked every Richmond candidate for Mayor, Council, School Trustee and MLA five questions about local heritage. Answers are published in full, exactly as submitted, in alphabetical order. The Society…

10/15/2026

Thank you to everyone who chimed in on yesterday's filming post. Your comments sent us down a few rabbit holes, and our list of productions shot in Steveston keeps growing. (Almost 90 shows and movies so far!)

It also has gaps, mostly from before anyone was posting set photos online. In the 80s and 90s Vancouver was busy with American TV: 21 Jump Street, Wiseguy, Airwolf, Danger Bay, The Adventures of the Black Stallion and plenty of others. We have no record of any of them in Steveston, which may only mean nobody wrote it down. If you remember trucks on Moncton Street, a crew on the docks, or a storefront dressed up as somewhere else, we'd like to hear about it. A rough year and a show name are a great start, even if you're not sure. Episodes and exact locations are even better!

We also have the opposite problem. We know these were filmed here, but not where:

• The X-Files (several episodes in the 1990s)
• MacGyver, said to have used London Heritage Farm, though we haven't found the photos
• Scary Movie (2000)
• The Commish and Highlander: The Series, both mentioned in older sources with a maddening lack of detail.

If you worked on a crew, rented out your shop, or just stood behind the barricades watching, please share what you saw in the comments or message us. Photos are especially welcome.

We’ve got some really fun plans for the information we’ve been pulling together, exploring our little village in both fact *and* fiction. ❤️❤️❤️

(All photos borrowed with deep appreciation from our friend at Richmond, BC (Tourism Richmond).)

10/14/2026

Moncton Street is closed this morning from the museum down to the Cannery, and if you're in the village you'll see why: cameras are rolling in Steveston again.

(We’re still open for business, as are all of our neighbours!)

This time it's for [redacted], a new Amazon Prime series based on a video game, about a young photographer who discovers she can rewind time. (If you know, you know.) Look out for the Steveston Hotel, which has been dressed as a small-town movie theatre with Groundhog Day on the marquee—that seems a fitting choice of feature. (And the street banners hint at the locale… Arcadia Bay.)

None of this is new to us. From 2011 to 2018, these few blocks became Storybrooke, Maine, for ABC's Once Upon a Time, and fans still come from around the world to find the storefronts. In 2013 the village became a war zone for Godzilla, with burned-out cars on Moncton Street and soldiers filling the streets.

Our own building has had a few roles too—it was dressed with old-time props for a 1910s scene in DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and in 2019 it was strung with lights to play a festive city hall in a Hallmark Christmas movie. From Danger Bay or The X-Files to Power Rangers, you've likely seen our neighbourhood without realizing it — Stargate SG-1 even kept the name, calling it Steveston, Oregon.

Steveston keeps getting cast as somewhere else because so much of the real place has survived — the false fronts, the boardwalks, the cannery architecture. That's no accident; people here have worked for decades to keep it. We're glad to be a part of that important work.

10/09/2026

Our October Pop-Up artists are amazing!

10/07/2026

What do Richmond’s candidates think about local heritage? Their answers are now online.

A week ago, we asked every candidate for mayor, council, school trustee and MLA five questions about protecting historic places, supporting the organizations that care for them, helping students learn local history, and telling our community’s stories—including the difficult parts.

More than half the (90!) municipal candidates responded. You can read every reply in full and unedited, either by candidate or by question. We’ll continue adding responses as they arrive; MLA candidates have until October 14 to reply.

For fifty years, the Steveston Historical Society has cared for and advocated for Steveston’s history. We think heritage deserves a place in the election conversation. The Society is non-partisan and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party.

Read the answers here: https://historicsteveston.ca/2026-candidates/?utm_source=fb&utm_campaign=candidates2026&utm_content=answers

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond, and to every candidate who has put their name forward to serve Richmond. We encourage you to read with curiosity and respect, take follow-up questions directly to the candidates, and share the replies with others who care about our local heritage.

10/07/2026

What do Richmond’s candidates think about local heritage?

We asked all 90+ candidates for mayor, council, school board and MLA five questions about protecting historic places, supporting the organizations that care for them, and helping people learn our community’s history—including the difficult parts. More than half have already responded!

Tomorrow, October 7, we’ll share every response received, in full and unedited.

For fifty years, the Steveston Historical Society has cared for and advocated for Steveston’s history. Decisions made by our elected representatives help shape what gets protected, whose stories get told, and whether students can experience that history for themselves.

The Society is non-partisan. We do not endorse or oppose any candidate or party. We’re sharing these answers so you can hear directly from candidates about issues that matter to our work and our community.

Thank you to everyone who responded, and to every candidate who has put their name forward to serve. We ask readers to approach the replies with curiosity and respect—and encourage you to take your follow-up questions directly to the candidates.

Watch this page tomorrow for the responses.

(And if you appreciate the work we do, please consider supporting us by becoming a member of our historical society.)

Since 1976, the Steveston Historical Society has worked to preserve and share the history of Steveston. Members make that work possible. Plus the member benefits below. We're growing what membership offers. Here's what members can…

10/04/2026

Looking for a fun last-minute activity? This afternoon, join our new Executive Director, Chris Mathieson, at London Farm for a pop-up heritage apple tasting. Featuring apples from London Farm, the Steve’s farm and elsewhere, discover the charm and history of some of the past’s favourite apples.

Make sure to RSVP if you plan to join us! Free for London Farm Society and Steveston Historical Society members. By donation for others.

A short talk on heritage apples and a tasting of varieties just picked in the Similkameen. Free, for volunteers and members of the Steveston Historical Society and London Heritage Farm.

10/02/2026

In July 1976, about thirty people met at the Steveston Community Centre because they thought the village's history was worth keeping. This summer we marked the Society's 50th anniversary in Town Square Park, and several of those founders were there with us.

We're starting our next fifty years with more going on than we've had in a long time. With support from the City of Richmond, we welcomed Chris Mathieson as our new Executive Director this summer. Since then we've launched a new events calendar, and our first monthly members' newsletter comes out next week. In the village, there's the Steveston Scarecrow Crawl this month and Songs in the Snow on December 5 and 12.

We're also speaking up for Steveston's heritage. We recently wrote to City Council in support of extending the heritage boat restoration program at Britannia Shipyards. Ahead of the October 17 election, we've asked every candidate for mayor, council and school board the same five questions about local heritage, and we'll share all of their answers, in full and unedited, next week. (The Society is non-partisan and doesn't endorse candidates--but we very much care where they stand on issues around our heritage!)

Your membership in the Steveston Historical Society helps make this work possible. Members get our monthly newsletter, a vote at our annual general meeting, and invitations to members' events, like this Sunday's heritage apple talk and tasting at London Heritage Farm by our ED, Chris Mathieson. The event is free for members. Join this week and you're welcome to come!

Memberships start at $15 a year, and if you join now, your membership runs to the end of 2027.

Join here:

10/01/2026

Every month, we welcome a new set of local artists into our gift shop.

For October, it's Micah Groberman, Sarah Glen and Bea Martin! Learn more about each artist on our website at https://historicsteveston.ca/october-popup-artists-are-here/ and then make sure to pop by to see their amazing work in person.

A portion of all sales from these artists helps support the work of the Steveston Historical Society.

09/30/2026