Family Day at the Cannery

Family Day at the Cannery  

Family Day at the Cannery returns! Join the Gulf of Georgia Cannery on Monday, February 17th to celebrate the wide range of families, animal and human, that depend on the fish that was canned here! 

In connection with Heritage Week 2025’s theme “Pastimes in Past Times”, learn about traditional ways, past and present, that salmon and herring have been prepared by families. Share your traditional recipe or cooking pastime 

Keen to learn how canning was done? Explore the lives of families working along the Canning Line with readings of My Monster Cannery, and join a family-friendly tour of our Canning Line for a step-by-step experience! 

Finally, visit the updated Cannery Kids Corner to spin our Salmon Web of Life wheel and discover how families of bears, orcas, eagles, and more live off of the fish in our waters. 

Schedule 

Regular admission fees apply for entrance to all on-site activities.  Admission is free for youth 17 and under. 

Guided tours and My Monster Cannery story-times will begin at the Cannery map. For guided tours, maximum tour group capacities apply.  Tour availability is first-come, first-served.

Activity Details 

Canning Line Tours – From Sea to Me 

• 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 3:30pm 

• Tour runs approximately 25 minutes. Maximum capacity 10 families per session. 

• Location: Tour begins at the Cannery Map of BC and travels down the Canning Line exhibit 

Step into the shoes of a worker on the Canning Line and gather everything you need to can a salmon. This guided Scavenger Hunt along the Canning Line takes young visitors through each step in the process to learn how salmon get from the ocean to our homes. 

Best for kids aged 3-6. 

My Monster Cannery Storytime 

• 10:30am, 12:00pm, 1:30pm, 3:00pm 

• Story runs approximately 20 minutes. 

• Location: Cannery Map of BC 

What did a typical day at the Cannery look like? Who were the workers, and what did they do to make the canning process work? Explore the jobs and workers of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy with interactive readings of My Monster Cannery. 

Best for kids aged 5-9. 

Fish Tales Tours 

• 11:30am, 1:00pm, 2:30pm, 4:00pm 

• Tour runs approximately 25 minutes. Maximum capacity 30 people per tour session. 

• Location: Tour begins at the Cannery Map of BC and travels throughout the Museum. 

From canned to salted, from fish filets to fish roe, learn about some of the many ways the salmon and herring we fished at our cannery have traditionally been prepared. Stop by our Canning Line and Herring Reduction exhibits to explore traditional delicacies using salmon and herring, and tour our Fish Tales feature exhibit to learn all about how fish and seafood still feature in our traditions today. Grab a new recipe to try or share a recipe of your own at our “What’s Cooking” recipe exchange wall. 

Ages 6+. 

Salmon Web of Life Wheel 

• 10:30am-4:30pm (drop-in) 

• Location: Cannery Kids Corner 

Humans aren’t the only families that depend on the salmon! Visit the Cannery Kids Corner to give the wheel a sping and learn about how else Pacific salmon contribute to life on the West Coast!