Richmond

What makes a city an island? Richmond, nestled amidst the Fraser River, challenges that very notion. It’s a city sculpted by water, a place where the pulse of the Pacific and the flow of the Fraser intertwine. Richmond isn’t just one island, it’s a mosaic of islands, including Sea Island, much of Lulu Island, and a scattering of 15 smaller isles. This fragmented geography has shaped its destiny. Richmond became a municipality in 1879 and officially a city in 1990. But its story began long before that, with the First Nations who harvested the river’s bounty and the land’s berries. European settlers arrived in the 1860s, drawn by the rich delta soil. The river was their highway, connecting them to the bustling city of New Westminster. Richmond’s history is etched in the Fraser’s currents. The fishing industry boomed in the 1880s. Canneries lined the riverbanks, processing the abundant salmon catches. This drew waves of immigrants: Japanese fishermen, First Nations workers, and Chinese laborers who initially came to build the railway. Steveston emerged as the heart of this fishing empire, its name synonymous with quality canned salmon. Today, you can still experience this legacy at the Steveston Historic Fishing Village and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, a remarkable 19th-century cannery perched on pilings above the Fraser. But Richmond isn’t just about the past. It’s a vibrant hub where the Far East meets the Canadian West Coast. Over half of its residents have Asian heritage, creating a rich tapestry of cultures. This is reflected in its bustling night markets, its over 400 Asian restaurants, and its magnificent International Buddhist Temple. And if you’re feeling adventurous, step into the Olympic Oval, a relic of the 2010 Winter Olympics and now home to North America’s only Olympic museum. Feel the thrill of a ski jump or the speed of a bobsled through state-of-the-art simulators. Richmond is a city of contrasts: a place where history whispers from cannery walls and modernity shines in Olympic arenas. It’s a city built on water, shaped by immigrants, and infused with the spirit of both East and West.