# Steveston Historical Society

Preserving and promoting Steveston since 1976

- Site: https://historicsteveston.ca/

## Peter Grant: Steveston, Brick by Brick

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/peter-grant-lego/
- Published: 2026-10-22T15:01:00-07:00
- Author: Chris Mathieson

If you have seen a tiny Steveston Tram in a window at Christmas, or stood in front of a brick-built Gulf of Georgia Cannery, you have already met Peter Grant’s work. Peter is a Steveston resident, known around Richmond as the “Lego Man,” and for more than a decade he has been rebuilding the community’s heritage buildings and boats out of LEGO bricks. It started with our building Peter’s model of the Steveston Museum and Post Office, his first Steveston build Peter’s first Steveston model was the yellow Steveston Museum and Post Office, the building we look after at 3811 Moncton Street. He followed it with the Marine Garage, a building he thought captured the real character of the village, and then Branscombe House, whose roof he rebuilt about half a dozen times before he was happy with it. Peter doesn’t build from plans. He works from the buildings themselves, and much of the time on a project goes into finding the right parts. Some come from sellers on the other side of the world, and some are rare enough that only a handful were ever made in the colour he needed. Early on, the parcels arrived so often that his letter carrier asked what was in them, and was invited in to see. A small-scale Richmond Peter has now recreated more than thirty Richmond subjects. In Steveston alone they include the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, the Steveston Tram and tram barn, our Museum and Post Office, the Marine Garage, the Steveston Buddhist Temple, the old Methodist church, and, at Britannia Shipyards, Richmond Boatworks, the four stilt houses, the Chinese bunkhouse and the gillnetter Silver Ann. Further afield he has built Minoru Chapel, London Farm and its barn, Brighouse School, the Terra Nova cannery store, the 1931 airport on Sea Island and the original McDonald’s on No. 3 Road, among others. The Steveston Buddhist Temple, roughly 9,600 pieces Some projects are enormous. The Steveston Buddhist Temple took about six months, on and off, and runs to roughly 9,600 pieces, with a removable roof so you can see the altar and pews inside. The City of Richmond commissioned his Steveston Tram and tram barn, and his models have been a highlight of the Winter Tram display. His largest work, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, uses about 55,000 pieces and took close to a year and a half to complete. It shows the site’s long working life as a salmon cannery, fish depot and herring reduction plant, and it was shown at BrickCan, BC’s largest LEGO fan convention, before going on display at the Cannery itself. Branscombe House The Marine Garage Minoru Chapel Build your own piece of Steveston Peter also turns some of his designs into kits, so you can build them at home. Two are available from our shop at the Steveston Museum and Post Office: the Steveston Tram (341 pieces) and the Silver Ann (418 pieces). Both use genuine LEGO elements and come with instructions. Peter sees the kits as a way for people to connect with historic Richmond, and he puts a lot into the detail. The tram, he says, could have been made cheaper, but only by making it far less faithful to the real car. Peter assembles every kit himself, sourcing the parts in small batches. Now and then a kit may be out of stock for a few weeks while he orders pieces to make additional kits, and we would rather tell you that honestly than keep you waiting on an order. We are delighted to have his work in our shop, and grateful for the care he brings to Steveston’s history. LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse these kits or this article.

## What Do Richmond’s Candidates Think About Heritage?

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/2026-candidate-heritage-survey/
- Published: 2026-10-07T13:14:23-07:00
- Author: Chris Mathieson

We asked Richmond’s candidates five questions about local heritage. Their answers are now available for you to read. Notice of By-Election, June 24, 1967. Richmond Archives, MR SE 35, file 4569. 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 young people can experience that history for themselves. We think those decisions deserve a place in the election conversation. We invited candidates for mayor, council, school trustee and MLA to respond, with questions tailored to the responsibilities of each office. We asked about protecting historic places, supporting the organizations that care for them, making local history accessible to students, and telling the whole story of our community—including the difficult parts. The replies are published in full, without editing, and can be read by candidate or by question. The Steveston Historical Society is non-partisan and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party. Our role here is to ask questions and give you a way to hear directly from the people seeking your vote. Read the candidate answers Thank you to every candidate who took the time to respond, and to everyone who has put their name forward to serve Richmond. We encourage readers to approach the answers with curiosity and respect, and to take any follow-up questions directly to the candidates. We’ll continue adding replies as they arrive. Provincial candidates have until October 14 to respond.

## October Popup Artists are Here!

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/october-popup-artists-are-here/
- Published: 2026-10-01T09:16:57-07:00
- Author: Chris Mathieson

Each month the SHS features different local artists in our gift shop. Come by to view this amazing work and remember: a portion of all sales supports the work of the Steveston Historical Society. Micah Groberman Micah Groberman was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, and now calls beautiful Steveston Village home, where he’s raising his family surrounded by the Coast Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the incredible nature and wildlife we’re fortunate to have right in our backyard. Fascinated by the beauty of our planet from an early age—after watching far too many episodes of Marty Stouffer’s Wild America and eagerly reading every monthly issue of National Geographic—there’s nothing Micah enjoys more than heading out with his camera in hand, searching for those unique moments in nature and creating photographs that capture the beauty he discovers along the way. For Micah, photography is about more than taking pictures. It inspires him to slow down, be present, and appreciate the natural world around us. His passion for storytelling has even led him to author a children’s book, The Book Bandit, which combines his photography with digital art to create a whimsical bedtime story for children. Artist Website: www.MicahGPhotography.comIG: @micah.g.photography Sarah Glen Sarah Glen is a multidisciplinary artist based in both Richmond (Steveston) and Parksville, BC. Her illustrative art is inspired by the sights, experiences, and natural beauty she encounters throughout her adventures in the Pacific Northwest, often exploring the region by canoe. Her work features playful and evocative motifs drawn from the landscape and wildlife around her, including sea otters, humpback whale tails, Gulf Island cliffsides, forest mushrooms, and more. Through her art, Sarah captures the character and wonder of the West Coast, inviting viewers to connect with the places and creatures that make this region so special. Artist Website: www.sarah.theglens.ca Bea Martin Bea Martin is a science illustrator, visual storyteller and the recipient of the 2024 Richmond Arts Award in Arts Education. With a multidisciplinary background as a character animator, theatre improviser, nature sketcher, certified medical illustrator (CMI), Bea merges arts with science and shares her passion for the natural world with her students. With genuine curiosity and enthusiasm, Bea thrives travelling with her sketchbooks, painting outdoors, and supporting the creativity, curiosity, and artistic development of people of all ages. And she bakes (and eats!) her own bread! Artist Website: www.bmartinvisuals.wordpress.com

## SHS Supports Britannia Boat Restoration Program

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/shs-supports-britannia-boat-restoration-program/
- Published: 2026-09-28T15:54:50-07:00
- Author: Chris Mathieson

The Steveston Historical Society has written to Richmond City Council’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Committee in support of a staff recommendation to extend the Heritage Boat Restoration Program at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site for two years. The committee considers it on Tuesday, September 29. Since 2024, the program has restored two heritage vessels and the site’s working slipways, and put a practicing shipwright in front of thousands of visitors. The extension would let the restoration of the Iona be finished and give staff time to plan the program’s future. We don’t write letters like this often, but we think it’s an important part of what the Society does. When the City makes decisions about Steveston’s heritage, we want the people who care about it to be part of the conversation, and we want our members to know where we stand.

## Thank You for Our 50th Anniversary

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/thank-you-for-our-50th-anniversary/
- Published: 2026-09-28T11:41:57-07:00
- Author: Chris Mathieson

SHS board members and ED with Richmond Mayor Brodie On Sunday, July 26, the Steveston Historical Society marked its 50th anniversary with a celebration at Town Square Park, next to the Museum and Post Office. Several of the people who started the Society in 1976 were there, along with many others who have been part of it since. A few days later, Edith Turner, a longtime member and past president, wrote to the board: “While I appreciate being recognized as one of the many founders of the society, it was the connections to the other people who shared the vision of a historical society so many years ago that made the event most pleasant.” That was what we had hoped for, too. Despite the last-minute sprinkle of rain, our co-chairs, Linda Barnes and Joanne Teraguchi, along with the rest of the board and staff, kept things running. Volunteers like Diane Gronlund, Barry O’Rourke, and Anne and Ed Ikeda helped out through the day, and when a few volunteers had to cancel that morning, others filled in. Doug Masuhara and his students Doug Masuhara and his taiko students opened the program. Because of the rain they had to leave their biggest drum in the van and successfully reworked their set on the spot– people a few blocks away heard them regardless and followed the sound to the park. Angie Faith and John Watson played the last set of the day. Tarah Whitley made bannock with visitors, Paula Nishikawara taught the art of gyotaku (fish printing), and calligraphers De Liu and Lai Chun Wing took requests from guests all afternoon. Some of our partners and neighbours like the London Heritage Farm Society, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and On This Spot set up tables next to ours. Clare Scott photographed the day, and many of her photos are on our 50th Anniversary page, along with our thanks to the businesses and organizations that supported the celebration. The page also has Around the Table: Fifty Years of the Steveston Historical Society, a short film by Alisha Weng and Gabriel Narciso of the City of Richmond’s video team, in which longtime members talk about how the Society began and what it took to keep it going. Thank you to them, and to the City of Richmond for supporting the celebration. On a Wednesday evening in July 1976, thirty people came to a meeting at the Steveston Community Centre because they thought the village’s history was worth keeping. Nobody was paid, and few of them had run anything like a museum before. What they started is still here. Harold and Kathy Steves, Bud Sakamoto, Kelvin Higo and Lee Boyko were at that first meeting, and on July 26 they were with us again. Harold Steves receives keys to 3811 Moncton, the Steveson Museum and Post Office building, 1979. The Society is starting its next fifty years with more support than it has had in a long time. A multi-year pilot funded by the City of Richmond has let us bring on an Executive Director and start to think ambitiously. This fall that means a new events calendar, a monthly newsletter, a membership drive, and more happening in the village, from the Scarecrow Crawl in October to Songs in the Snow on December 5 and 12. We’re also following up on conversations from the anniversary, including offers of help and ideas for recording the memories of people who grew up in Steveston, and work on the legacy mural is continuing. Thirty people got this started. If you’d like to be part of what comes next, we’d be glad to have you as a member.

## September Pop Up Artists are Here!

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/september-pop-up-artists-are-here/
- Published: 2026-09-04T08:24:37-07:00
- Author: Sarah

Our Pop-Up artists for September are Marv and Arlene Skelton and Patti Tan! Each month the SHS features different artists. Come by to view this amazing work. A portion of all sales supports the work of the Steveston Historical Society. Marv Skelton & Arlene Skelton This talented Richmond husband and wife bring their en plein air painting and pottery to the Pop Up space for the month of September. Arlene Skelton has been doing pottery since 2002 and is a member of the Richmond Potters Club, Fraser Valley Potters Guild and Potters Guild of BC. Arlene’s exceptional skills are evident in the beautiful assortment of mugs, spoon holds, bowls and other unique pieces available this month. Marv Skelton has been a member of the Richmond Artists Guild since 1994 and is the founding member of “Men in Hats” a plein air group of Lower Mainland artists that paint together every Tuesday. Marv believes that “art doesn’t imitate life, sometimes it repairs it”. Patti Tan Patti is a Richmond resident and a very accomplished pastel artist who has mastered capturing light against dark and then adds little details to her artworks to give the essence of realism combined with impressionistic strokes. As a fan of Impressionism, Patti is inspired by the art of John Constable, Claude Monet and Edvard Degas.

## Anne Primeau and John B. Beatty join us for August

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/anne-primeau-and-john-b-beatty-join-us-for-august/
- Published: 2026-08-07T09:54:12-07:00
- Author: Sarah

Our Pop-Up artists for August are Anne Primeau and John B. Beatty! Each month the SHS features different artists. Come by to view this amazing work. A portion of all sales supports the work of the Steveston Historical Society. Anne Primeau In 1986, Anne bought a one-way ticket and moved from her home in Ontario to British Columbia. Here, she pursued a career in Critical Care Nursing, followed by a number of successful years in the private sector. With the support of her husband, Anne embarked on a new journey of self-discovery that led her back to her artistic passion of the past. She is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, the Richmond Artist Guild and the Men in Hats. Anne paints mainly still life in oils, and has studied under a number of classically trained instructors. The creative process of painting is an endless process that she finds fulfilling. Her work has been sold in British Columbia and Ontario. John B. Beatty John Beatty comes from a family of artists that helped trigger his love for art. He moved to BC from Ontario in 1967 and resides in Richmond. He retired in 1999 as an elementary teacher after 26 years with the Vancouver School Board. He is an Education graduate of the University of British Columbia and a Business graduate of Ryerson Institute of Technology in Toronto. His painting career started in 1960 at vacation times. He also took extra art credits at UBC and attended many workshops and demonstrations by noted artists to enhance his skills. John has now completed over 1000 acrylic and oil paintings primarily of West Coast and travel subject matter that have stimulated his interest bevcause of their unique composition, their colour and their contrasting light. There has to be a mood or a special feeling that activates his senses. His style could be described as representational with areas of impressionism and abstraction. He tries to capture a quiet moment in time that his collectors can appreciate and admire for a long time. Over the years John has shown his work at Jericho Tennis Club, Yellow Point Lodge, Steveston Grand Prix, Doors Open in Richmond, South Delta Artists Guild, Western Art Circle, Steveston Salmon Festival, Richmond Artists Guild and numerous other Lower Mainland locations. He is an active member of the meninhats.ca artist group and the Richmond Artists Guild participating in plein air and studio outings throughout the year. Visit John at: www.johnbbeatty.com

## Steveston Vintage Fair is back for 2026!

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/vf2026/
- Published: 2026-06-22T09:28:13-07:00
- Author: Sarah

The Steveston Vintage Fair is back! Join us in the heart of historic Steveston and find the vintage treasures and collectibles that you’ve always dreamed of! Sundays 10am – 4pm – Admission is FREE July 5 & 19 August 2, 16, & 30 Steveston Town Square Park – 3811 Moncton Street Presented by the Steveston Historical Society.

## Steveston Alive! Walking Tour Vignettes – 2026 Dates Announced!

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/2026-wtv/
- Published: 2026-06-22T09:18:37-07:00
- Author: Sarah

Join us for Steveston Alive! Walking Tour Vignettes! A lively walking tour through Steveston, filled with entertaining vignettes and stories that bring the past to life. This in-person event will take you on a journey through historic Steveston Village where you’ll experience the sights and sounds of the past come alive. Your costumed tour guide will share fascinating stories about the area’s unique history. Along the way, you’ll encounter student actors portraying characters from Steveston’s past, bringing the history to life in front of your eyes. This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and history of this charming village. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience! Last minute tickets may be available on-site just prior to tour if space allows. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by a paying adult. > Book Tickets Online Saturdays, 1:00pm & 3:00pm July 4, 11, 18, 25 and August 8 & 15 Tickets $7, or free for Steveston Historical Society members Children under 10 are free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult Tours depart from Steveston Museum and Post Office at 3811 Moncton Street, Richmond BC. For more information, contact us at info@historicsteveston.ca

## Welcome Summer Artists to our Art Pop Up Spaces!

- Link: https://historicsteveston.ca/news/welcome-summer-artists-to-our-art-pop-up-spaces/
- Published: 2026-06-08T10:31:29-07:00
- Author: Sarah

Sachie Murakami We are pleased to welcome Sachie Murakami to the Pop up space for the month of June. Sachie is a graphic web designer, artist and mother of three who lives in Richmond, BC. Sachie specializes in the art of making a traditional Japanese craft using colourful paper cords called Mizuhiki. Sachie has become passionate about Mizuhiki over that last several years and describes making the designs as one of her most calming moments of the day and feels like meditation. Mizuhiki is a traditional craft that has been deeply rooted in Japanese culture and customs for over 1,200 years. Mizuhiki is a colourful decorative cord made from washi (ancient Japanese paper). Knotted in various ways, it is used as decoration in traditional ceremonies such as births, weddings, longevity celebrations, and festivals. Sachie’s collection includes framed art, greeting cards, accessories, jewelry and ornaments. Join us for Doors Open on Sunday June 7 th from 1 -3pm and see Sachie demonstrating the Awaji knot, which is one of the most basic knots, and the Ume knot, which is used for display frames, earrings, and hair accessories. These knots are commonly used and are also introduced in the workshops at the Nikkei Center in Burnaby. shizuriya.com/mizuhiki/ @shizuriyaart Roxsane Tanner Roxsane Tanner is a self-taught Canadian artist based in Steveston, BC. A versatile multi-media artist, Roxsane works across a variety of disciplines, including original watercolour painting and metalsmithing, creating distinctive jewelry and art pieces using silver, gold, and copper. Each day, Roxsane begins her mornings walking various pathways throughout Steveston and the waterfront capturing the sights and sounds in photos. She then brings these images to life in her original watercolour paintings where she masterfully captures the iconic sites of Steveston’s personality and quaintness. Roxsane can also create custom watercolour paintings of your home, creating a whimsical and original painting that captures the heart of your home. We are so excited to welcome Roxsane back to our building and she looks forward to sharing her watercolour paintings, prints and jewelry with you. @studioplace99 studioplace@yahoo.com Sarah Glen Sarah Glen is a multidisciplinary artist based in Richmond whose work reflects coastal British Columbia. Living alongside the river and ocean provides the direct inspiration for her artwork, which spans acrylic painting, printmaking, and felted wool sculpture. Sarah’s illustrative paintings interpret the sights and experiences from her adventures in the Pacific Northwest, often explored via canoe. Through her artwork, Sarah hopes to share the profound sense of connection that comes from a life lived by the water, celebrating the beauty of our coastal home and its wild inhabitants. https://sarah.theglens.ca/