The Steveston Fisherman's Wharf is filled with stories of Japanese-Canadian immigration and settlement.
Their stories can be traced back as far as 1882, when many arrived at Fisherman's Wharf to make a living in the fishing industry and produce canned goods.
As the Japanese population increased, they gradually diversified into real estate, agriculture and entrepreneurship.
Industrial and economic growth led to the establishment of the Japanese Fishermen's Benevolent Society in 1897, the Steveston Japanese School, Japanese Fishermen's Hospital to meet the basic needs and healthcare of their community.
In the 1930s, two-thirds to three-quarters of the population of Steveston was comprised of people of Japanese descent, totalling about 3,500 people.
There were various Japanese shops such as grocery stores, candy stores, clothing stores and so on.
The Friends of the Richmond Archives recently posted a black and white photo of The Mukai Confectionery, taken in 1942, one of many Japanese-Canadian businesses at the southwest corner of No.1 Road and Moncton Street.
The Mukai Confectionery was previously owned by Miss Anno before she married Y. Mukai.
The building burned down, however, sometime between 1942 and 1951.
As this photo shows, the corner was occupied by a candy store, billiard hall, cab company and 10 rooms upstairs, proving that there was a high population density at that time.
The good times were short-lived when Japanese-Canadians were suddenly forced to move out of Fisherman's Wharf and interned during the Second World War, turning the once-thriving street into a silent and empty town.
Some of the Japanese-Canadians returned after 1949 and decided to re-establish their homes and community.
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