I lived in Richmond, BC for a year before I found out about Steveston Village, and then I was incredibly upset that I had missed out for so long. (Why didn’t anyone tell me?) There is something amazing about this tiny little village right next to the ocean. From the tiny shops, (especially the Prickly Pear nursery) to the fishermen on the boardwalk every morning, and everything in between. It’s one of those small towns that’s straight from a movie, which is a bit ironic since it ends up in a lot of films! (See a few paragraphs below…)
One of my favorite parts is the Historic Britannia Shipyard, an old fishing village with original buildings that you can walkthrough. Although it feels like the ceiling might cave in at any moment, or your boots could go through the next boardwalk, (it really is perfectly safe) that’s part of the charm. You can also walk along the front of historic buildings at the water’s edge where the gardens have been planted to represent what might have been grown during that time period.
Get There By Sunrise
During October and November, while I was living near Steveston Village, I spent many mornings enjoying the extravagant sunrises. There were a few downsides—not only was it really, really early (being the middle of the winter) but it was also freezing right there by the ocean! I had to pace back and forth on the harbor and beach area (with a hot drink) in order to keep from freezing while I waited for the show.
As you can see from the photos, it was very much worth it. Those sunrises are the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen. The ocean in the harbor picks up the colors and creates giant spectacles in the sky and reflects them in the water.
[I used Hipstamatic when taking these, to add even more flavor and effects]
Hidden Treasure
Steveston Village has a long beach and a really large park next to it where families come to fly kites and people walk their dogs during the weekend. There is also a small but beautiful Japanese garden nestled in among the trees and a giant rusting buoy. Make sure you explore the area for hidden treasures when you visit.
Steveston the Film Star
I’m not the only one that thinks Steveston is unique, obviously, since it’s a hot spot for filming. The tv series ‘Once Upon a Time’ was filmed there (called Storybrooke in the show) and while it was filming you could see all the major locations still set up while walking down the street. The cafe sign from the tv show was up (although the filming for the interior of the cafe was done elsewhere), and you could peek in the window of Gold’s pawnshop to see all the props from the movie. There was even the pet shelter, although that plot location seemed to get lost early on. That’s not even mentioning Captain Hook’s ship, which is floating in the harbor! (Well — just part of it…the rest was green-screened) Once while I was visiting the village, I saw them shooting in the middle of the street with Colin O’Donoghue and Jennifer Morrison.
Other honorable mentions for filming in Steveston Village, BC, include many episodes of Supernatural, as well as episodes of Stargate, Arrow, iZombie, Legends of Tomorrow, and more.
The Tools of the Trade
The following photos were taken in the historic Britannia Shipyard buildings, where antique tools are displayed so that we can catch a glimpse of the way ships were built along the Fraser River.