This is the last surviving Chinese Bunkhouse on the west coast. This imposing building originally housed Chinese cannery workers at the Glendale Cannery located in Knight Inlet, BC. It was built c1917 by the ABC Packing Company, who owned the Glendale operation.
The first floor served as a mess hall, where as many as 100 Chinese men would have eaten meals and played gambling games. Located on the second floor were the cramped and uncomfortable sleeping quarters that the men occupied during the summer months while they worked in the local canneries. The accommodations provided for these men were simple, and no thought was given to their comfort or cultural preferences. The workers were organized through Chinese labour bosses, who negotiated with the canning companies for their surprisingly low wages and stringent meal provisions each season.
The permanent exhibits on the upper level of the Chinese Bunkhouse focus on the stories of hardship and hope that the Chinese men experienced as they laboured in Steveston canneries from the late 1880s into the 1920s. Topics within the exhibits explore the cannery jobs, the role of the Chinese contractor and cook, the experience of a Chinese migrant worker traveling from overseas, the initial draw of the gold rush and railroad jobs, Chinese merchants, Chinatowns, immigration and discrimination. Additionally, a 9 minute documentary plays within the exhibits entitled “Hardship and Hope: The Chinese Cannery Workers of Steveston,” which poignantly outlines the experience of these men in Canada.
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The second floor of this historic building is only accessible to visitors via stairs. Please ask an interpreter for information about the exhibit on the upper floor, including a slide show and video to illustrate what is on view upstairs.