The Steveston Tyees

[Leanne Riding]

Here's an interesting photo. The photo, taken in 1937, is a group 
portrait of a lacrosse team called the Steveston Tyees. Situated on the 
Fraser River, Steveston's primary industry in those days was the 
canneries. The town was unique in that it was home to a significant 
population of Japanese, who fished and worked in the canneries and other 
industries in the area. Two members of the team are Nisei (2nd 
generation Japanese Canadians). Like all the other Japanese in 
Steveston, in the next few years they would be ordered into labour camps 
and internment away from the coast of British Columbia. Hard to imagine, 
looking at this cheerful photo!

Incidentally, although Chinook Jargon is associated with canneries in 
B.C., the Japanese cannery workers living in Steveston weren't much 
associated with Chinook Jargon. The Japanese population living in 
Steveston was high enough that they could get by speaking only Japanese 
or English.

Photo info:

Location: City of Richmond Photo Archives. Caption headline: Steveston 
"Tyees" 1937, and the players names and positions. Record title: 
Steveston Tyees. Description: "Photograph of the Steveston Tyees posed 
with lacrosse sticks." Date copied: 1977. Item no. 1977 7 6. Collection: 
Centennial collection.


To view this picture online, search for the word "tyees" in the City of 
Richmond Photo Archives:

http://www.richmond.ca/cityhall/archives/search/photos.htm

- Leanne

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