Take Cover! – Civil Defense During the Nuclear Age

Posted on August 27, 2026 by richmondarchives

After the end of the Second World War Richmond returned to a semblance of normal life. The Air Raid Precautions Brigades were disbanded, wartime activities were ended and the prospect of further wartime Civil Defence measures seemed unlikely. Then, in September 1949, a routine American Air Force Weather Service flight from Japan to Alaska picked up traces of radioactive debris in its filters, indicating that a nuclear explosion had taken place in the Soviet Union and that the Communist Bloc had tested an atomic weapon. The ensuing build-up of nuclear weapons and fear of a potential “atomic Pearl Harbor” led to the next outbreak of Civil Defense action in Richmond and in the rest of Canada.

Newspaper articles like this front page of the March 17, 1953 Vancouver Province did little to ease concerns about the threat of nuclear war.

By 1951 Ottawa had begun the process of planning for the possibility of a nuclear attack and had declared that Vancouver, New Westminster, North and West Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond were a “Target Area” for the purpose of Civil Defense. Committees and sub-committees were organized, and a chain of command was set up. At the request of the authorities, maps were prepared by local officials showing details such as population density (day and night), transportation and communications, location of hospitals (including number of beds), schools (number of students and staff), police and fire stations, Government buildings and bridges.

The intent of the planning was to ensure the survival of as many people as possible after an atomic strike. The destruction and casualties resulting from a direct strike on Vancouver would have been massive, but it was felt that with sufficient warning and training of the civilian population, injuries, deaths and sickness from radiation could be halved.

This full-page article by reporter Bill Ryan published in the August 9, 1951 issue of the Vancouver Sun speculates on the effects of an Atom Bomb attack on Vancouver.

Newspaper articles about Civil Defense became common, giving instructions on ways to survive an “Atom Attack.” By early 1953, Civil Defense courses were offered, first a nine-week course for civilians who volunteered to become instructors and then basic general courses for the public. The federal Government sent out a convoy of tractor-trailers with an exposition on civil defense which travelled across the country, arriving at the Seaforth Armouries in late October, 1953. The displays, on loan from the USA, offered the latest information on national readiness and atomic warfare. It was expected that approximately 10% of the population would sign up for civil defense duties and many did.

This article appeared in the May 9, 1951 issue of the Richmond Review, repeating instructions from a U.S. Government publication.

In 1953, the four old A.R.P. sirens mounted at the four fire halls were the only warning devices in Richmond. At the request of the Coordinator of Civil Defense, the Richmond Superintendent of Public works produced a map showing the requirements for a system of sirens to alert all residents of Richmond. The network of sirens used 17 of the same type of units presently mounted at the fire halls, 5 horsepower electric sirens with an audible area of one mile radius. The four existing sirens could be used, but three of them would be moved for better coverage. Four air horns were to be provided for use by the fire departments. The total cost of the installed network was expected to be $12,446.72, divided equally by the Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments, with the Federal Government supplying the sirens free of charge. New installations were to be mounted on wooden poles, supplied with three phase power, and telephone connections to allow their operation. either locally or from a control centre in Vancouver. Each siren had two signals, an undulating wail (indicating a Red Alert) and a continuous siren (indicating All Clear.) This “wish list” of siren placement never took place and it took until the 1960s for Richmond’s warning system to reach its final configuration.

Notice of the civil defense exercise in the June 17, 1953 Richmond Review. Testing of the warning system evolved into silent tests to check electrical and telephone connections, but occasional glitches caused sirens to sound and caused confusion and alarm around the community.

As more attack warning sirens were installed, they were located in a pattern to accomplish maximum coverage of the municipality. Relocation of sirens, usually because of a planned use of the siren’s original location or for upgrading, could take place provided the relocation was not much more than 100 yards away from the original location.

This siren located on Garden City Road just south of Lansdowne was a replacement for one that was on the roof of the Lansdowne Racetrack clubhouse. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1988 123 578.

By 1955, Richmond had seven air raid sirens installed. They were erected at the River Road pumphouse in Hamilton, on Tucker Avenue near No.1 Road in Terra Nova, at River Road near Duck Island and the cedar mill, the Steveston Firehall, the Municipal Hall, Mitchell School and near the airport at Lancaster Crescent. These sirens were all old style A.R.P. units, leftover from the Second World War and, over the years, most would be removed from civil defense service, replaced by more modern models in nearby locations, although some remained active for local use by the firehalls. In 1957 the siren at the Municipal Hall was moved to the top of the hose tower at the Brighouse Firehall only to be supplanted by a newer unit near the intersection of Moffatt Road and Granville on the Richmond High School grounds in 1962.

This pole-mounted siren at Richmond High School replaced one at the Municipal Hall area. Photographs of Richmond’s air raid sirens are surprisingly hard to find. Installations on or near school grounds seemed to be common with examples like this one, and others at Lord Byng School and Hugh Boyd School. City of Richmond Archives photograph.

A new siren north of Lord Byng School in Steveston took over for the one at the fire hall around 1960. A siren proposed for the intersection of Ferndale and Garden City in 1958 was installed on the roof of the Lansdowne Clubhouse and was later replaced by a modern unit on the Garden City lands. Another new siren proposed for the River Road-Shell Road intersection was installed on the roof of the Dr. Ballard’s dog food plant near River Road and No. 5 Road and was later replaced by a pole-mounted unit.

This siren at Lord Byng School, shown here in 1977, was mounted on a steel pole with a maintenance platform. It replaced the Steveston Fire Hall’s siren for Civil Defence alerts. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1978 26 34.

As sirens were added through the 1960s, coverage of the municipality improved, although there were none east of No. 5 Road until Hamilton. Richmond ended up with a total of 15 sirens in the civil defense system.

This annotated map shows the approximate locations of air raid warning sirens in Richmond. Installed from the 1950s through the 1960s, they gave warning to the most populated areas of the Municipality. City of Richmond Archives map 1987 32 10.

Information on surviving an attack continued to be provided by all levels of government throughout the 1960s. A series of free booklets, “Blueprint for Survival,” were published by the federal government and included titles such as “Fallout on the Farm,” “11 Steps to Survival,” “Survival in Likely Target Areas” and “Your Basement Fallout Shelter” were provided free from local Civil Defense authorities.

A page from the “Blueprint for Survival” booklet No. Four, sets out the eleven steps to survive a nuclear attack. City of Richmond Archives reference files.

At Richmond Municipal Hall plans were drawn up for the modification of a part of the outside of the west side of the hall to create a blast/fallout shelter using sheets of plywood and sandbags. Several building permits were issued to local residents who wanted to build similar types of shelters. Basement shelters were unrealistic in Richmond with its high water tables, so the standard of three feet of packed earth or two feet of concrete were considered sufficient for protection against radiation in an above ground shelter.

Illustrations in “11 Steps to Survival” show the difference between an air burst and a ground burst attack. City of Richmond Archives reference files.

The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 saw the world teetering on the edge of nuclear war and raised tensions to their highest point during the Cold War, but as time passed and the threat of mutually assured destruction created a stalemate between the nuclear powers, attitudes began to change and by the mid 1970s local officials were questioning the need for warning sirens in the community.

This clipping from the October 19, 1961 Richmond Review gives details on the modifications made to provide a bomb shelter at the Municipal Hall.

In response, Major W.W. Baldwin of CFB Chilliwack stated, “The current federal government justification on this matter is that, at present, these sirens are the only available warning system that can alert the greatest number of citizens in time to take action that will allow maximum survival or limit the effects of a surprise attack, be it nuclear or conventional in nature.” “If we wish to close our eyes to the possibility of another war then the possibility of a nuclear accident or major industrial accident such as the accidental leakage of toxic substances into the atmosphere should be considered.”

With the end of the Cold war in the early 1990s, a warning system based on 1950s technology, with all of the associated glitches and false alarms, was deemed to be no longer necessary. Between 1994 and 1996 the Department of National Defence removed all the sirens in Canada and destroyed most of them.

This siren at Victoria Park in North Vancouver is one of the few remaining Cold War era sirens. It was preserved as a Municipal Heritage site. Google Maps image.

Today, nearly everyone carries a warning system in their pocket, allowing notifications to reach a much wider part of the population. Smart phones, even with their associated glitches and false alarms, have taken the place of yesterday’s pole-mounted warning sirens.

Air Raid Precautions – Civil Defence in Richmond during the Second World War

Posted on April 23, 2026 by richmondarchives

Today, with Federal and Provincial Ministries and Municipal departments in charge of response to emergencies and most people carrying devices which can alert them in real time, it’s hard to remember a world when this kind of coordination did not exist. In Richmond the most basic kind of emergency response, fire protection, was established around 1912 in Steveston with a full time Fire Chief in charge of about 24 men. The canneries also took part, providing equipment, like a hand pump, and support, but by 1920 the Steveston fire Brigade had disbanded.

The first Steveston Fire Hall, police station and courthouse, ca. 1915.
City of Richmond Archives photograph 2006 39 64, Chilton Family fonds.

In 1922 a volunteer fire brigade was established in Brighouse under Fire Chief E.W. Ackroyd. The unit, consisting of about 10 men, raised money for equipment, used the police telephone to receive fire calls and responded quickly to calls as two of the members owned vehicles. Despite the department being well run and funded, in 1929 it too disbanded leaving Richmond with no fire department and dependent upon Vancouver Halls to respond to fires.

The Brighouse Volunteer Fire Brigade practices on an old shed near the intersection of Cambie and River Roads, ca. 1923. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1988 95 2.

This was the case until the onset of the Second World War when a Federally mandated Civil Defence program was organized. It was developed to protect civilian populations and minimize damage to materials and infrastructure from the effects of an attack from the air. This was accomplished with the formation of Air Raid Precautions Units of civilian volunteers who received training in preparedness, fire protection, rescue, first aid and evacuation. The Greater Vancouver region was divided up into 28 A.R.P. Districts, each led by a District Chief Warden and a Deputy Chief. Richmond was covered under District 21 and soon had a large cadre of volunteer wardens.

Air Raid Precautions Wardens wore distinctive uniforms with arm bands and steel helmets and received specialized training. In addition to fighting fires, they were tasked with warning the public of potential attack using sirens, whistles and noise makers. They enforced night time black-outs, making sure no light escaped from houses and industrial buildings and that vehicles were equipped with the proper headlight hoods. They distributed gas masks and stirrup pumps and trained civilians in their use. Public firefighting demonstrations were put on along with displays dealing with gas attacks and how to extinguish incendiary bombs.

The Steveston A.R.P. Volunteers demonstrate the effectiveness of the pump on their home built fire truck in April 1942. The gasoline powered pump could supply three hoses, drawing water from a hydrant or any other nearby water source. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1978 40 20.

Women’s A.R.P. groups were trained in all aspects of first aid through the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade and the Canadian Red Cross Society and took on the responsibility of setting up first aid stations, caring for casualties, raising funds and providing food and refreshments. They also took part in demonstrations and training in the use of gas masks.

The creation of the A.R.P. resulted in the first coordinated fire protection to cover all of Richmond. The Municipality was divided into six local districts, Steveston, Brighouse, Bridgeport, Sea Island, East Richmond and Mitchell Island and A.R.P. Brigades were assembled in each, receiving some equipment but responsible for funding and building their own fire trucks. These were assembled from purchased farm trucks or large passenger cars, stripped down to their chassis, rebuilt as needed, and fitted with gasoline powered pumps of either 150 or 500 gallons per minute mounted behind the driver’s seat. The bodies were rebuilt with mounted hose, ladder and tool carrying fittings. A rivalry ensued with the different brigades, each trying to complete their vehicle first.

The first mobile A.R.P. Unit in Canada. The Steveston Volunteers with the truck they built out of a 1925 Packard Sedan, Harry Hing at the wheel. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1978 40 13.

The first truck completed was by the Steveston group who were declared to be the first mobile A.R.P. unit in Canada. It was built with volunteer labour by Harry Hing, Jack Gollner and others at the Steveston Service Station at No.1 Road and Steveston Highway. There being no fire hall yet, the truck was kept at the service station, often with a volunteer sleeping there to be ready in case of a call. As reported in the April 15, 1942 Marpole-Richmond Review, “One watching the realistic looking fire engine streak down the road, siren shrieking, crew aboard hanging on for dear life, would never guess that this efficient looking unit had a short time ago been a 1925 Packard sedan purchased in North Vancouver for the big sum of $25.” Where no hydrant was available to supply the pump with water, the suction line could be dropped into a handy ditch or the river, providing a source for the three hoses.

The Brighouse Volunteers with their truck, a modified 1929 Buick Sedan.
City of Richmond Archives photograph 1978 40 31.

The Steveston unit was followed closely by a truck built at McClelland’s Service Station and Brighouse Motors. The Brighouse machine was constructed from a 1929 Buick Sedan and was fitted out much the same as the Steveston unit. The third fire truck built was from the Bridgeport unit, a 1935 Ford truck, outfitted like the other two vehicles.

The Bridgeport A.R.P. Volunteers pose on their fire engine, a converted 1935 Ford Truck.
City of Richmond Archives photograph 2016 16 1.

Richmond’s Air Raid Precautions volunteers pose in front of the Town Hall with their three hand-built fire trucks. On the left is the Bridgeport unit, at centre is the Brighouse truck and on the right is the Steveston truck. These three custom built vehicles responded to calls all over Richmond.
City of Richmond Archives photograph 1978 40 30.

By April 1942 there were four air raid warning sirens erected in Richmond at Steveston, Brighouse, Mitchell and at the Airport. They were all operated from a control room at 650 Burrard St. in Vancouver which sounded all fifty sirens in Vancouver and surrounding areas. Local sirens were also operable individually. A trial of the sirens on Saturday, April 25, 1942 was described in the Richmond Review under the heading “Sirens Heard In Quiet Richmond,” “The rising and falling tone did not sound unfamiliar at that, as anyone who has attended picture shows has heard the mournful wail in war pictures.” “The “imminent danger” signal came first, being five minutes of up and down intonations reaching most parts of the Island very clearly.” “The next message sent out was “raiders past,” being three minutes of steady tone.” “The sirens have one more call, the “alert,” which was not sounded Saturday but which will be five minutes of steady tone.”

The A.R.P. grew rapidly in Richmond and by the end of 1942 had around 850 members, serving in many capacities. The most active group, Steveston, had refurbished a small building next to the former Fisherman’s Hospital on No. 1 Road and set it up as a club room with donated pool tables and furniture. In Brighouse, the A.R.P. group had built a 16 by 30 foot fire hall, complete with a hose drying tower and space for a club room on the upper floor.

Harry Hing mans the pump on the Steveston A.R.P. unit’s home built fire truck. He designed and built both of Steveston’s fire trucks and its ambulance and, like most of the other volunteers, put in countless hours raising funds, fighting fires and building halls. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1984 7 5.

The District Seven (East Richmond – Mitchell) group met at the St. Thomas Hall (East Richmond Community Centre) and took specialized training in blood grouping and blood transfusion. A boy’s bicycle brigade was also formed, training schoolboys to act as dispatch riders in the event of the loss of telephone communications during an attack.

As the Second World War progressed, the A.R.P. in Richmond grew. By 1944 the Steveston group had built a modern fire hall with space for its new truck, built on a new 2-ton truck chassis by Harry Hing. He had also built an ambulance from a 1927 Lincoln car which found a home in the hall, along with the original truck which had been retired but was kept for sentimental reasons. Brighouse also had a new truck and gifted their old one to the Burkeville unit.

The newly built Steveston Firehall No.1 with the new truck, old truck and ambulance parked outside. Built by volunteer labour and lumber donated by the canneries, it and the vehicles parked outside, are an example of the capabilities of organized civilian volunteers.
City of Richmond Archives photograph 1978 40 16.

This Victory Bond ad from the April 26, 1944 Marpole-Richmond Review shows the four Richmond A.R.P. Auxiliary Fire Brigades with their vehicles.

When the Second World War ended in September 1945, the A.R.P. was disbanded and volunteers left the Brigades. The trucks were retained however and some limited volunteer fire response remained until the Steveston, Brighouse, Bridgeport and East Richmond Volunteer Fire Brigades were reorganized in 1947. The story of the A.R.P. is a testament to the effectiveness of groups of volunteers, organized in the service of their communities and the significant impact they can make. Many of the A.R.P. members went on to form the Richmond Volunteer Fire Department which formed the foundation of the present Richmond Fire-Rescue which exists today.

Notice from a September 1945 Marpole-Richmond Review announcing the disbanding of the Richmond A.R.P.

The demobilization of the A.R.P did not spell the end of Civil Defence in Richmond. With the end of the Second World War came the advent of the Atomic Age and Richmond’s response to the threat of nuclear aggression during the Cold War. Stay tuned for part two of Outside The Box – The Richmond Archives Blog’s civil defence posts.

Symbols of the City – Richmond’s Visual Identity

Posted on November 6, 2025 by richmondarchives

A city or municipality needs to define itself with a symbol of its identity, a connection to its history and a visual representation of its stature and image. Coats of Arms, official seals, flags, and logos all function to promote a positive public image to residents, visitors, and potential investors, as well as serve to authenticate documents and official correspondence. Here is a brief history and explanation of Richmond’s symbols.

The Official Seal

On November 10, 1897, Lulu and Sea Islands became the Corporation of Richmond by Letters Patent under the Public Seal of the Province of British Columbia. One of the orders of business during the first year of Richmond’s incorporation was the adoption of an official seal. Used to authenticate legal documents and be a credible indication of the validity of municipal documents, Richmond’s first official seal was adopted at the Council meeting of Saturday June 19, 1880. The entry in the minutes reads, “Moved by Councillor Smith seconded by Councillor Kilgour that the seal impressed on the margin be adopted as the seal of the Corporation of Richmond … Carried”. In the left margin of the page beside the entry, a blob of red sealing wax is impressed with an indistinct shape.

The first Seal of the Corporation of Richmond, adopted June 19, 1880 as shown in this photo from the Council minutes. City of Richmond Archives photograph.

The first seal was not in use for very long. It was quickly replaced by the more modern embossed seal using a design which has symbolized Richmond up to today, the Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty). The design was suggested by Richmond’s first Warden (Reeve, Mayor) Hugh Boyd and was adopted at the July 5, 1880 council meeting. It shows the cornucopia in the centre, encircled by the words “Municipality of Richmond B.C.” In the words of early Richmond historian Thomas Kidd, it was “considered a very appropriate symbol at that time and it is to be hoped that the prosperity of these islands will always justify it remaining so.”

The embossed Corporate Seal of the Municipality of Richmond is shown here in the minutes from the July 5, 1880 Council meeting. The entry says, “Moved by Councillor Kilgour seconded by Councillor Steves that the new seal impressed on the margin be adopted as the Corporate Seal of Richmond in lieu of the one adopted on the 19th of June… Carried.” City of Richmond Archives photograph.

A colourful version of Richmond’s seal. City of Richmond Archives photograph.

The cornucopia has been a constant symbol of Richmond’s identity, the image changing slightly over the years and the text changing from “Municipality of Richmond B.C.” to “The Corporation of the Township of Richmond B.C.” to “Corporation of Richmond” with “Incorporated 1879” placed inside the circle. In 1979 in celebration of Richmond’s 100th Anniversary a new emblem of the Corporation was unveiled, still bearing the image of the cornucopia but incorporating registered symbols of heraldry.

The Coat of Arms

In August 1978 the Richmond’s Municipal Council adopted a resolution to petition the College of Arms in London, England to grant the Municipality a Coat of Arms and Badge as part of the celebrations around the Municipality’s centennial on November 10, 1979. After consultation with Mr. Robert D. Watt, Chief Curator of the Vancouver Centennial Museum and a Director of the Heraldry Society of Canada, a letter was sent to the York Herald of Arms, Dr. Conrad Swan, PhD., M.A., requesting that the Municipality be granted a Coat of Arms and badge. Some preliminary design ideas were provided which were considered, modified slightly to conform with the requirements of the Kings of Arms and approved. Once the design was approved the process of producing Letters Patent of Armorial Bearings was undertaken over several months. The Letters Patent were presented to the Corporation of the Township of Richmond by Lieutenant Governor Henry Bell-Irving, representing the Crown and assisted by Dr. Conrad Swan, York Herald of Arms at a ceremony on November 10, 1979, the centennial of the incorporation of Richmond.

Heraldry harks back to the 12th century when the markings were used to identify the warriors on the battlefield, much like the colours and logos on the uniforms of modern sports teams. A Coat of Arms is made up of several elements:

The Coat of Arms of Richmond. City of Richmond photograph.

Colours – The predominant colours in Richmond’s Coat of Arms are Blue and Gold.

The Shield – The shield is gold with a wavy blue bar, known as the pale, symbolizing the Fraser River and featuring three leaping salmon, representing the most common species in the waters around Richmond and its links to the fishing industry. From the Letters Patent: “Or on a Pale wavy Azure three leaping Salmon proper”.

The Helmet and Mantling – Above the shield sits a helmet mantled in blue and gold.

The Crest and Wreath – Atop the helmet is the wreath of gold and blue supporting a circlet of red maple leaves, representing Canada, and white dogwood flowers for British Columbia. The Crest is a dove rising with an olive twig in its beak, relating to the story of Noah and land rising from the waters as the islands of Richmond have. From the Letters Patent: “And for the rest Upon a Helm with a Wreath Or and Azure Rising from a Circlet of Maple Leaves Gules and Dogwood Flowers alternatively a Dove volant in its beak a sprig of Olive proper”.

The Supporters – On either side of the shield are two supporters, both representing the Goddess Fortuna, the bearer of prosperity. Each supporter holds a cornucopia, representing the fruitfulness of the land. The supporter to the right of the shield wears a red ribbon embroidered with white roses. The red and white represents Canada while the white roses represent the first Richmond in Yorkshire which has white roses in its coat of arms. From the Letters Patent: “Supporters following that is to say: – On the Lecter side a female figure proper crined or vested Argent supporting with the exterior hand a Cornucopia at the mouth its tail over her shoulder proper On the sinister side a like figure above her shoulders a Riband Gules thereon Roses Argent barbed and seeded proper and supporting with the exterior hand a Cornucopia by its tail also proper its mouth to the ground”.

The Compartment – The area upon which the shield and supporters stand is known as the compartment and shows green foliage and stems of blueberries, a common local crop, and once again representing the fertility of the land. From the Letters Patent: “the Compartment comprising a grassy mount with sprigs of Blueberry fructed growing therefrom all proper”.

The Motto – Below the compartment is a banner with the Motto, “Child of the Fraser.” The Motto comes from the first line of the poem “Lulu Island” by early Richmond settler and historian Thomas Kidd. The first verse of the poem reads, “Child of the Fraser River and the Sea, / Fair Lulu Island where I built my home, / Though I had seen fair lands ere I saw thee, / I came and saw and said, ‘No more I’ll Roam.'”

The Badge

Richmond’s Badge. City of Richmond photo.

Included with the granting of a Coat of Arms is a Badge. Richmond’s Badge shows an anchor, signifying the sea and a connection to the fishing industry, and a strawberry vine and blossoms, signifying the fruitfulness of the land. The strawberry blossom also connects to the Coat of Arms of the Frasers, which also carry the strawberry blossom and gives a link to the Fraser River. From the Letters Patent: “And We do further grant and assign the following Device or Badge that is to say: An Anchor Azure charged in base with a Strawberry Flower proper from the ring reflexed towards the sinister fluke and behind the Anchor’s stock a branch of Strawberry flowered and leaves proper”.

The Flag

On July 22, 1985, Municipal Council directed staff to prepare a report on the design of a civic flag. The civic flag was designed by Municipal employees Rod Lynde with assistance from Frank Sciberras and was officially introduced to the public at the opening of Brighouse Park on April 12, 1986 by Mayor Gil Blair.

The civic flag of Richmond. City of Richmond Archives photograph.

The flag is blue and gold, Richmond’s accepted colours. The shield in the centre of the flag is from the Coat of Arms, gold with a wavy pale bar in blue and three salmon. The gold background and blue borders of the flag represents Richmond’s fertile lands surrounded by the waters of the Fraser River.

The Heron Logo

Richmond’s most familiar symbol today is based on the bird commonly seen fishing in the shallows around our city. The stylized heron logo is simple, yet iconic and was first used by Tourism Richmond in the 1990s. This first logo featured the words “Richmond – Island City, by Nature” with the heron’s head rising from the “N” in Richmond.

This Tourism Richmond Visitor Guide cover image using the stylized heron logo was published in 1995. City of Richmond image.

The heron logo and slogan was adopted a in 1998 by Richmond’s Year 2000 Committee. In 2000 the City also adopted the heron logo, but in 2002 changed the slogan to “Better in Every Way” as part of a promotional campaign to attract investment to the city.

The “Better in Every Way” tagline on the Heron logo lasted only for a few years.
City of Richmond image.

In 2008, with the 2010 Winter Olympics on the horizon, the City adopted a new consolidated visual identity and logo for itself and its partners, one which would reflect the past but fit in with the changes occurring with the Olympic era. The new logo was also a stylized heron, but facing to the right and in colours consistent with the Olympic palette, although the design’s colour is easily changed for other uses. The design of the heron demonstrates the elements of flow, flight, and fusion – concepts used in the design of Richmond’s Olympic Oval. The “Better in Every Way” logo was dropped and a new tagline, “Soar Beyond” was suggested. The design was accepted by the committee but the new tagline was rejected and the tried and true “Island City, by Nature” was preserved to be used when a slogan was found to be desirable.

The new heron logo was adopted in 2008 and appears in colours consistent with those of the 2010 Olympics. City of Richmond image.

The heron logo in basic black identifies vehicles and equipment in the City’s fleet. City of Richmond photograph.

The City’s corporate symbols have changed over its history but it retains an image from its earliest past with the cornucopia in the Coat of Arms, still used in official documents, and an image from more recent times, the stylized heron seen widely around the city on signs, buildings, and City vehicles. The future may bring new designs to represent our city but the images shown in this post will always remain as a part of Richmond’s visual identity.

A Tree Grows in Richmond

Posted on January 23, 2025 by richmondarchives

“I think that I shall never see, A poem as lovely as a tree.”

Joyce Kilmer’s 1913 poem, “Trees” describes the way that many people feel about trees. Valued for the natural cooling effect of the shade they provide, their addition of oxygen to the environment and the general improvement to the quality of an urban landscape, most people prefer the presence of trees in spite of the mess made by falling leaves, damage from falling branches and trunks, damage to infrastructure by root systems and getting in the way of development.

Native and Introduced Species

Richmond’s native tree species are adapted to a high water table and peat and silt loam soil. The most common native species in Richmond before non-Indigenous settlement were Shore Pine, Sitka Spruce, Pacific Crabapple, Willow, Black Cottonwood and Black Hawthorn. These trees, many little more than shrubs, lined the shores of Lulu and Sea Islands, shaded the paths of sloughs and grew in groves in areas of prairie grasslands. An ancient beach berm along the west side of Lulu Island, once lined with native crabapple trees, is followed today by the Crabapple Ridge bike route. A large conifer at Garry point, most likely a spruce, was used as a navigation marker, guiding ships and boats into the channel at the mouth of the Fraser River until it was washed away in the flood of 1891.

Native shrubs and trees line the path of this slough just west of the London Farm house in 1977. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1984 4 21.

Trees native to Richmond are not generally long-lived, 100 to 300 years at most, and often die before maturity due to bog fires, diseases and other reasons. Native tree species, important to the natural history of Richmond, are protected by the acquisition of land by the City and by the declaration of environmentally sensitive areas, the emphasis being the preservation of forested areas and allowing natural regeneration rather than the protection of individual trees.

This map shows the types of vegetation existing in Richmond and the rest of the Fraser Lowlands between 1858 and 1880. City of Richmond Archives Map 1987 76 8.

Around 1860, non-Indigenous settlers began arriving in present day Richmond. Wanting farmland, they cleared native vegetation and dyked and drained the land. They also planted non-native trees which provided shade and shelter for livestock, protected crops from wind and produced fruit and nuts. Non-native trees planted by settlers or later residents of Richmond, depending on their age, size, species, setting, landmark, ecological value, aesthetics, and condition are often be considered to be heritage trees or trees of significance.

Protecting Trees

Early in 1987, with an eye towards preservation, the City sponsored a Tree Contest to make use of citizen’s local knowledge of possibly significant trees. Ads in the Richmond Review invited people to submit an entry form with a photograph and location of trees in Richmond which they thought might win in one of four categories, oldest tree, tallest tree, rarest tree and most interesting tree. A $100 prize was awarded for the winner in each category. About 100 entries and photographs of trees from all over town were submitted during the month-long contest which was judged by the City’s Environmental Control Officer and a professional Forester.

This ad and entry form appeared in the May 1, 1987 edition of the Richmond Review,

Winner of the oldest tree was a Giant Sequoia on No.4 Road which was 104 years old at the time. Honorable Mention went to another Sequoia at Cambie and No.4 Road which was 95 years old. The tallest tree winner was a Douglas Fir at Chatham and First Ave. which was 114 feet tall, Honorable Mention was a Hemlock on Garden City Road at 103 feet.

Winner of the tallest tree category was this Douglas Fir located on Chatham Street just east of First Avenue, submitted by the residents of the Lions Manor in Steveston. City of Richmond Archives Accession 1987 60.

Rarest tree was an Ontario Sugar Maple on Sexsmith Road, planted in 1910 by a member of the Sexsmith Family. Honorable Mention in that category was a Fig Tree on Glenacres Drive. The prize for the Most Interesting Tree was won by a Chinese Dawn Redwood on Alexandra Road. The Honorable Mention went to a Pear Tree near General Currie School with four varieties of fruit grafted to it.

This Weeping Willow tree under the Arthur Laing Bridge was planted by the Grauer Family to commemorate the birth of a child and was considered a tree of significance. Grauer’s Store can be seen in the background. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1997 42 1 440.

A few years later the City hired a Landscape Architect to create Richmond’s first professionally prepared list of Heritage Trees. The Consultant identified 127 significant trees or groves of trees, a list that was enhanced by the collection of historical data by other consultants and a citizen’s advisory committee. All of this groundwork was intended to lead to a way to preserve trees of significance, a challenging prospect considering the subjective nature of determining exactly what criteria identifies a Heritage tree. Attempts at protecting specific trees with bylaws or by heritage designation proved to be impractical and today those protections have been superseded by Tree Protection Bylaw 8057 which offers much broader protection to all trees 20cm or greater diameter as measured 1.4 m above the ground. Even with this bylaw it has to be recognized that at some point in a tree’s life they can get old, diseased, get costly and difficult to maintain and become hazardous and need to be removed. There is also a limit to what a city can do to with respect to tree preservation on private property.

A Richmond Tree

As an example of a tree of significance, let’s focus on one that has been in the public eye since it was planted around 1920. After the end of World War One the former Minoru Racetrack reopened as Brighouse Park Racetrack.

Race fans crowd the rail in front of the clubhouse to watch the Parade to the Post at Brighouse Park Racetrack, ca. 1924. At the centre of the photograph, the young American Elm grows. City of Richmond Archives photograph 2001 9 30.

Michael Wilkinson Brighouse purchased the racetrack property and made several changes, improving and enlarging the grandstands, clubhouse and grounds and planting a number of trees. Quite a few of those trees are still standing but one in particular stands out, planted on its own rather than in a group and in an area that has been photographed many times over the years.

This aerial image taken in 1951 shows the now defunct Brighouse Park Racetrack and Richmond Town Hall. The grandstand has been removed but the clubhouse is still there and the Elm tree, much larger and full of foliage, still stands beside the track. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1984 17 5.

This tree, an American Elm (Ulmus americana), has stayed rooted in the same spot for about 100 years, while the City has changed around it. Once a small trackside shade tree it has seen the demise of horse racing in Richmond, had a road built past it separating it from some of its fellow racetrack trees, shaded the back of the Richmond Twin Theatres, the Richmond Centre parkade and now is dwarfed by high-rise buildings behind it.

Workmen lay foundations for the Richmond Twin Theatres under the boughs of the American Elm in this January, 1968 Richmond Review picture. Other trees from the racetrack grow in the background. City of Richmond Archives, Richmond Review, Frank Dawson photograph.

The American Elm tree is located on City property and can be more easily maintained and protected by the City than trees located on private property. Many trees considered to be of heritage value have been lost to disease, out growing their locations, age or safety but many have also been saved through the work of private citizens and City staff.

Looking west toward the Minoru Cultural Centre ca. 1995. The American Elm stands close to the Richmond Centre Parkade. City of Richmond Archives photograph 2008 39 1 184.

The American Elm today with new buildings rising behind. John Campbell photograph.

Hopefully this tree and others like it will be preserved so that future generations can appreciate their beauty as well as their significance to the heritage of our City. As Joyce Kilmer closed his poem,

“Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree”

Japan Town – Steveston in the 1930s

Posted on April 25, 2024 by richmondarchives

Richmond has a long and rich history of Japanese immigration and settlement. Various places around Richmond, Sea Island, Don Island and, in particular, Steveston were areas where Japanese immigrants lived, worked, raised families and contributed to the diverse cultural blend of our city.

Steveston looking west along Moncton Street from No.1 Road around 1940. The majority of the businesses along this street were operated by Japanese-Canadian entrepreneurs at the time. City of Richmond Archives photograph RCF 274.

Japanese immigrants (Nikkei) arrived in Steveston around the time that the English Cannery opened in 1882 and by the 1900s made up a large portion of the Steveston population. Mostly male and mostly fishermen, they were accommodated in bunkhouses built by the canneries. During the fishing season Japanese “Bosses,” who had control of twenty or thirty boats, would negotiate contracts with the canneries for them and take care of their needs such as food, clothing and other services in return for a percentage of their wages.

This image taken on November 22, 1936 shows members of the Japanese community gathered outside the Japanese Buddhist Mission on First Avenue to commemorate the ceremony of “Putting in the Buddha.” City of Richmond Archives photograph 1995 3 1.

Although the original intention of many of the men was to return to Japan after working in Canada, many decided to stay permanently. Some returned to Japan to find wives, others had their families back home arrange marriages with suitable women, the so-called “Picture Brides”. Bunkhouses were unsuitable for married couples, so canneries built small houses to accommodate families.

A group of Japanese girls pose for a picture in traditional May Day dress outside the Steveston Japanese School ca. 1926. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1978 1 36.

The Nikkei population grew, the men fishing and their wives working in the canneries and raising families. They diversified, expanding into boatbuilding, buying property, farming and starting businesses. People joined Faith communities, formed sports teams and created a rich community life.

The Steveston Fuji baseball team played in the Vancouver Japanese League with the Asahi Giants, Powell Drugs and Union Fish teams. City of Richmond Archives photograph 1977 7 12.

Contending with discrimination and exclusion, The Japanese Fishermen’s Benevolent Society was formed in 1897 to protect the interests of the Nikkei fishermen and the community, A 1906 decision by the Richmond School Board to ban children of non-property owners effectively deprived most of the Nikkei children of an education and resulted in the construction of the Steveston Japanese School. To ensure that the health needs of the community were met, the Japanese Fishermen’s Hospital was built, Richmond’s first.

The Japanese Fishermen’s Hospital on No.1 Road in Steveston, ca. 1915. City of Richmond Archives photograph 2006 39 47.

By the 1930s the Japanese population had grown to account for two-thirds to three quarters of the total population of Steveston, approximately 3500 people. Nikkei owned businesses and stores of every description lined Moncton Street from No.1 Road to Third Avenue. Grocery stores, meat and fish markets, hardware and general stores, a bicycle shop, the River Garage, a billiard hall and clothing stores operated by Nikkei entrepreneurs could be found on both sides of the street. Five confectioneries (candy and chocolate shops) satisfied those with a craving for sweets.

The Mukai Confectionary stood at the corner of Moncton Street and No.1 Road and had a confectionary in the front, a pool hall in the back and ten bedrooms upstairs. It also housed a taxi business and had space used by a dentist who came to Steveston once a week. The building was lost in a fire sometime between 1942 and 1951 but the location is still known as Mukai Corner. City of Richmond Archives photograph RCF 272.

The density of the Japanese Canadian population in Steveston is very obvious when looking at the meticulous research done by Haruji (Harry) Mizuta who, using maps from the 1936 Waterworks Atlas of Richmond, marked the locations of Nikkei homes and businesses from the Scottish Canadian Cannery in what is now Garry Point Park to the Winch Cannery at the foot of No.2 Road. This is especially true with the map he marked as #30-2 1930s – Gulf of Georgia Cannery and Old Steveston Town – Steveston BC.

This map, created by Haruji (Harry) Mizuta illustrates the quantity of Nikkei homes and businesses, marked by blue and red dots, in Steveston during the Thirties. City of Richmond Archives Reference Files.

The growth of “Japan Town” came to a sudden halt with the forced relocation of Japanese Canadians from the Coast of British Columbia. Families were uprooted, stripped of their property and moved to areas where they had to start over and rebuild their lives, often in harsh circumstances. Steveston became a virtual ghost town with so many of its residents suddenly gone. In 1949 when Nikkei families were permitted to come back to the coast, those who decided to return rebuilt their lives and community again. Today the legacy of Japan Town is a cherished and honoured part of Steveston’s and Richmond’s history.

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