Rivers Inlet British Columbia became famous for the region's GIANT chinook salmon. As the coastline of British Columbia attracted more commercial fishing in the late 1800's, canneries began popping up along the entire coastline. The big salmon boom was not unlike the gold rush. Hopeful commercial fishers hoped to cash in on the bounty.

However, the history of Rivers Inlet doesn't begin there. To the contrary, England wanted to establish commercial fishing in the new world in hopes of spawning new trade and economic opportunities that would bring settlers. England gave the New England Fish Company, (an early American-owned company) the land to begin commercial fishing operations. This occurred circa before Canada became a country.

In 1918 a cannery was built on the shores of Rivers Inlet and McTavish Creek, the site where Rivers Inlet Resort currently sits. The cannery was operational that year, but not fully up to speed.

Value of buildings: $20,600

Value of Machinery: $15,000

Profit insurance carried: $10,500

Distance from Vancouver British Columbia: 250 miles.

Means of transportation: Union SS Company ships.

Months of operation: April, May, June, July & August.

Fire record: Good, bunk house burned in 1920.

Kinds of salmon canned & packed: sockeye, springs, (chinook) pinks, chums & coho.

Approximate cases packed:

1918--6,000
1919--5,000
1920--14,000
1921--3,000
1922--5,000

Nationality of employees: British, Japanese, Chinese, Indians.

In 1923 the Gosse-Millerd Ltd., company from Vancouver B.C. decided to survey the existing cannery on the stream-side shores of McTavish Creek, and purchase the site and then renovate it for increased canning efforts.

Record of the proposed McTavish Cannery

Water supply, gravity from dam of creek 700 feet from cannery: Elevation 24 feet. Water to flow through 10 8-inch and 6-inch mains. 2-inch distribution mains. Watchman and clock stations, hourly rounds.

Power: Steam generated from coal.

Lighting: Coleman portable gasoline lamps. Fuel stored in barrels on the roof.

The purchase and renovations were completed and the cannery became one of 10 operational in Rivers Inlet during the prime years of commercial fishing from 1930 to 1949. The boom of workers created a need for a regional hospital to serve the coast as well.

During the peak of the commercial fishing, hundreds of vessels fished the salmon runs. During the early days sail and oar-powered vessels dominated the fishery. By 1940 the powered vessels took over the fishery because of their efficiency. Their effectiveness caused a boom among the canneries, but also seriously put the salmon runs in peril.

In the 1950's the salmon runs began to decline because of over fishing. The decline caused the canneries to close one by one.

Today, during times of troubled salmon runs throughout the West Coast of North America, Rivers Inlet chinook and coho remain strong and numerous. In 1999 the Canadian Government switched its policy favoring commercial fishing for chinook and coho, a decision designed to save other stocks of chinook. Combine this (jump to)new policy with the Owikeno Native Enhancement efforts on the Wannock River at the head of Rivers Inlet and The Hakai Sport Fishing Association Hatchery Program, and you have a fantastic opportunity to catch trophy chinook and coho salmon.

The history of the inlet doesn't end with just salmon fishing. In 1965 Namu the killer whale, (Orca) was captured near Rivers Inlet. The whale then became a star attraction know throughout the world. Pods of killer whales still cruise the central British Columbia coastline and provide awesome displays of speed, aerial acrobats, and personality.

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