Friends of the Richmond Archives

Friends of the Richmond Archives The Friends of the Richmond Archives is a volunteer- run society.

What we do:

- Promote and support the City of Richmond Archives.
- Encourage the association of persons interested in archives and the preservation of archival material.
- Focus community attention on the Archives by promoting the use of the resources and services of the Archives.
- As a registered charity, receive endowments, bequests and donations toward projects that support and promote awareness of the City of Richmond Archives.
- Support legislation, either municipal, provincial or federal, where it will enhance further interest in archival matters.
- Cooperate with other organizations or individuals in the furtherance of the aims of the Society.

This aerial view shows Lord Byng School in Steveston, ca. 1977. Schools have existed on this property, bounded by No.1 R...
09/10/2026

This aerial view shows Lord Byng School in Steveston, ca. 1977. Schools have existed on this property, bounded by No.1 Road, Second Avenue and Georgia Street, since 1897, when the original two-room Steveston School was built. The buildings shown in this picture were replaced by a more modern structure in 1995. On the centre left, just north of the field, a civil defence siren used during the Cold War can be seen. Richmond had a network of 15 sirens in its civil defence system during the Cold War, located to warn the majority of the population in the event of a nuclear attack. To read more about civil defence during the Cold War, visit Outside the Box - The Richmond Archives blog at https://richmondarchives.ca/2026/08/27/take-cover-civil-defense-during-the-nuclear-age/ (City of Richmond Archives photo 1978 26 34)

This image from 1939 shows Mr. David Dick standing beside his school bus. Mr. Dick drove his bus in Richmond from 1929 u...
09/03/2026

This image from 1939 shows Mr. David Dick standing beside his school bus. Mr. Dick drove his bus in Richmond from 1929 until he retired in 1959. While school buses are provided by the School District today, in those days a school bus driver owned his bus and was responsible for all the maintenance and expenses involved. Kids go back to school after Labour day next week, so please watch out for school buses, lots of kids on the street and obey the traffic regulations. (City of Richmond Archives photo 1977 24 93)

Asteroids was one of the most popular video games on the market in the early '80s. In this photo a group of kids pit the...
08/27/2026

Asteroids was one of the most popular video games on the market in the early '80s. In this photo a group of kids pit their skills against the asteroids and invading flying saucers while a crowd of onlookers wait their turn behind them. The Asteroids competition was one of the 1982 Easter week activities at Lansdowne Park Shopping Centre where hundreds of young space cadets tried to get the highest scores and win prizes. Photo posted for the Association of Canadian Archivists August hashtag party (City of Richmond Archives, Richmond Review photo 1988 121 554)

John May - December 14, 1925 - July 12, 2026The Friends of the Richmond Archives were saddened to hear of the passing of...
08/24/2026

John May - December 14, 1925 - July 12, 2026
The Friends of the Richmond Archives were saddened to hear of the passing of John May on July 12. John was a true son of Richmond, a proud farmer and, to paraphrase Thomas Kidd, "a good sturdy man of the best type." Raised on the family farm in East Richmond, he and his wife Doreen carried on in the family business, raising cattle and chickens and growing strawberries and cranberries. John had an immense knowledge of local history which he happily shared during his frequent visits to the City of Richmond Archives or when called upon by inquiring archivists. He was a long-time member of the Friends of the Richmond Archives and will be sincerely missed. Our deepest condolences go out to John's family and friends.

A man stands beside a shiny new Plymouth Taxi with some very beaten-up licence plates in this image, ca. 1949. The locat...
08/20/2026

A man stands beside a shiny new Plymouth Taxi with some very beaten-up licence plates in this image, ca. 1949. The location of the picture is near the intersection of No.4 Road and Bridgeport Road. Does anyone recognize the gentleman? (City of Richmond Archives photo 1978 31 9)

A group of men unload fish from the packer J.R.D. at the B.C. Packers Imperial Plant in Steveston in this photo, ca. 197...
08/13/2026

A group of men unload fish from the packer J.R.D. at the B.C. Packers Imperial Plant in Steveston in this photo, ca. 1970. The J.R.D. was built in 1917 at the Menchion's Shipyard and was owned and operated by B.C. Packers throughout its history. (City of Richmond Archives photo, B.C. Packers Limited fonds 2001 34 9 870)

The McMyn brothers, John, William and James were some of the first settlers in Richmond, arriving in the early 1880s. Th...
08/06/2026

The McMyn brothers, John, William and James were some of the first settlers in Richmond, arriving in the early 1880s. They purchased the eastern half of the Robson and Smith farm on the North Arm before selling about 1889 and buying the Hector McDonald farm in Richmond's "Slough District" near Woodward's Landing. John and William moved on to farm in the Fraser Valley but James stayed on, living with his wife and raising their family in this house at 11340 No.5 Road, raising cattle and pigs and growing crops., until his death in 1938. On March 26, 2018 Council announced that a new road connecting No.3 Road to Corvette Way would be named McMyn Way in honour of the three Scottish brothers. (City of Richmond Archives photo 1985 39 119)

This photo from 1946 shows a radio operator at work in the radio building at Vancouver Airport. Radio operators communic...
07/30/2026

This photo from 1946 shows a radio operator at work in the radio building at Vancouver Airport. Radio operators communicated directly with aircraft, providing information on weather conditions and on other air traffic in the area, an early version of today's air traffic control. Technology developed during the Second World War for military purposes was adopted by civil aviation, greatly increasing the safety and efficiency of air travel. Posted for the Association of Canadian Archivists hashtag party, (City of Richmond Archives photo 1997 5 105, Eric Rathborne fonds)

This great old turn of the century photograph shows Steveston before the great fire of 1918. Taken from a cannery roof n...
07/23/2026

This great old turn of the century photograph shows Steveston before the great fire of 1918. Taken from a cannery roof near the end of No.1 Road, the image shows a jumble of roofs, although a few historic buildings can be picked out. At the top centre of the picture, you can see the sign for Hunt's General Store, where you could purchase groceries as well as hardware, tinware and crockery. Hunt's became the Walker Emporium and is the present site of the Marine Garage. Behind it, the roof of the Sockeye Stables on Chatham Street can be seen, advertising feed and livery services. To the right of the chimney, the large building is the London Hotel on Moncton Street. Not sure what the small building in the foreground with the posing men is, but the guy in the long apron looks like a bartender. (City of Richmond Archives photo 1977 20 4)

Looking south across Moncton Street in Steveston, ca. 1950, some men and a young boy wait at the station to board the BC...
07/16/2026

Looking south across Moncton Street in Steveston, ca. 1950, some men and a young boy wait at the station to board the BC Electric Railway's tram 1217. On the right, a woman dashes across the tracks, hoping to catch the tram as well. (City of Richmond Archives photo 1999 4 3 2561, Ted Clark fonds)

Address

7700 Minoru Gate
Richmond, BC
V6Y1R9

Telephone

604-247-8305

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