Using herring as bait, fishers catch halibut in a large region off the coast of British Columbia, from the Strait of Juan de Fuca all way to Kodiak Island to the north. Fishers, in boats of 6 to 20 men then bring their haul on a larger “mothership” to be processed in factories in Prince Rupert. About 100 tons are processed daily. The fish is packed in crates with ice and loaded into refrigerated cars, travelling on the “Fish Express”, where it travels to Central Canada and the United States for sale.

“Fresh from the Deep,” 1922, film, 4 minutes 30 seconds, Graphic Consultants collection, accession number 1972-0105, item number ISN 199415, Library and Archives Canada.

Film editing by Annie Slotnick. Musical direction by Ewen Farncombe.

Song: A Bunch of Roses (El Punao De Rosas) - George Green -composition: Chapi (1922)

Further Discussion

For more detail about this industry see:

Newell, D. "Surveying Historic Industrial Tidewater Sites: The Case of the B.C. Salmon Canning Industry." IA. The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology, vol. 13, no. 1, 1987, pp. 1–16.

"Indigenous Lose Fishing Rights." BC Archives: Untold History. Knowledge Network, 1880, https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1880/indigenous-lose-fishing-rights.