Project background (updated April 2026)
Heritage Alteration Permit # HA 25-020472
The City of Richmond is undertaking repairs required to maintain the Seine Net Loft building, including:
- Replacement of asbestos roof with grey fibre reinforced polymer panels;
- Replacement of asbestos siding with white fibre reinforced polymer panels;
- Repairs and repainting windows; and
- Substructure reinforcements to repair pilings and improve structural stability
The Seine Net Loft is a protected heritage building and an important feature of the site. Repair work will follow national standards for heritage conservation. Where possible:
- existing features will be restored
- objects inside the building will be safely secured during construction
Construction is anticipated to finish in Fall 2027.
History of the Seine Net Loft
Built in 1955 by the Anglo-British Packing Company for its Phoenix Cannery, the Seine Net Loft was once used in the construction and repair of large seine nets for fishing.
The Seine Net Loft represents the use, fabrication, repair and dry storage of fishing nets as an integral part of Steveston’s fishing industry. Net lofts were constructed at cannery sites along the Steveston waterfront, built on pilings over water to allow fishermen to easily load and unload their large heavy nets from fishing boats.
In the 1960s, the wide use of synthetic fishing nets, which were originally made of linen, brought the need for large drying structures. The Seine Net Loft’s later use for gill net storage reflects the adaptation in building use, a common theme for buildings on this heritage site.
The building was opened to the public with interactive exhibits about innovation in the local fishing and boat building industries, as part of the heritage park in 2013.
3D Virtual Tour
View a 3D Virtual tour (pre-2026 reconstruction) of the Seine Net Loft here.
Contact
For more information, please contact Projectdevelopment@richmond.ca or 604-247-4936