A community event this Sunday is celebrating the existing Steveston Community Centre and Library before it closes in December.
The Steveston Community Society is hosting a Community Appreciation Day on Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with free face painting, family storytime with the library, arts and crafts and entertainment.
This free event is about celebrating the building and all it has offered to the community since 1957, according to the non-profit association.
Various drop-in and sign-up activities are scheduled during the event for all ages.
Steveston society's long history
The Steveston Community Association was formed on May 18,1944 with a goal to develop a playground and recreational facilities in Steveston.
The first sports day in Steveston was held on July 1, 1944 for those who could not access celebrations in Vancouver due to gasoline rationing imposed by the War Measures Act, according to the City of Richmond Archives.
"The purpose of the first sports day was to celebrate the recently completed landscaping of Steveston Park, to raise money for future park development, and to provide a community focus during World War II," reads a post from the city archives.
It eventually became an annual event, and later a day to promote the salmon fishing industry and to raise funds to build and run a community centre in Steveston. The event is currently known as the Steveston Salmon Festival and takes place every year on Canada Day.
A Salmon Queen pageant was added to the celebration in 1946 to further raise funds towards building the centre.
In 1946, the society bought a 3.5-acre property next to the existing Steveston playground and suggested having the community centre added to the park by 1950.
By 1956, the municipality contributed $88,000 to the already accumulated $40,000 trust fund raised by the society, the Steveston Judo Club and the Japanese Canadian Community Association to build the Steveston Community Centre.
It opened on Moncton Street on Nov. 2, 1957, becoming Richmond's first official community centre.
Since opening, the Steveston Community Centre has seen expansions and additions over the years, including a purchase of an additional 20 acres of property adjoining the original park.
An outdoor pool, the Martial Arts Centre and a BMX track were added after 1970. Further renovations included tennis courts and baseball diamonds.
A $1.2 million renovation and further expansion of the original community centre was done between1988 and 1990.
While the Steveston community prepares to say goodbye to the original facility, the new community centre building is taking shape next door.
The project is expected to be completed in 2026.
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