A trio of classic tall ships, including a vessel conducting critical environmental research in the North Pacific, will be showcased when Ships to Shore Steveston 2012 returns to Richmond on the Canada Day weekend.
Visitors can relive the days when Richmond's Steveston Village was a major port-of-call for fleets of sailing ships from around the world.
There will be free boarding and viewing of a flotilla of unique and historic ships from Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1.
"You can't see a tall ship without feeling a sense of excitement, adventure and discovery," said Mayor Malcolm Brodie.
"Steveston first welcomed tall ships more than a 125 years ago, and it is always an exciting moment when they return."
Leading the way this year will be the 46-metre (151-feet) Kaisei, a California-based brigantine dedicated to scientific research.
She is the figurehead for "Project Kaisei" an international program dedicated to implementing solutions to the problem of marine debris.
The Kaisei is a frequent visitor to the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," a notorious area of the North Pacific where ocean currents and man-made discards have created an environmentally-threatening concentration of floating plastic debris.
The Kaisei has also been tracking the debris float resulting from last year's Japanese tsunami, another potential environmental threat.
During the Kaisei's visit to Richmond, visitors to the boat will not only be able to enjoy a magnificent tall ship, but also be able to learn about the important environmental research being conducted by the ship's crew.
Joining the Kaisei will be two popular tall ships that are familiar visitors to Steveston, the majestic Hawaiian Chieftain and the Canadian Navy's colourful HMCS Oriole.
Also on view will be a pair of schooners, the Mallory Todd and Grail Dancer; the historic SS Master steam tug; the Carlotta, a cutter from Vancouver Island; the Silver Ann, a gillnetter currently being restored at the Britannia Heritage Shipyard; and the Juanita, a replica Spanish longboat, saluting one of the original European explorers of the B.C. coast.
This year's Ships to Shore event is moving right into the heart of Steveston Village.
The ships will be docked at Imperial Landing, just a few paces along the wooden boardwalk from Bayview and No. 1 Road.
Ships To Shore Steveston 2012 runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 29 and 30 and from 12: 30 to 5 p.m. on July 1.
Ship boarding is free, but space is limited and scheduled activities vary, so check out www.richmond.ca/shipstoshore for boarding details and schedule of events.
In addition to free public viewing and boarding, select ships will also be offering day sails and youth day camps.
Last year's day sails sold out quickly. To register, go to www.richmond. ca/register or call 604276-4300.
