In its heyday, Steveston was a bustling fishing village.
In 1918, it was also a time when one of the largest fishing fleets in the world, the Mosquito Fishing Fleet, called this historic village home. Although smaller in size during the 50s, the Mosquito Fishing Fleet continued to fish off the waters of Steveston.
When the fishermen needed new steering wheels for their boats they called on Jack and Joseph Lubzinski. The Richmond-raised brothers owned and operated one of the most successful mahogany steering wheel manufacturing companies in the world.
This weekend, Friday to Sunday, Richmondites will be able to revisit a little bit of the Lubzinski brothers history during the 8th Annual Richmond Maritime Festivals exhibit, At the Helm, which recreates The Marine Products Company.
The brothers, who were both graduates of Richmond secondary, got into the business by fluke.
The type (of steering wheel) my brother needed was available but wasnt practical because they were falling apart most of the time, said 88-year-old Jack Lubzinski. So, I thought well, Ill design one thatll be suitable for whats required sort of an engineered product.
Its a skill he honed years earlier in high school.
As it happens, a young Jack Lubzinski had a knack for building ship models, which he exhibited at numerous local and provincial fairs.
After graduating from high school in 1943, Jack Lubzinski headed to the UBC, where he received both his bachelor degree and a master in physics in 1950.
In 1951, the Marine Products Company was born. The enterprising brothers sold their handcrafted wheels all over the world.
Any ship building on the East Coast would say Well, if the US Navy wants them then this is what we should be using, said Jack Lubzinski. So the market was open there for us. We didnt even have to go there, wed just have letters coming in that said We saw your wheel on there, what is it? And they would just simply order.
When the brothers built a machine, they usually fabricated every component of it. They seldom purchased pre-assembled parts, and instead salvaged steel plates, sheets and rods to construct equipment frames and associated components to work with their own designs. They often adapted parts purchased at auction, and transformed salvaged machinery whenever possible. For more than five decades, the companys shop wheeled out its products all over the world.
At the height of production, the factory constructed more than 100 complete wheels every day for customers such as the US Navy, BC Ferries and Mississippi Gambling.
During the festival, attendees will be able to walk through the all-new exhibit featuring the Marine Products Company, with its recently restored and never-seen-before rare artifacts. The recreated Marine Products Company shop will only be open for the duration of the Maritime Festival.
The 8th Annual Richmond Maritime Festival runs this weekend from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily beginning Friday, Aug. 5 to Sunday, Aug. 7 at the Britannia Heritage Shipyard in Steveston. For more highlights about the Richmond Maritime Festival, watch for the News Friday issue. For more information, visit www.richmondmaritimefestival.ca.
Main Attractions
z Dozens of beautiful, wooden boats including 83-year-old HMCS Oriole tall ship, the oldest sailing ship in the Canadian Navy;
z The Chinese Bunkhouse exhibit which depicts stories of Chinese cannery workers who fought adversity and discrimination with remarkable courage;
z Five different buildings on the waterfront that tell stories of work and play at Britannia from 1910 to 1930;
z Interactive activities such as decorating the site with painted nautical-themed shapes, origami and model boat making, knot tying;
z Pirate hats and swords, face painting, tattoos and puzzle games, live music, artisans, storytelling, dancers.
