How can someone say they've seen the future, and it looks great? I can, when it's what Steveston could become if we carefully manage our rich, maritime history.
So, what's behind my clairvoyance? Recently, I saw a possible blueprint for our special, little port community. It exists on the east coast in the harbour town of Mystic, Connecticut. Derived from the native American Indian word "MissiTuk" or "great tidal river," Mystic is a picturesque spot that I had the pleasure of visiting a while back on a fact-finding mission that explored some well-preserved Atlantic maritime history.
About 200 km south west of Boston sits Mystic Seaport - The Museum of America and the Sea. It's often referred to as the leading maritime museum in the U.S. with its 17 acres filled with historic tall ships and a re-created, 19th-century coastal village featuring more than 60 original historic buildings - most of them rare commercial structures moved to the site and meticulously restored - and a working preservation shipyard.
The area also has a tram museum - The Shore Line Trolley Museum - and working track that almost transported me back here to Garry Point because the scenery sliding past the windows was so similar.
Things got rolling at the sea port way back in 1929 when the museum was established, and later in 1941 the last surviving, wooden sailing whaler - the Charles W. Morgan - was acquired.
The place is full of history, some of it living. In fact, it was one of the very first living history museums in the U.S. with craftsmen on hand to demonstrate how the work was done.
During my time in Mystic I had the opportunity to interact with some of that living history - a young, female blacksmith who, when I asked why she took up the skill, said she was following in her great grandfather's footsteps. Another person I met was a young sail maker who was simply expressing his lifelong passion for maritime heritage.
That got me to thinking - we have that same desire here, that, when coupled with our inventory of artifacts, can tell the story of Steveston's place in Pacific maritime history for locals and visitors alike. It's just that we don't seem to fully recognize the potential of what we possess and how it could be showcased.
The formula works well in Mystic. How well? The destination gets about 400,000 visitors annually.
Is that possible here? There's a good chance, because we have a large inventory of artifcats that have been saved despite the rise and fall of the commercial fishing industry. And luckily, the city has seen the importance of cultivating the community's connection with the water through events such as the Ships to Shore and Tall Ships.
But we need to be vigilant and carefully preserve what we have left, which is sadly, slowly degrading because of a lack of acceptable storage space for artifacts. Artifacts of advanced age do not do well without a climate-controlled environment to preserve their integrity. So, that needs to be addressed.
I feel Steveston is on the cusp of going in the direction of Mystic and becoming the Pacific's maritime historical hub.
At least, I hope so because what I saw in Connecticut is a marvel - a living, breathing snapshot of a bygone time.
The ingredients are all here in Steveston to establish something just as special to tell visitors that this village was once one of the most vital ports on the west coast.
The future is there for us to grasp. Let's hope we have the foresight to embrace it.
Longtime Steveston resident Loren Slye is a dedicated community volunteer and a member of numerous local organizations.
