A historic relic remains nestled on the edge of Semiahmoo Spit. On the inside, what once was a symbol of labor now also represents Blaine’s rich maritime history. The Alaska Packers Association (APA) Museum offers a glimpse into that past.
Businessmen James Tarte and John Martin opened the first cannery in Whatcom County on Semiahmoo Spit in 1882. In 1891, Daniel Drysdale built the Drysdale Cannery, which was later purchased by APA after the company formed from a merger of smaller canneries in the Pacific Northwest. Several APA buildings dotted the spit, from the APA Museum to Semiahmoo Resort.
Drayton Harbor Maritime, a Blaine maritime nonprofit, operates the museum, and Whatcom County Parks and Recreation owns the building. The museum is housed in former worker accommodation when the cannery was in its prime.
Throughout the museum, APA Museum director Bill Brooks and other volunteers take visitors to each display, showing cannery equipment, models of fishing traps and photos of ships. The volunteers have a love for both history and maritime traditions.
“I’m super into history and nautical stuff,” Brooks said. “I like working here because you get to meet so many cool people.”
The museum launched a new exhibit this month. A nautical knot tying station brings visitors the opportunity to test their knot tying skills with four stations giving step-by-step instructions.
Volunteer Nancy Nibble envisioned the exhibit, and it was built by fellow volunteer Don Janzen. Now a permanent display, it gives visitors a chance to be in the same boat as past sailors. The knots are some of the first sailors would learn during their training.
The knot exhibit is just outside of the museum entrance. During the colder months, it will be brought inside the screening room, along with the museum’s cardboard photo stand-in of canned salmon.
Brooks takes visitors from room to room with a smile on his face and a constant story to tell.
The first display people tend to visit is just left of the main entrance. Inside, a 29-foot Bristol Bay fishing boat is the centerpiece. Built in Semiahmoo, two people would use the boat to catch salmon.
“If you work for the APA, they’re only fishing six, eight weeks out of the year because that’s when the salmon run,” Brooks said. “You stay from Monday morning until Saturday night.”
When the fishermen returned, an APA tallyman would stand by with a counter. They got paid six pennies per fish, which at the turn of the 20th century, equaled a substantial amount of money.
Volunteer Roberta Doob said she believed the museum served as an important reminder of the past.
“What they did, how it evolved, all the times it went through, the challenges that people went through,” she said.
The old cannery is down the spit from the museum, now part of Semiahmoo Resort property. The building is still standing, although it’s not recommended for visitors to explore. Pieces from the cannery were carefully preserved and brought to the museum today.
The county owns and operates the cannery lodge, which is the former APA bunkhouse and office next to the museum. The lodge is available for daily rentals priced at $324 for county residents.
The museum’s summer hours, which run mid-May until September, are 1-5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. In the fall, the museum is open 1-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Starting in late November until mid-March, the museum will be open from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Entry is free for all ages, though donations are welcome. The APA Museum is located at 9261 Semiahmoo Parkway. More information can be found at blainebythesea.com/apa-museum or by calling 253/753-6424
