Dogs, fish, and ocean smells, oh my! Welcome to one of Metro Vancouver’s favourite day trips where you can bring your dog: Steveston Village in Richmond, British Columbia. In Steveston, historic working fishing harbour meets trendy restaurants, boutiques, gift stores, and even several vintage shops. Unfortunately, I was not able to travel here with my own dog, but I met several others who did.

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Steveston is easy to navigate on foot, so easy to navigate with a pup. The two parallel village streets are lined with mostly shops, some food outlets, and even a Steveston museum. Most permit leashed dogs to stroll inside with you, especially if your intent is to purchase. Plus, our furry friends are finally represented there too – in May 2026, The Bone and Biscuit opened on the corner of No. 1 and Moncton Streets.

But before you think this is some tourist site with nods to maritime activities of former glory, nope. Steveston Village is the real deal located along the Fraser River that leads to the Strait of Georgia and then to the Pacific Ocean.

Functioning Fisherman’s Pier

First, the fishing boats and nets dominating the harbour aren’t for show. Steveston’s Harbour is Canada’s largest small craft commercial fishing harbour. About 22 million to 45 million kilograms of seafood are off-loaded here every year, and catches include salmon, prawn, crab, shrimp, groundfish, hake, halibut, and even sea urchin. The visit highlight is walking down the narrow Fisherman’s Pier in the early afternoon when the boats come in and buying fresh catch directly from those who caught it.

Note that while dogs are permitted on the main boardwalk, they are not permitted on the narrow wharf near the boats – on busy days, people are shoulder to shoulder and fish are openly piled on ice. If you’ve got somewhere to prepare them, fresh prawns for $10 a basket is a great deal. (Check out this BC recipe book here – affiliate link). But if you can’t cook them yourself, the nearby restaurants are willing to do it for you.

Some Dog-friendly Patios in Steveston Village

Second, if you’re not buying fish, you’re likely here to eat it. Steveston’s waterfront boardwalk is lined with so many restaurants, it’s sometimes hard to tell where one ends and the next begins. Some, but not all, outdoor patios are dog friendly.

The Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant (140-3866 Bayview St), for instance, has the best view of the water from both patio and indoor dining room but dogs can not go on either. Too bad too, because the shared seafood platters are to die for, along with the chowder.

However, Anar Persian Cuisine, across from the fisherman’s pier on the wharf, promotes a dog-friendly patio and is ideal for casual dining and enjoying a local beer, including a draft from Fuggles Beer Co. (also a dog-friendly craft brewery in Richmond).

Best Fish and Chips in the World (Apparently)

Finally, Pajo’s Fish & Chips further down the wharf claims to be the world’s best fish and chips. How that’s measured, I don’t know but the fish is good and worth the wait. On a busy day, it can take about 30 to 40 minutes to get your meal. But you can dine with your dog on the patio or at any picnic table along the wharf – if you can get one.

At Pajo’s, the halibut is fresh, moist and flaky and the batter is not your traditional English pub beer style. Think Asian tempura – Pajo’s fish batter is light and almost dissolves in your mouth like cotton candy. Not trying Pajo’s fish in Richmond, BC, is a bit like not trying pasta in Rome. (Note that there’s also a Pajo’s outlet at the Vancouver airport if you miss it on the wharf, but it’s pricey).

Otherwise, there are picnic tables along the Steveston Wharf to eat take out food (with your dog) from any of the restaurants ranging from high quality seafood to pizza slices and ice cream cones. (If you’re ever looking for dog safe ice cream, check out this product here – affiliate link).

Dog Walking in Steveston Village

Steveston Village is crowded and popular on the weekends. For this reason, it’s likely easiest to take the dog during the week, especially in the summer, when crowds are thinner. Though if you do head out on a Saturday – especially when a Tall Ship from Japan is docked near Garry Point Park, as was the case when I visited – you’ll meet up with other pups.

Where there are walking opportunities, there’s dogs. And in Steveston, you can walk two streets of shops, an oceanside boardwalk, and a meandering path past the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site all the way to the log-laden sandy beach and open grassy park of Garry Point Park – a popular dog destination. It’s about a 20-minute walk from Fisherman’s Wharf to Garry Point Park.

Dog Run in Steveston Village

While the 30-hectre park is ideal for a dog run, all dogs must remain on leash in the area, even on the beach. Tourism Richmond cautions the area is also home to wild seals that can be aggressive toward dogs. But that didn’t stop the number of dogs I saw getting excited in the shallow water along the beach.

Note that if your dog requires a full run, like mine does, there is a completely fenced dog park (with designated large and small dog areas) at Steveston Community Park located at 11786 Fentiman Pl, Steveston, a little further away from the tourist zone.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria.Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!