Julien Galipeau and Kelsey Ranshaw as The Shipyard Pals at Punch Clock Portal. Photo: Felice Jolliffe

Shipyard Sal and Shipyard Sam (occasionally it has been Shipyard Sue) are long standing theatrical characters who have been developed and created by the MONOVA team from bits and pieces of anecdotal history from the North Shore.

Immersive and Participatory Storytelling

Shipyard Pals Taylor Williams and Tanner Zerr on the historic crane in Shipbuilders’ Square. Photo: Alison Boulier

The Shipyard Pals are immersive storytellers. In character, they lead participants through The Shipyards and bring the history, people, and stories of the area to life through the context of the shipbuilding operations which took place during World War Two at Burrard Dry Dock.

These characters aren’t based on specific people, but rather many people and accounts distilled into character form and have been played by many different actors over the years. While each iteration is unique to the actor portraying the character, the base historical information stays the same.

Beginning at Punch Clock Portal just next to the Tap and Barrel, the Pals are easily recognizable as Shipyard workers from the 1940s. They sing and dance and entertain guests, highlighting the lesser-known history of the area which is hidden in plain sight, and the importance of The Shipyards to both women’s labour rights, and Canada’s contributions to the war.

“My favourite part of being one of the Pals is the physicality and expressiveness of telling these stories. This includes sharing knowledge about this area’s history and helping folks make connections to their own lives through the stories I am able to share.” — Kelsey Ranshaw, Actor-Interpreter

Theatrical Walking Tours of The Shipyards

Join us this summer for free walking tours with our costumed, theatrical players. Enjoy The Shipyards and learn about its place in World War 2 history as a major shipbuilding yard. Stories, songs and learning all rolled into one!

• Thursdays and Sundays, July 7 to September 25.
• Tours run twice per day, at 11:00am and 1:00pm.
• Location: Meet at the foot of Lonsdale and Victory Ship Way.

Group bookings are available. To book a free group walking tour, please call 604-990-3700 (ext. 8008)

Brought to you by:

Generously supported by the City of North Vancouver