Photos of Bob and Sylvia Metivier and work being done at <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska from their personal collection.
Bob Metivier
Bob Metivier was born in Blaine, Washington in 1927, where he grew up surrounded by a busy fishing and cannery industry. After he graduated from high school, Bob got involved in boat building and in 1954 was hired to work at the Alaska Packers Association (APA) shipyard in Semiahmoo, Washington. With mentoring and more practice, Bob became an excellent shipwright and carpenter, who built and repaired many boats and buildings for APA over the years. Starting in 1968, Bob spent the summers working at the APA cannery in South Naknek, Alaska. Over the years, he worked as the carpenter foreman, the beach gang boss, and the outside foreman. In all these jobs, Bob used his carpentry talents to do boat repair, building and dock maintainece and repair, and oversee operation of the cannery's equipment and water and power systems. In 1957, Bob married his wife, Sylvia, who worked as a bookkeeper and accountant in the APA office in Blaine. In 1976, Sylvia finally joined Bob in South Naknek, where she worked in the cannery office. Bob spent his summers working in South Naknek and his winters in Washington until his retirement in 1996, when he and Sylvia permanently settled in Birch Bay, Washington.
Sylvia Metivier
Sylvia Metivier was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, and at age three moved with her family to Washington. After graduating from high school in Blaine, Washington, in 1951 Sylvia got a job with Alaska Packers Association (APA). She worked as a bookkeeper and accountant in the Blaine office, and was responsible for purchasing for all of their Alaska canneries. In 1957, Sylvia married her husband, Bob, and in 1976, she followed him to South Naknek, Alaska, where he spent every summer working for APA as a shipwright, carpenter, and outdoor foreman. In South Naknek, Sylvia continued doing bookkeeping, accounting, and office management work for the cannery until 1996, when Bob retired and they permanently settled in Birch Bay, Washington.