Initiate the Bayside Canning Company 3D Modeling Project

By Grant Han

The Bayside Canning Company in Alviso was once a powerhouse of California’s canning industry, the third-largest cannery in the nation under the leadership of Thomas Foon Chew. Today, only ruins remain, yet its story still carries enormous cultural and historical weight — so much so that the site has been recognized as San José Historic Landmark #69. To bring this lost landmark back to life, we set out to digitally reconstruct it.

On June 1, 2025, we met with Mr. Jeff Cristina, the current owner of the Bayside Canning Company buildings, to share our project idea. He was very supportive, and we are all excited to move this project forward together.

Initial meeting in front of the Bayside Canning Company building ruins. From left to right: Eason B, Ethan, Grant H, Catherine L, Eason's mom, Mr. Jeff Cristina

On June 4, a group of youth from the CP Mentorship program flew drones to capture aerial photos of the Bayside Canning Company building.

Ethan from CP Mentorship (left, in the red shirt) is piloting the drone to capture aerial footage.