Ryan Premises

The Ryan Premises National Historic Site is a Parks Canada-administered historic site located in Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador. It commemorates the 19th-century merchant premises of James Ryan Limited, a prominent Newfoundland fishing merchant company.

The site features a complex of preserved buildings that showcase the history of the Newfoundland fishery and the role of merchant firms in the economic and social life of the region. The buildings include a large merchant's house, a store, a fishing stage, a salt store, a cooperage, and other structures associated with the cod fishery. These buildings illustrate the processes involved in catching, curing, and exporting cod, as well as the lives of the merchants and workers who depended on the fishery.

The Ryan Premises provides visitors with insights into the merchant system, the seasonal nature of the fishery, the social hierarchy of the community, and the challenges faced by fishing families. Exhibits, demonstrations, and guided tours interpret the history of the site and its significance to the cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. The site plays an important role in preserving and promoting the history of the Newfoundland fishery, a vital part of the province's identity.