Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Port Hardy was named after Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, former captain of H.M.S. Victory. With a population exceeding 5000, this turn-of-the-century townsite is now the largest community in the region and the bustling terminal for B.C. Ferries' service to Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) via the Inside and Discovery Coast Passage sailing routes.

As 97 percent of the population of Vancouver Island lives on the southern half of the island, outdoor recreationists in search of solitude come north. Much of Vancouver Island once looked as the north still does today. Thanks to recent government protection, some of the remaining wilderness has been preserved. Other places, such as the most northerly tip of the island, are sheltered from the preying eye of industry by the elements.

Cape Scott Provincial Park is one of the wildest, windiest, most woebegone locales in the province for human habitation. Journeying to either Brooks Peninsula or Cape Scott is only for those whose mettle has been tested by repeated exposure to the bellows and blast-furnace of nature in the raw.

Gentler conditions prevail in the sheltered waters of Queen Charlotte Strait and Johnstone Strait, where the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations are the traditional gatekeepers. To experience a tranquillity that passes all description, paddle these waters where whales rub and salmon run in summer months.

Port Hardy is the largest community of the North Island, with many facilities. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities, as well as shopping and exploring the local arts and culture scene. The top half of 280-mile-long Vancouver Island is served by a maze of logging roads and Highway 19, which links Campbell River with Port McNeill and Port Hardy.

Population: 4,585

Location: Highway 19, the main highway serving Vancouver Island, links Port Hardy with Victoria and all other major centres on the island. Other communities in the North Island, including Coal Harbour, Holberg and Port Alice, are connected to Port Hardy by well-maintained highways. Port Hardy is the closest commercial Airport providing flights to Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and many coastal communities.

BC Ferries links Port Hardy with several remote communities along the breathtaking Inside Passage and Discovery Coast routes to Prince Rupert and Bella Coola. Nearby, BC Ferries links Port McNeill to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island and Sointula on Malcolm Island. You can even travel up the scenic Sunshine Coast to Powell River and travel by ferry to Comox, just a 3.5 hour drive from Port Hardy.

Walks: Stroll or jog along the seawall to the bustling harbour, where fishing boats, sail boats and float planes always seem to be coming or going. Follow the seawall to Carrot Park and view the war memorial, next come to Tsulquate Park. The next park along this scenic seawall is the Kinsmen Park and pavilion, a great place for a picnic or barbecue. Follow Market Street to Fishermens Wharf, alive with seiners, gillnetters, trollers, sailboats, and sport fishing boats in summer and fall.

Heritage: One of the most exciting aspects of a visit to Port Hardy is the prevalence of rich native culture and heritage. Port Hardy is known for its First Nations shops and art galleries, particularly on Market Street, which offer beautiful, hand-crafted treasures. Several of these artists regularly invite visitors into their workshops as they create paintings, jewellery, masks and other pieces. You can also view the work of local artists through the town�s murals. Take yourself on a tour and see murals at the Airport Inn, the Library, Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish, Malone�s Oceanside Bistro, North Island Diving & Water Sports, the Thunderbird Mall, and the Seagate Motel.

Port Hardy Museum

Port Hardy Museum & Archives on Market Street exhibits a small collection of First Nation artifacts, local history items, natural history materials, and local archives. Open Tuesday through Saturday throughout the year. Admission by donation.

Seafood: A sign near the waterfront advertises fresh shrimp for sale at the town dock. You can cook them at a pleasant picnic site on Hardy Bay, next to the ferry.

Quatse River Hatchery is one of four hatcheries operated by the North Vancouver Island Salmonid Enhancement Agency, which works with local resources in the recovery of the salmonid stocks in North Island streams. The hatchery offers tours of its salmon incubation facilities, troughs and tanks with young fish, and is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4:00 pm. The best fish viewing occurs in October when salmon enter the Quatse River to spawn. The peak spawning period for Pink Salmon is early to mid October, and mid to late October for Coho Salmon.

Wildlife: Keep your camera handy, as the rugged northern coast of Vancouver Island is a remarkable area teeming with wildlife. Be your own guide, or benefit from the local knowledge of land-based and water-based tour operators that will guide you to the natural habitat of black bears, cougars, black tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, timber wolves, and a large variety of birds and eagles. Organized grizzly bear viewing trips are available to nearby Knight Inlet, and other locations on the BC mainland.

Hardy Bay and the Quatse River Estuary are visited by a wide range of wildlife. Bald Eagles and Great Blue Heron are common throughout the year. Scan the exposed mud flats during low tides for many species of shorebirds. During fall and winter waterfowl are found, including Canada Geese, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead and mergansers. Cormorants and many seabird species are also seen. During the fall, salmon travel through the bay and enter the Quatse River, attracting wildlife that feeds on the dead and dying fish.

Whale Watching is a must on a trip to Port hardy, where viewing possibilities include killer whales, Grey Whales, Humpback whales, and Minke whales. Other marine life viewed on whale watching trips might include sea lions and harbour seals. There are several companies offering whale watching trips from late June through early October.

Outdoor Recreation: An active recreational centre, Port Hardy is a year-round gateway for wilderness explorers seeking adventure in the vast wonders of North Vancouver Island.

Diving: The waters off north Vancouver Island are amongst the finest in the world for diving, thanks to the profusion of invertebrate life, curious wolfeels, walls studded with colonies of pink soft coral, colourful anemones, and a variety of sponges and starfish. Sighting killer whales from the surface in Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait is also a common occurrence.

Kayaking: Good sea kayaking is found in the protected waters of the east coast of the island. There are several staging areas, including Beaver Harbour south of Port Hardy, allowing you to kayak or canoe to spectacular locations - canoe and kayaks can be rented by the day or week. Many parts of the Discovery Coast to the north of Port Hardy are relatively unknown to kayakers. This region will appeal to resourceful paddlers who seek a sense of pioneering, which includes laying some groundwork, discovering new fishing spots, wildlife watching, dealing with unknown tidal currents, and finding new campsites. Guided and self-guided day tours and two to seven day trips are available, with or without mother ships.

Hiking: A network of publicly accessible logging roads opens up wilderness areas on the west coast of Vancouver Island, providing access to Winter Harbour, Cape Scott and Raft Cove Provincial Parks. Hiking routes vary from short trails leading to spectacular beaches at San Jose Bay and Raft Cove, to an 8-hour trek to the tip of Cape Scott, to the North Coast Trail in Cape Scott Provincial Park, a 61-km hike when starting at the Cape Scott Trailhead and ending in Sushartie Bay on the north coast (see Cape Scott Park Trails). The Tex Lyon Trail is a rugged 7-km, 5-hour trek along the rocky coastline from the north end of Storeys Beach to Dillon Point.

Inside Passage: Explore the stunning beauty and enjoy the scenic grandeur of the Inside Passage on one of the world's most awe-inspiring voyage; the 15-hour BC Ferries trip from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. Reserve accommodation in Port Hardy ahead of time in summer, as motels are usually packed the night before the Prince Rupert ferry departs and the night after it arrives.

Discovery Coast Passage: In the summer, a seasonal BC Ferry service enables visitors to reach Bella Coola via the Discovery Coast Passage. The voyage takes 33 hours, and stopovers include Klemtu, Ocean Falls, and Shearwater. Cabins are not available on the vessel, however, there are showers and reclining seats. Reservations are highly recommended.