Rich in First Nations tradition
and culture, the North Vancouver Island sub  region is sparsely
populated with less than 5% of Vancouver Islands’ people.
Most of the communities are coastal and offer opportunities
for
whale-watching tours, fishing and sightseeing charters as well
as beach walks. Visitors will see bald eagles, blue herons,
bears, seals and otters and there is a good chance of catching
halibut and salmon.
Kayaking and canoeing the innumerable inlets and straits of this
area are also extremely popular and there is world-class scuba
diving (the Pacific Northwest was rated second only to the Red
Sea by Jacques Cousteau). Many lakes in the area offer excellent
freshwater fishing as well as swimming and camping.
Along the 200 km stretch of Highway 19 from Campbell River to
Port McNeill there is plenty to see. Sayward is the first community
and Gateway to the North Island. Sayward is a small logging town
on Johnstone Strait and features a log sort where cut logs are
brought to be sorted before transporting south. Further on Highway
19 is Woss, the newest community in the region, situated in the
heart of the beautiful Nimpkish Valley. The valley is both flanked
by steep snow capped mountains and desolate logged areas. Wilderness
hiking and camping abound in the densely forested and sparsely
populated Nimpkish Valley.
Gravel logging roads off Highway 19 beckon adventurers. Zeballos,
a peaceful logging community, was once the site of a gold
mine that produced more than $13 million worth of gold
between 1938
and 1943. Zeballos is accessible via 42 km (26 mi) of gravel
road through lush forest. Freedom-bound vacationers will
find plenty of great ways to unwind here.
Before reaching Port McNeill take the trip to Telegraph
Cove. This tiny community began as a one-room telegraph station
in 1912. Today, Telegraph Cove is a mecca for visitors coming
to experience superb fishing, kayaking, diving, and wildlife
watching. Overlooking a tranquil inlet and granting some
of the best ocean views on the Island, Telegraph Cove is
an attraction in itself. Most people come to Telegraph Cove
to go whale watching on Johnstone Strait in the late spring
and summer.
Port McNeill, the Gateway Community to the Broughton Archipelago,
is the heart of Tree Country, where trees are planted,
thinned, fertilized, protected from disease, and harvested
in a cycle
that provides the economic base for the entire region.
Dense forest, tranquil lakes, exquisite views of Broughton
Strait,
and plenty of wildlife make this a popular destination
for outdoor enthusiasts. Activities include fresh and saltwater
fishing, whale and wildlife watching excursions, cultural
tours, air charters, boat charters, hiking, scuba diving,
kayaking, and windsurfing.
Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, and Sointula, on Malcolm
Island, are just offshore from Port McNeill and have
great fishing
and fascinating histories. First impressions of Alert
Bay on Cormorant Island are powerful: the village has an
abundance
of First Nation paintings and totem poles. Spend a few
days fishing, exploring, and watching whales in this
peaceful environment. Alert Bay is accessible via BC Ferries
from
Port McNeill. The busy harbour offers complete marina
facilities as well as other activities and attractions.
Located on Malcolm Island, Sointula (which means “place
of harmony”) was founded by Finnish settlers in an
idealistic attempt to create a utopian colony almost a century
ago. The community has a fascinating and dramatic history,
which embodies the Finnish characteristic of “sisu” or
tenacity. Today, Sointula is a commercial fishing centre
with a distinctive Finnish flavour. Many of the present-day
residents live in settlers’ homes, with wooden
saunas and boatsheds still lining the waterfront.
Further north on the stretch of Highway 19 from Port
McNeill to Port Hardy one can detour west to the town
of Port Alice.
Originally built in 1917 around a pulp mill, Port Alice
received immediate recognition as B.C.‘s first “instant” municipality
in 1965 when it was completely rebuilt at Rumble Beach,
7 km (4 mi) away.
Port Hardy at the northern end of Highway 19 is the
terminus of the Prince Rupert ferry and the Discovery
Coast Passage
ferry to Bella Coola. During the summer season the
demand for accommodation is high with hotels and
motels filled
to capacity. Stroll along the waterfront and you
will see a
bustling harbour, where fishing boats, cruise ships
and seaplanes come and go year-round. Across Hardy
Bay, you
can see a bulk
oil plant and the BC Ferries terminal. Tugboats also
make their rounds, pulling log booms from the dry
land sort
at the head of the Bay. Local attractions of interest
include the Port Hardy Museum and Archives, Seven
Hills Golf Course,
logging and forestry tours and salmon hatchery tours.
West of Port Hardy, a well maintained gravel road
leads past brilliant blue lakes and emerald forests
to Holberg
on the
shores of the Holberg Inlet and Winter Harbour
at the mouth of Quatsino Sound. Holberg is known for
the Shoe
Tree,
an old cedar snag covered with hundreds of shoes,
and the Running
Gardens, which feature exotic trees, shrubs, and
plants from all over the world. The tiny fishing
and logging
settlement of Winter Harbour is located 40 minutes
from Holberg. A
quaint
community with a boardwalk along its waterfront,
Winter Harbour offers fishing and boating charters,
kayak
rentals, and accommodation.
Links
Need a place to stay or camp while exploring North
Vancouver Island?
Explore the Communities of North Vancouver Island
Discover Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands Sub
Regions
Tourism Region Contact
Tourism Vancouver Island
Suite 203, 335 Wesley Street
Nanaimo, BC V9R 2T5
Telephone: (250) 754-3500
Fax: (250) 754-3599
E-mail: visitor@islands.bc.ca
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