A long article in The Guardian on how the island of Haida Gwaii along the northern coast of British Columbia managed to turn resistance to logging into a global success in nature and culture preservation. Our original holiday plans last August were to spend half our time there. But the travel costs were alas such that we ended up in Prince Rupert, 100 km east across Hecate Strait. A mere seven-hour ferry crossing!
Archive for Prince Rupert
Athlii Gwaii
Posted in Books, Kids, Mountains, Travel with tags British Columbia, Canada, ecosystem, ferry, First Nations, Gwaii Haanas agreement, Haida culture, Haida Gwaii, Hecate Strait, Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, island, logging, Port Clements, Prince Rupert, The Guardian on December 12, 2023 by xi'anPacific [far]Northwest
Posted in Mountains, pictures, Travel with tags Alaska, BC, British Columbia, Canada, Canadian Pacific Railroad, canneries, Coast Ts’msyen, cruise, Far North, First Nations, halibut, Hecate Strait, Hudson's Bay Company, Japanese internment, Kaien Island, Metlakatla, open water swimming, Pacific North West, Port Edward, Prince Rupert, salmon, Tsimshian culture, unceded land, YPR on October 16, 2023 by xi'an
The last week of our BCations was spent in Prince Rupert, 54⁰18’W, on Kaien Island, almost the northernest coastal spot before Alaska. (Although Stewart, 55⁰56’W, may qualify.) With a much more oceanic [and cooler] weather than in farther south, still warm enough to swim in the ocean. And an interesting airport since it sits on another island, with an airport bus taking all passengers from the airport to town via a 15mn ferry, and luggages being delivered only at the end. (Which led to some confusion on our side!)
This place was once called “the halibut capital of the World”, with numerous canneries of halibut and salmon along the coastline. We visited one such (p)reserved cannery, the North Pacific Cannery, which operated till the 1980’s with appalling working and living conditions (and racial discriminations against First Nation, Chinese and Japanese workers). Which made me realise that Canada had also turned to the internment of Japanese descendants during WW II. While there is some degree of recognition of the First Nation rights to land, since 95% of BC territory is unceded, with acknowledgments of which First Nation one uses the land, the persistence of the colonial era struck me in the numerous topographical names with British connections, from the name of the province, to the name of the city, the first Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company. (The fish we ate while in Prince Rupert was fabulous!)
Prince Rupert is a passenger ferries and cruise stop, even though most unfortunately the ferry to Alaska was not running this year, supposedly due to staff shortage, although this could be yet another round of the US-Canada dispute of the area. (Cruise days are to be avoided at all costs, as cruisers invade the waterfront and even the closest hiking trails!) This is also the northwesternmost container port in North America connected by rail (hence, an unceasing parade of endless CPR trains).
Rushbrook Harbour, Prince Rupert [jatp]
Posted in Mountains, pictures, Running, Travel with tags British Columbia, Canada, Hecate Strait, jatp, Kaien Island, Metlakatla, morning run, Pacific North West, Prince Rupert, sunrise on September 9, 2023 by xi'an
Metlakatla trail [jatp]
Posted in Mountains, pictures, Running, Travel with tags British Columbia, Canada, Coast Ts’msyen, First Nations, hiking trail, jatp, Metlakatla, Pacific North West, Pacific Ocean, Prince Rupert, Sm'algyax, Tsimshian culture, vacations on August 23, 2023 by xi'an
misty Grassy Bay [jatp]
Posted in Mountains, pictures, Running, Travel with tags British Columbia, Butze Rapids, Canada, Grassy Bay, jatp, morning run, Pacific North West, Prince Rupert, Sourdough Bay on August 16, 2023 by xi'an
