Port Hardy

About the Area

Port Hardy is a community of close to 5,000 welcoming people and is strategically located at a crossroad of marine, air and road networks, which serve the Mid Coast communities of Prince Rupert, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Klemtu and Shearwater. Connecting Port Hardy to the Mid Coast, the province and the world are a well built highway, a bustling harbour in Hardy Bay, a deep sea port on Rupert Inlet, a regional airport run by Transport Canada and a regional BC Ferries terminal.

The aboriginal First Nations knew this was a special place when they settled at Bear Cove more than 8,000 years ago, across Hardy Bay from the current town site, and left the oldest archeological evidence found anywhere on Vancouver Island.

The dream of finding quality coal for steamships persuaded the Hudson's Bay Company to build Fort Rupert in 1849, but that proved a futile and frustrating endeavour.

The first European settlement on Hardy Bay was on the east side, in the late 1890s, but people moved to the current townsite after a wharf and store were built there. Logging and fishing were the economic mainstays then, and they continue to contribute significantly to a diverse economy today.

The District of Port Hardy was officially incorporated in 1966, with C. Cadwallader as its first mayor. Utah Mines developed Island Copper in 1969, and the little town exploded, with the company and its successors remaining the town's number one employer until 1996. The population has stabilized at close to 5,000, and the expanding industries are aquaculture and tourism.

There are numerous reasons to visit and stay in Port Hardy: proximity to pristine wilderness adventures in places like Cape Scott Park; the sweeps of rolling sand at Storey's Beach; well-kept municipal parks with family play areas; an easy hiking trail that leads to the Quatse River Hatchery and a wildlife viewing platform; a strong First Nations community; bountiful fresh and salt water fishing; a well-developed business centre; reasonably priced housing; and a climate that's surprisingly moderate.