Port Hardy

Beaver Cove, near the BC Ferries Terminal, is the oldest known site of human habitation on Vancouver Island (circa 5850 BCE). The first contact with Europeans occurred in 1836 when the steamship S.S. Beaver was sent on an exploratory trip by Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). To exploit coal deposits, the HBC to establish a fortified trading post at Beaver Harbour around 1848, and named it “Fort Rupert” after the company’s governor, Prince Rupert, Duke of Bavaria. Though little of the fort remains today, the Kwakiutl First Nations (Aboriginal people) continue to reside adjacent to the former fort site.
Port Hardy’s population grew to a little over 5,000 residents while the Island Copper Mine was operating from 1971-1995 about 16 km south of the town. The open-pit porphyry copper mine employed over 900 employees from Port Hardy and the surrounding communities. Today, the former mine is a wildlife habitat and pit lake biological treatment system.
Today, Port Hardy is a transportation hub for air, ferry and marine networks, and serves as the gateway to the Central Coast, the Cape Scott and North Coast Trails, and BC Ferry’s northern terminus for the Discovery Coast run and Prince Rupert.

Visitor information

• Chamber of Commerce Info Centre

  phone: +1-250-949-7622
  address: 7250 Market St
  Great ideas and lots of maps and brochures. Accommodations, activity, and transportation bookings. Wheelchair accessible facilities. Public washrooms. Shaw GoWiFi Gift & souvenir shop.

By car

Take the Island Highway from ferries docking at Victoria (500 km, about 5½ hours driving) or Nanaimo (385 km, about 4 hours) from Vancouver, and follow it until the northern end.

By bus

• Tofino Bus

  phone: +1 250-725-2871
  One bus daily from Victoria Mayfair Transit Stop 8AM with a one-hour transfer in Campbell River, arriving at 5:30PM, 9 hr 10 min total travelling time.

By boat

Or arrive by BC Ferries from Prince Rupert on the Inside Passage, far to the north. Sailings arrive every other day, and depart the following day, during the summer. Fewer sailings in other seasons. Journey takes 15 hours: day cruise of 7:30AM-10:30PM during spring and summer, overnight other times. Some sailings stop in Bella Bella. Prices vary between regular (May-Sep), shoulder season (Oct, Dec, Mar, Apr), off-peak (Nov, Jan, Feb): $121-269 per adult 12 and over, $60-103 per child 6-11, $264-469 per vehicle (up to long), and $132-235 per motorcycle (Sept 2017).

By plane

• Port Hardy AirportPacific Coastal Airlines flies to Port Hardy from Vancouver (3 times a day, $195-245 one-way) and Bella Bella (twice a day $165-200).

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Taxis and a community bus, +1 250-956-3151.
Water taxi at the dock for the North Coast Trail.

• Port Hardy Museum

  phone: +1 250 949-8143
  address: 7110 Market St
  Permanent exhibits of First Nations (including 8,000-year-old artifacts) settlers' effects, fossils, geology, natural history, and local industry. Rotating temporary exhibits, videos. Gift shop.

• Fort RupertA former Hudson's Bay Company fort which was built in 1849. The present day village of Fort Rupert is a historic Kwakwaka'wakw village of the Kwakiutl and the Komoyue subgroup where the opportunity exists to see native carvers working on totem poles or other artwork and traditional crafts. The band government of the Kwagu'ł is the Kwakiutl First Nation. Fort Rupert (or Tsaxis as it is known by the Kwakiutl) is worth a visit to see its historic cemetery, the Big House, many totem poles, and colourfully decorated public buildings. Also hiding in the underbrush are the last crumbling remnants of the fort erected by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1849, notably a stone chimney. Sandstone petroglyphs dating back to the 1860s can also be found (after careful searching) on the upper reaches of the oceanfront tidal zone.

• Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre

  phone: +1 250-902-0336
  address: 8400 Byng Road
  A family-friendly centre that teaches about Pacific salmon. An interpretive gallery, interactive exhibits and hands-on displays that show how salmon are intimately connected to the coastal ecosystem of Northern Vancouver Island, the local First Nations and the local community.

• The Copper Maker Gallery

  phone: +1 250 949-8491
  address: 114 Copper Way
  Gallery owned by and featuring the works of artist and totem pole carver Calvin Hunt.
• Old Hudson Bay Store
• The inter city trails
• Carrot Park Mile 0 of the Island Highway
• Walk the seawall
• Eagle watching
• View the totem poles and chain saw carvings
• Tour the murals
• Beach combing
• Storey's Beach located outside of town
• Tex Lyon's Trail-Commuter Trail

• North Island Calendar of Events Festivals, Concerts, Sporting events
• Some of the best scuba diving on the planet, though the water is cold and conditions are tough (so significant prior experience is expected), is available offshore from Port Hardy. Try Browning Pass Hideaway or God's Pocket Resort.

• Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish Inc.

  phone: +1 250-949-8781
  A local company that specializes in smoked salmon 65 different combinations of products and many varieties of flavours like: Maple, Garlic, Cajun, Spiced, and Original. Available in local grocery stores including Save-on Foods and Overwrites Foods.

• West Coast Community Craft Shop

  phone: +1 250-949-2650
  address: 7135 Market St
  125 local artists' work is on display. Works of art include carvings, sculptures, paintings, pottery, photography, turned bowls, handmade soaps, honey, quilts, baby blankets and sweaters, beach glass chimes, beach vacation rental homes, jewellery.
• Cup of tea from Retroz or a cup of coffee from Café Guido or Koffees
• Local gifts from the Port Hardy Museum
• Fresh fish from the dock.

• Captain Hardy's Fish and Chips

  phone: +1 250-949-9008
  address: 7145 Market St
  In 2017, new owners transformed this restaurant, offering French and Japanese fusion cuisine, calamari, sushi, homemade soups and chowders, while still serving up light crispy-battered fresh halibut.
• Glen Lyon Restaurant-good breakfasts

• Market Street Café

  phone: +1 250-949-8110
  address: 7030 Market St
  Fresh home baking

• Mo's Restaurant

  phone: +1 250-949-8303
  address: 7070 Market St. # 8
  Pizza, fried chicken, chicken wings, subs, gyros, donairs, wraps, sandwiches, soups, salads.

• Seto's Wok and Grill

  phone: +1 250-949-8381
  address: 9040 Granville Street
  Chinese and Canadian food.

• Karai Sushi & Grill

  phone: +1 250-949-7744
  address: 4030 Byng Road
  Japanese, Sushi, Asian

• Toudai Sushi Restaurant

  phone: +1 250-949-8755
  address: 8405 Byng Road
  Sushi, Asian food.

Some of the hotels and inns listed below have pubs.

• The Sporty Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 250-949-7811
  address: 8700 Hastings St
  Great pub food. Burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizza, pasta, salads, steak.

Budget

• Quatse River Regional Park

  address: 8400 Byng Rd,
  Camping is available. Be bear aware: the local bear population uses this area to forge for berries and hunt salmon.

• North Coast Trail Backpackers Hostel

  phone: +1 250 949 9441
  address: 8635 Granville St.
  Housed in an old Mason's Lodge. Lounge and dining area. Free wireless internet and computer kiosk. Free parking. Games room, TV, book exchange. Kayak, bicycle, and motorbike storage. Laundry facilities available upon request. Storage lockers. 3 fully equipped kitchens. Bed linens and towels included. Drying room (for wet gear such as tents). Electric car charger.

B&Bs

• All Ocean Storm B&B
• Bonita B&B
• Byng House B&B
• First Choice B&B
• Fran's View B&B
• Hamilton B&B
• Jessie's B&B
• Kris'Cottage B&B
• Oceanview B&B
• Orange Tabby B&B
• Scotia Bay B&B

Holiday rentals

• Bear Cove Cottages
• North Coast Cottages
• Ecoscape Cabins- secluded and eco-friendly

Hotels

• Pioneer Inn

  address: 8405 Byng Rd
  Free Wi-Fi, restaurant on site, and a refrigerator is included in guest rooms. Port Hardy Airport is 8 km away. A cable TV and a seating area are provided in rooms at Pioneer Inn. A work desk, a microwave and a coffee maker are offered. BBQ facilities are offered to guests of Inn Pioneer. A guest launderette is available. B.C. Ferries Port Hardy terminal is 11 minutes' drive away. Marble River Provincial Park is 34 km from Pioneer Inn.

• Quarterdeck Inn

  phone: +1 250 902-0455
  address: 6555 Hardy Bay Rd
  Full service hotel, with a marina, pub and restaurant. Close to downtown and tourism and business services in Port Hardy.

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Glen Lyon

All rooms and suites face Hardy Bay and not far from downtown. Glen Lyon Inn is found on the scenic alternate road, Hardy Bay Road, which rims the waterfront leading to Port Hardy. It is a few minutes to the ferry terminal and very close to downtown and the bus depot. Adjacent to the marina and the seaplane base.

• North Shore Inn

  phone: +1-250-949-8500
  address: 7370 Market St

• Airport Inn

  phone: +1 250 949-9434
  address: 4030 Byng Rd
  Licensed dining room, meeting rooms, cold beer and wine store and fax and copy service. Within walking distance of the airport (and they offer complimentary shuttle service), and minutes by car to the BC Ferries terminal and downtown Port Hardy.

• Providence Place

  phone: +1 250 949-8899
  address: 7050 Rupert St
  Central location.

• Coal Harbour
• Winter Harbour
• San Josef Bay
• North Coast Trail
• Cape Scott Park