Prince Rupert

The population of 13,000 people is about half First Nations (native Canadian) people. The Tsimshian Nation is the indigenous First Nations in the Prince Rupert area.

History

Prince Rupert was named for Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the first Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, as the result of an open competition held by the Grand Trunk Railway, the prize for which was $250. Prior to the opening of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP), which developed a terminus at Prince Rupert, the business centre on the North Coast was Port Essington on the Skeena River. After the founding of Prince Rupert at the western terminus of the GTP, Port Essington was bypassed by many businesses and declined to being a fishing community.
Charles Melville Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Railway, had many grand ideas for Prince Rupert, including berthing facilities for large passenger ships and the development of a major tourism industry. These plans fell through when Hays died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic in April 1912. Mount Hays, the larger of two mountains on Kaien Island, is named in his honour, as is a local high school, Charles Hays Secondary School.
Local politicians used the promise of a highway connected to the mainland as an incentive, and the city grew over the next several decades. American troops completed the 100-mile (160-km) stretch of road between Prince Rupert and Terrace during World War II to facilitate the movement of thousands of Allied troops to the Aleutian Islands and the Pacific. Several forts were built to protect the city at Barrett Point and Fredrick Point.
After World War II, the fishing industry, particularly for salmon and halibut, and forestry became the city's major industries.
In the 1990s, both the fishing and forestry industries suffered a significant downturn in economic activity. The forest industry declined when a softwood lumber dispute arose between Canada and the USA. After the pulp mill closed down, many people were unemployed, and much modern machinery was left unused. After reaching a peak of about 18,000 in the early 1990s, Prince Rupert's population began to decline, as people left in search of work.
1996 to 2004 was difficult for Prince Rupert, with closure of the pulp mill, the burning down of a fish plant and a significant population decline. 2005 was a critical turning point: the announcement of the construction of a container port in April 2005, combined with new ownership of the pulp mill, the opening in 2004 of a new cruise ship dock, the resurgence of coal and grain shipping, and the prospects of increased heavy industry and tourism may foretell a bright future for the area.

Weather

Prince Rupert holds the title of rainiest city in Canada, with about 2500 mm of precipitation annually. That's even more than the notoriously rainy Vancouver, so bring good rain gear!

By plane

• Prince Rupert Airport

  phone: +1 250 624-6274
  address: Digby Island
  Prince Rupert has domestic service by small turboprop airliner. Flights take two hours each way, but because of the additional time required to reach Digby Island (just west of Kaien Island and downtown Prince Rupert) by airport bus and ferry, it takes about four hours to travel between downtown Prince Rupert and Vancouver International Airport.

• Air Canada

  phone: +1 514 393-3333

• Hawkair

  phone: +1 250 635-4295

Seal Cove Water AirportPrince Rupert also has a small seaplane airport with a few local airlines.

• North Pacific Seaplanes

  phone: +1 250 627-1341
  Offers charter flights and scheduled service.

By car

By vehicle take Highway 16 west from Prince George. The drive takes roughly eight hours. It is not advisable to drive this road in winter months unless you are familiar with treacherous winter highway conditions.

By boat

Vehicle ferries connect to various destinations:

• BC Ferries to Skidegate in Haida Gwaii. Single sailings 4-6 days/week in summer; fewer in other seasons. Voyage takes 7-9 hours. Departure times differ; some voyages are overnight. $35/adult, $125/vehicle.
• BC Ferries to Port Hardy (on Vancouver Island). 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. $150/adult, $350/vehicle.
• Alaska Marine Highway System to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, all in Alaska. Sailings roughly every other day. About 5 hours to Ketchikan. US $54/adult, US $61/vehicle.

Prince Rupert is a port-of-call for cruise ships plying the inland passage, serving over 50,000 visitors each season. The Northland Terminal is in Cow Bay, close (up a short hill) to the downtown core. Many shore excursions can be accessed at the Atlin terminal (just east of Northland), ranging from bus, boat and seaplane sight seeing tours to saltwater fishing, kayaking and native cultural experiences.

By bus

• Twice a week, BC Bus North provides service via Vanderhoof and Smithers from Prince George.

By train

• Via Rail, Prince Rupert Station

  address: 2000 Park Ave
  Via Rail Canada offers a route from Jasper to Prince Rupert, with an overnight layover in Prince George. Departures are W F Su 8AM, and arrivals M Th Sa 8:25PM. As of February 2018, the ticket counter is not staffed; buy your ticket aboard the train (credit card or cash only) or online.

Most of downtown Prince Rupert is accessible on foot. A good place to get oriented is the Visitor Information Centre, located on the east end of the Atlin Terminal.
BC Transit has seven bus routes serving all sections of the city ($3 cash fare, June 2018). A taxi ride anywhere in town will be no more than $10.

• First Nations Carving Shed

  phone: +1-800-667-1994
  A block from the Museum of Northern British Columbia, it features artists and carvers of the region, creating everything from sculpture and totems to jewelry, working with silver, copper, cedarwood and gold.
• Kwinitsa Station Railway Museum, on the west side of the waterfront, tells the story of early Prince Rupert and the role of the railway in its development. Built in 1911, Kwinitsa Station was one of 400 identical rail stations along the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway from Winnipeg to Prince Rupert. Today, it is one of only four surviving stations.
• Pacific Mariners Memorial Park, between the foot of McBride St and the Northland Terminal. Note the two focal points of the park: one being the bronze Mariner's statue and Memorial Walls, the other the Shinto Shrine which was built for the "Kazu Maru", a Japanese fishing dingy that drifted across the Pacific Ocean from Prince Rupert's sister-city Owase in Japan.

• Museum of Northern British Columbia

  phone: +1 250 624-3207
  address: 100 - 1st Avenue West
  The museum tells the 10,000-year-old history of the Haida, Tsimishian, Tlingit, and Nisga. It also operates the Carving Shed and the Kwinitsa Station.

• North Pacific Cannery

  phone: +1 250 628-3538 (May-Sep), +1 250 628-3667 (Oct-Apr)
  address: 1889 Skeena Drive, Port Edward
  A national historic site, it is the oldest, most completely preserved cannery remaining of two hundred-or-so that once dotted BC's Northwest Coast. BC Transit runs the number 60 bus in the summer to the cannery from the Visitor Information Centre in Atlin Terminal in Cow Bay, which takes about 40 minutes.

• Totem ParkHome to many of Prince Rupert's totem poles.

Prince Rupert is famous for its fishing expeditions. Mostly salmon and halibut, with potential catches over a hundred pounds.

• Blackfeather Charters

  phone: +1 250 627-6461
  address: 343 - 7th Avenue East
  Features 3-5 day charters of deep sea fishing on a 51 foot yacht.

• Early Dawn Fishing Charters

  phone: +1 250 261-2688
  Early Dawn Salmon Fishing Charters offers fishing charters in the exceptionally rich fishing waters off of Prince Rupert.

• Fishing Prince Rupert

  phone: +1 250 627-8443
  address: 901 - 10th Avenue East
  Offers deep sea and freshwater fishing expeditions.

• Kaiensports Fishing Charters

  phone: +1 250 624-5151
  address: 2130 Graham Ave
  With over 30 years of experience fishing the waters around Prince Rupert and the Haida Gwaii, this charter operator offers departures from both of these locations.

• Orca Fishing Charters

  phone: +1 250 627-7699, +1 250 627-9590 (cel)
  address: 1208 Frederick St
  Fishing in the local waters for over 3 decades. Fish in a Grady White and enjoy the comforts of a boat designed for fishing.

• Quantum Fishing Charters

  phone: +1 250 615-1200, +1 250 615-1314 (cel)
  address: 523 Pillsbury Ave
  Experience Prince Rupert fishing in the coastal waters off Northern BC. Charters and excursions including salmon fishing, halibut fishing, and crabbing which highlight the beautiful coastal region of Northwestern British Columbia.

• Stingray Charters

  phone: +1 250 624-3885, +1 250 627-6955 (cel)
  address: 1315 Overlook St
  World Class Sports Fishing in the Pacific Northwest. Stingray Fishing Charters is your host for an exciting experience you don't want to miss.

• Terry's Fishing Charters

  phone: +1 250 622-8737
  Providers of fishing charters for salmon and halibut offering a "no fish, no pay" guarantee.

• Cow Bay Gift Gallery

  phone: +1 250 627-1808
  address: 24 Cow Bay Rd
  Options here are a little pricier, but has authentic Native art and some really beautiful items.

• Homework

  phone: +1 250 624-3663
  address: 145 Cow Bay Rd
  Eclectic and interesting selection.

• Cow Bay Cafe

  phone: +1 250 627-1212
  address: 205 Cow Bay Rd
  One of the most popular places to eat in town. It is a small place right on the water. The service is average.

• Herby's Family Restaurant

  phone: +1 250 624-3965
  address: 679 - 2nd Avenue West
  Excellent and inexpensive Vietnamese food in an informal atmosphere.

• Opa Sushi

  phone: +1 250 627-4560
  address: 34 Cow Bay Rd
  Not bad sushi.

• Pho '88

  phone: +1 250 624-2888
  address: 427 - 3rd Avenue West
  Newer Vietnamese restaurant, featuring pho, but having a good variety of Vietnamese and Canadian-Asian cuisine.

• Waterfront Restaurant on the Harbour

  phone: +1 250 624-6771
  address: 222 - 1st Avenue West

• Breaker's Pub

  phone: +1 250 624-5990
  address: 117 George Hill Way
  Decent enough place, slow meal service.

• Charley's Lounge

  phone: +1 250 624-6771
  address: 222 - 1st Ave West

• Cowpuccino's Coffee House

  phone: +1 250 627-1395
  address: 25 Cow Bay Rd

• javadotcup

  phone: +1 250 622-2822
  address: 516 - 3rd Avenue West
  Great little coffee shop and internet cafe. Beautiful building inside and out. Homemade desserts!

• Aleeda Motel

  phone: +1 250 627-1367
  address: 900 - 3rd Avenue West

• Black Rooster Guesthouse

  address: 501 - 6th Avenue West
  Somewhere between a hostel and a hotel, you can rent from a private queen room to a bunk in a shared room. A bit up the hill from downtown, though.

• Highliner Plaza Hotel

  phone: +1 250 624-9060
  address: 815 - 1st Avenue West

• Inn on the Harbour

  phone: +1 250 624-9107
  address: 720 - 1st Avenue West

• Moby Dick Inn

  phone: +1 250 624-6961
  address: 935 - 2nd Avenue West

• Pacific Inn

  phone: +1 250 627-1711
  address: 909 - 3rd Avenue West

• Pioneer Hostel

  phone: +1 250 624-2334
  address: 167 - 3rd Avenue East

• Totem Lodge Motel

  phone: +1 250 624-6761
  address: 1335 Park Ave

• Prince Rupert Public Library

  phone: +1 250 627-1345
  address: 101 - 6th Avenue West
  The library has eight computers for public use, no membership needed and free wireless. Careful after school; they get quite busy right after the bell.

• Safeway/Starbucks

  phone: +1 250 624-2412
  address: 200 - 2nd Avenue West
  There is a small seating area inside and out where you can sit on the wireless.

Visit the Haida Gwaii for a unique wilderness adventure you will never forget.