Prince Rupert: increasingly popular Canadian Inside Passage port

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2005 by Joy Lawrance

Where in the world is Prince Rupert ... and who is he? Many cruise passengers sailing the Inside Passage bound for the Last Frontier will discover Prince Rupert's charms when they call on the small town in British Columbia, just 40 miles south of the Alaska state line. The name came by way of a country-wide contest. A Manitoba resident won with her suggestion of Prince Rupert, who was a cousin of England's Charles II, and the first governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.

Situated on Kaien Island at the mouth of the Skeena River, Prince Rupert's harbor ranks high in world importance as the deepest ice-free port in North America. In the early 1900s, Charles Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad, had great plans for this town. You can blame the Titanic for the fact they never materialized.

Hays chose this location as the western terminus for his rail line, which would offer an ideal means of transporting shipped goods across Canada. He drew up a master plan for a city that would rival Vancouver as a major shipping hub. After all, Prince Rupert is closer to Japan and the Pacific Rim. He headed to England seeking financial aid, but made a fatal decision to book return passage on the Titanic. He perished along with nearly 1,500 others. That tragedy, followed by the onset of World War I and the decline of the rail era, led to an economic downturn. But since Prince Rupert is situated on a migratory salmon route, and surrounding waters teem with halibut, steelhead, lingcod, and shellfish, fishing and fish-processing became the mainstays of the economy.

Actually, Prince Rupert's history reaches even further back. Archeologists say that this area of northern British Columbia has been inhabited for nearly 10,000 years, and these experts believe that it was once one of the most densely populated areas north of Mexico. Of the indigenous people in the region, called First Nations in Canada, the Tsimshian nation holds prominence. Along with the Haida, Nisga'a, and other groups, they have contributed a rich cultural quilt of customs and internationally acclaimed art.

Walking around town, the first thing you might notice is the totem poles. In fact, Prince Rupert boasts one of the largest collections of standing totems in the Canadian north, most by carvers of the Tsimshian and Haida nations. To learn more, visit the magnificent Museum of Northern British Columbia, located in a striking waterfront setting. The museum's massive cedar logs and beams fill the inside air with a forest-fresh fragrance. In a collection that spans 10,000 years of human history on the north coast, you'll see cedar-bark clothing and gleaming black argillite carvings. Coiled baskets, cedar boxes, masks and robes decorated with brass thimbles or Chinese coins provide insight into the lives of the people who made them. Stepping into the Monumental Gallery, a wall of windows offers a breathtaking view of the harbor. Displayed here are imposing totems, a shaman's grizzly-bear-claw headdress, and embossed copper pieces. Many famous North Coast artists live and work in the area, and may be found in the nearby Carving Shed wielding their magic on cedar bark, argillite, or copper.

Of the nearly 200 archeological sites in the area, five are found on Pike Island, and cruise passengers can tour this culturally rich region. A canopy of dense forest shades walking trails covered with wood chips. At low tide, petroglyphs may be seen along the beach.

Getting around town is easy. In compact Prince Rupert there are no skyscrapers, no fast-moving traffic. Main businesses, many in buildings dating from the 1930s, line 2nd and 3rd streets. Along the waterfront, visitors can learn about early rail history at the Kwinitsa Station Railway Museum, and visit a Shinto Shrine and a fisherman's memorial at Pacific Mariner's Park.

No matter where you walk, at some point you're bound to find yourself in the funky, fun district known as Cow Bay. The story goes that a Swiss dairy farmer once shipped a herd of cows here, and there being no place to unload them, they had to swim ashore. Hence its colorful name. The cow theme is carried out with black and white fire hydrants, cow lamp posts and trash cans, and hoof prints on the sidewalk. Get a haircut at a salon called Cowlicks, or sip a latte at Cowpuccino's. Poke into shops selling pottery, chocolates, salmon pate, or native crafts. No matter what you do, you're sure to wear a smile wandering this area. Stop in at Smile's Seafood Cafe for some halibut and chips, a favorite dish around these parts.

Of course, with a town that's situated on the edge of wilderness, cruise passengers will want to avail themselves of opportunities to enjoy nature's bounty. Rivers, inlets, rain forests, waterfalls, and hot springs offer a wide range of possibilities. Hikers can explore a network of trails that criss-crosses the city, and kayakers can paddle fjord-like coves or mingle with curious whales. Helicopters and jet boats allow for even more exploration.