Port Hardy and Port McNeill

I flew to Port Hardy airport from the South Terminal at Vancouver Airport. Take the Skytrain to the airport and then catch the shuttle bus from outside International Departures to the South Terminal. The flight takes about 55 minutes, and I would advise you to book a taxi ahead of time, so you can be met when you arrive. Port Hardy airport is small and has only a few flights per day, so there is not much to occupy you at the airport.

Port Hardy serves as the crossroads for air, ferry, and marine transportation networks, and as the gateway to the Cape Scott and North Coast Trails. BC Ferry’s northern terminus for the Discovery Coast run and Prince Rupert is located here.

The current location of Port Hardy was settled at the turn of the century when Alec and Sarah Lyon operated a store and post office on the east side of Hardy Bay. A 1912 land deal promoted by the Hardy Bay Land Co., put the area on the map and increased its population. By 1914, 12 families had settled and built a school, sawmill, church, and hotel. 

There was limited access to Port Hardy until the logging road to Campbell River was finally paved in its entirety in December 1979. Prior to this, North islanders had to navigate a network of unpaved dirt roads to reach even their closest community to the south. These islanders also had to endure the ferry company raising prices for no reason other than profiteering. These increases were only reversed after protests.  

I found Port Hardy quiet and mostly closed on a Monday, though there is a lovely park called Carrot Park – complete with large, wooden carrot. The story behind Port Hardy’s carrot memorial is supplied by a plaque which reads: “this carrot, marking the northern end of the island highway, is a symbol of government road building promises, dangled in front of North Island settlers since 1897. The successful 1970s ‘carrot campaign’ was aimed at making the government keep promises of a completed highway.” 

Also in Carrot Park are a sturdy wooden arch welcoming people to Port Hardy, a totem pole, and a simple war memorial to the locals who died in World War I and World War II. There is a splendid view across the bay towards the ferry terminal where the ferries leave for Prince Rupert.

Next I travelled to Port McNeill on the bus from Port Hardy. The bus leaves from outside the Thunderbird Mall in Port Hardy and there are also bus stops outside the Glen Lyon Inn and Suites. The journey lasts about 40 minutes and costs $3.75, well worth it given a taxi from the airport to the town of Port Hardy costs $30. I was the only person on the bus. Most of the journey was travelling through trees on both sides of the road, giving me an idea of the size of the forests in this part of the world. 

Port McNeill has more about it. Firstly, it is the proud home of the world’s biggest burl – a burl is a rounded knotty growth on a tree, giving an attractive figure when polished and used especially for handcrafted objects and veneers. You would have great trouble polishing this burl as it is the size of a large boulder. The burl is found near the Port McNeill Museum, closed at this time. There are cafes open every day of the week. I found a second-hand bookshop close to the St John Gualbert church on Cedar Street, next to the community gardens.