Circle North BC Tour

First Nations culture, fish, furs and gold rush fever—discover them all on this Northern BC tour. It’s just one option for exploring British Columbia, a province that’s bigger than Britain and France combined. Day trip or expedition, get out there and take a look. In this Okanagan Life article I circle north on Vancouver Island to take the BC Ferries Inside Passage route from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, then board another ferry for Haida Gwaii. Back on the mainland I check out the Museum of Northern BC in Prince Rupert and the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site in Port Edward. Heading inland along Hwy 16, stops include Ksan Historic Village and Museum in The Hazeltons and Fort St. James National Historic Site before heading south to wrap up the tour at historic Barkerville.

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BC Ferries Northern Link

BC Ferries operates crucial links for any Northern BC circle tour. Even if you’re just headed to Haida Gwaii, flying is an option, but getting around the islands without your own vehicle is pretty much restricted to lodge shuttles or hitchhiking. For me, the 15-hour Inside Passage from Port Hardy at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, to Prince Rupert on the North Coast, was a voyage I’d longed to make. And I was equally excited about the crossing of the potentially wild Hecate Strait from Prince Rupert to Skidegate on Haida Gwaii. (more…)

BC Hwy 16: Prince Rupert | North Pacific Cannery | Ksan Heritage Village | Fort St. James

We reconnected with Highway 16 on the mainland, leaving the Haida behind to meet their neighbours and trading partners the Tsimshian, Gitxsan and Carrier peoples and to explore the beginnings of modern BC. The city of Prince Rupert was a huge surprise. From the activity of fishing boats in the harbour and the towering derricks of the container port (seen from the ferry), I had the idea this was purely a working town. I thought the only interesting tourist feature would be Cow Bay, where herds of day tripping Alaska cruise passengers crowd the cafes and shops on port day. But driving around, we found streets of attractive houses and downtown, the knockout art deco city hall decorated in unique aboriginal motifs. (more…)