North Island

First Nations Tourism

Vancouver Island North is the first word and last stop in Western Canada for relaxed and spontaneous eco-adventure. It’s where you can witness whales, eagles and bears while discovering magical shorelines and inland wilderness areas. It’s where you can experience Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations traditions, art and living culture.

Nature and First Nations culture abound in the wild, undiscovered reaches here. It is unspoiled and largely undiscovered, yet only a day’s travel from Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle. It offers a breathtaking palette of parks, forests, lakes, saltwater inlets and jigsaw-puzzle coastline.

The region also stretches past the shores of Vancouver Island to include magnificent Knight Inlet and a swath of the Great Bear Rainforest on the mainland of British Columbia.

Go fishing, kayaking, diving and surfing.

On the land, try mountain biking, hiking, caving, skiing and hike pristine forests and beaches.

FASCINATING CULTURE

Eight thousand years ago – a millennia after the last ice age and long before the first Egyptian pyramids were erected – Canada’s First Nations shared this wild coastal region with creatures on land and in the sea. After a long period of cultural repression, timeless ancient traditions are again thriving as the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation preserves and celebrates their culture through art, dance, music, language and a sustainable day-to-day relationship with the natural world.

Get lost…

Find adventure, rich culture on the North Island

Alert Bay on Cormorant Island is internationally renowned for its storytelling, dance performances and the potlatch treasures housed inside the must-see U’mista Cultural Centre, considered one of Canada’s finest First Nations museums. The world’s tallest totem pole stands vigil outside the ‘Namgis Big House. Take a canoe trip or enjoy a salmon barbeque with First Nations guides. And visit an oceanfront graveyard filled with colorful memorial poles. Enjoy the colourful displays of traditional and contemporary artwork in many locations throughout the village – keep your eye out for a favourite piece to add to your personal collection.

Fort Rupert on the southern outskirts of Port Hardy is home to the Kwakiutl First Nation. This friendly enclave by the sea is known for its public galleries where internationally renowned carvers create magnificent art from chunks of timber. Authentic art pieces, gifts and prints can be purchased here.

ARTISTS EVERYWHRE

Creating arts and crafts in all imaginable disciplines is one productive way that North Islanders make use of their long winter nights. As a result, there is a remarkable range of work on display in galleries and home studios throughout the region. Masks, totems, rattles and exquisite carvings of animals and spirit creatures is a centuries-old tradition for the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations, whose leading artisans are valued highly by collectors world wide.

Visit with some of these remarkable artists in Fort Rupert and see their work in galleries and museums in Telegraph Cove, Port McNeill, Port Hardy, Sointula and Alert Bay. Community galleries, meanwhile, showcase the best of the rest of the North Island’s artistic population – painters, potters, sculptors, glassmakers and more.

MADE FOR ADVENTURERS

Vancouver Island North exerts a magnetic pull on adventurers seeking authentic tours and experiences in a spectacularly panoramic natural setting. The variety of things to do here is remarkably diverse, especially when exploring the outdoors by land, sea and, when floatplanes and flight-seeing trips are factored in, air as well.

Vancouver Island North is a landscape that has remained virtually untouched for centuries. It represents an opportunity to disconnect and reconnect with nature again. For those that visit this rugged landscape, it’s about a journey of discovery, a journey to find adventure, tranquility or to submerse yourself in the ancient cultures.

TERRIFIC TREKS

Trails penetrate deep into the landscape, offering easy access to remote forests, beaches, streams and lakes. Walk among giants on pathways made spongy from decades of coniferous needles falling. Inhale the freshest ocean air, rich with sea-spray, along pristine shoreline.

A totem pole at U’Mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay

TOURISM VANCOUVER ISLAND/JORDAN DYCK

The west coast has spectacular options for all levels of hiking ability. Follow forested trails to the open Pacific Ocean where your footprints could quite likely be the only ones in the sand.

Two of these west coast day-hiking highlights are Raft Cove and San Josef Bay.

Many seaside communities are lined with wheelchair-accessible seawalls, boardwalks and pathways, perfect for family outings and sunset strolls.

Excursion options abound close to towns and further afield. These hikes can vary from an hour or two up to a full day. Multi-day epic adventures like the Cape Scott Trail and the North Coast Trail are on the list for trekkers looking to get remote and experience the ruggedly beautiful outer reaches.

ADOBE STOCK

KAYAKER’S DREAM

Sign up for a kayaking tour and explore coastal nooks and crannies, offshore islands, and pristine saltwater inlets that cut deep into the landscape. Vancouver Island North scenery is even more magnificent when viewed from the water, and the marine wildlife will be happy to welcome you to their playground. Guides and fellow kayakers become fast friends on day trips or longer excursions that might include sleepovers in rustic campgrounds, comfortable base camps or luxurious resorts hidden away on remote islands.

Strap your own transportation to a roof rack, rent from a local outfitter or sign up for a guided tour in this world-class paddling destination.

Vancouver Island’s Best Kept Secret

Located 12 mi. (19.3 km) north of Campbell River

•Oceanfront Rental Cabins &Glamping Tents Fishing •Full Service Marina •Oceanfront RV Park •Hot Tub •Restaurant •Boat Launch •Fuel/Tackle

•Oceanfront Rental Cabins &Glamping Tents •Full Service Marina •Fishing •Wildlife Viewing •Boat Launch •Oceanfront RV Park• Hot Tub •Restaurant

1-800-620-6739 www.brownsbayresort.com

View intertidal life in the clear, cold waters. Seals, sea lions, orcas and maybe even humpback whales are happy to welcome respectful, lowimpact visitors to their aquatic playground. The Lonely Planet travel guide ranked killer whale watching from a kayak in Johnstone Strait #2 in their Top 10 list of Canadian Adventures.

Experienced, long-distance kayakers tackle the West Coast Vancouver Island North Marine Trail, newly designated thought the B.C. Marine Trails Network, that traces the coastline from Port Hardy past Cape Scott Provincial Park and all the way to Tofino. Weather and sea conditions can change quickly, so be prepared and travel in a group.

WILD AND FREE

Wild things roam here. Expect your first sightings to be majestic bald eagles riding the updrafts overhead or perhaps a black bear munching on sweet grass at the edge of Highway 19 (locally known as Bear Alley). You might even spot a grizzly bear. They swim over by Island hopping from the Mainland. The Roosevelt elk and Vancouver Island marmot are unique to the region. Great blue herons fish at the edge of estuaries that echo with the sweet call of songbirds.