TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL | Top 10,000 Places to Visit in Canada
The page created by Alexander Marzec | Red River College | Photo from Pixabay published prior to July 2017 under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0
July
Filomi Days has been integral to Port Hardy and the North Island’s summer for over forty years. The three syllables, fi, lo and mi, stand for “fishing, logging and mining.”
Filomi Days take place the third weekend in July and celebrate the town’s industries & culture! Experience fantastic food & retail vendors, parade, duck race, KidsFest & reconnect with long-lost friends in the beer garden and much more!
Photo and videos: Lucia & Earnest Light
There is no better view of the beautiful British Columbia Coast than by seaplane. You can view the mountain peaks, deep coastal inlets, and remote beaches.
Wilderness Seaplanes provides service from Port Hardy and Bella Bella to the BC Central Coast. Their fleet consists of 6 seaplanes, 4 of which are amphibious.
The flights can be as customizable, from viewing the local areas of Port Hardy to the Glaciers of Knights Inlet to the beaches of the Hakai area. You have many routes you can choose from. The flights can go as short as 20 minutes for $200 for three people in the smaller Cessna craft to 9 people in the larger amphibious aircraft.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/wildernessseaplanes
Storey’s Beach
Beaver Harbour is a bay located just east of Port Hardy. Its name, “Beaver,” originates from the first steam vessel in service on the Pacific Northwest Coast for the Hudson’s Bay Company.
The sun sandy beach goes on forever when the tide is out. It offers fine, dark-coloured sand covered in clam shells and seaweed debris. The water is cold but still swimmable, and it can be the perfect kayak ride.
The north end of Storey’s Beach is also the stepping-off point for the Tex Lyon Trail.
Photos: Google Street View
Right at the peak of downtown, Carrot Park brings civilization and nature together.
Throughout the park, you can potentially spot wildlife such as black bears, bald eagles, and orca whales in the beautiful open sea. Ferries and fishing boats continuously pass by, and Native artwork is displayed on statues on the beachside.
The park features a half-bitten carrot-shaped structure that symbolizes the North Islanders’ desire to complete the highway.
An extravagant Japanese garden is dedicated to Numata, Port Hardy’s sister city. A little further is a cenotaph that honours all Canadian servicemen and women.
As you stray from downtown, you’ll finally pass by the iconic “Welcome to Port Hardy” sign. This is a great spot to photograph to commemorate a great memory from your visit to Port Hardy.
Photo: Heqs – Own work, CC SA 1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1144558
Copper Maker Gallery is a unique, Indigenous-owned retail and craft shop. Its owner, Calvin Hunt, is a Kwakwaka’wakw Master Carver, mentor, and excellent example to his community. He keeps his work close to his culture and traditions.
His particular artwork includes carving totem poles, masks, and dancing outfits. Other bits of artwork are canoes, baskets, weaving, prints, historical photos, and much more from him, as well as other artists in the Gallery.
Photos: https://www.calvinhunt.com/
Located in the heart of town, the Port Hardy Museum is a small building crammed with items worth viewing. It specifically exhibits Aboriginal artifacts, early settler’s effects, natural history materials and local industrial equipment.
You can view newspapers, maps, photos, personal histories, and school and institutional records.
Photo: Google Street View, https://porthardymuseum.com/
Get away for a couple of hours in a 28’ Transport Canada vessel, which can accommodate up to 11 people, and get taken for a lifetime voyage. K’awat’si Tours aims to explain what these lands mean to First Nations in terms of their culture, history, and traditions.
Snacks and beverages are provided with welcoming and informative First Nation guides who walk you through their ancestral grounds.
As you venture through the untouched wilderness, you will see wildlife like humpback whales, dolphins, otters, and much more in the water. Visitors may also be lucky enough to spot eagles. It also covers diverse landscapes such as the Nakwakto Rapids, Sea Lion Habitat, small coastal islets and the Mountainous terrain out in the distance.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/kawatsiTours
With over 20 years of experience in fishing through generations on the BC Coast, no one is more knowledgeable than Fish Harder Charters. They aim to guide you to the best spots for some of the freshest fish in the world.
Port Hardy is well known for having the most prolific salmon, halibut, and bottom fishing in these nutrient-rich waters.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063708482070
Mikonos specializes in Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. You have endless options for traditional Greek foods such as pitas, lamb, souvlakis, and a large assortment of Greek salads with tzatziki.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/MikonosPortHardy/
Nax ‘ID’ Pub is a fabulous place to unwind with its fantastic selection of drinks from First Nation and Canadian cuisine. With a 4.5 rating on Google, they will leave you happily satisfied.
Their menu is versatile, from poached eggs, burgers, and local salmon to seaweed.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/naxidpub
