Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia
, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast
, and home to some 12,815 people (Statistics Canada
, 2006).
Prince Rupert, named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine
, was founded by Charles Melville Hays
, the general manager
of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
(GTP) and was incorporated on March 10, 1910. Prior to the opening of the GTP, the business centre on the North Coast was Port Essington
on the Skeena River
. After the founding of Prince Rupert at the western terminus for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
, Port Essington returned to being a fishing community and is now a ghost town.
Charles Hays had many grand ideas for Prince Rupert including berthing facilities for large passenger ships and the development of a major tourism industry. These plans fell through when Charles Hays perished April 15, 1912 on the RMS Titanic. Mount Hays, the larger of two mountains on Kaien Island, is named in his honour, as is a local high school, Charles Hays Secondary School
.
Local politicians used the promise of a highway connected to the mainland as an incentive and the city grew over the next several decades. American troops finally completed the 100 mile stretch of road between Prince Rupert and Terrace during World War II to facilitate the movement of thousands of allied troops to the Aleutian Islands and the Pacific. Following World War II, the fishing industry, particularly salmon
and halibut
, and forestry
became the city's major industries. Prince Rupert was the Halibut Capital of the World until the early 1980s. A long-standing dispute over fishing rights in the Dixon Entrance to the Hecate Straight between American and Canadian fisherman lead to the formation of the 54-40 or Fight Society. The United States Coast Guard
maintains a military base in nearby Ketchikan, Alaska
.
Over the years, hundreds of students were said to have largely paid their way through school by working in the then lucrative fishing
industry. Construction of a pulp mill began in 1947 and was operating by 1951. The construction
of coal
and grain
shipping terminals
followed. The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s saw the construction of many amenities including a civic centre, swimming pool
, public library
, golf course
and performing arts
centre (recently renamed "The Lester Centre of the Arts"). Prince Rupert had much to offer as it transitioned from a fishing and mill town
to a small city.
In the 1990s, both the fishing and forest industries experienced a significant downturn in economic activity. In July, 1997, Canadian fishermen blockaded the Alaska Marine Highway
ferry M/V Malaspina
, keeping it in the port as a protest in the salmon
fishing rights dispute between Alaska and British Columbia. The forest industry died when the soft wood lumber dispute arose between Canada and the U.S. After the pulp mill closed down, many people were out of a job, and a significant amount of top of the line machinery was left dormant. After reaching a peak of about 18,000 in the early 1990s, Prince Rupert's population began to decline as people left in search of work.
The period from 1996 to 2004 saw difficult times for Prince Rupert, including closure of the pulp mill
, the burning down of a fish plant and a significant population decline. 2005 may be viewed as a critical turning point though. The announcement of the construction of a container port in April 2005, combined with new ownership of the pulp mill
, the 2004 opening of a new cruise ship
dock
, the resurgence of coal and grain shipping
, and the prospects of increased heavy industry
and tourism
foretell a bright future for the area.
On August 22, 1949, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake
destroyed windows and buildings swung. See 1949 Queen Charlotte earthquake
.
Prince Rupert is situated on Kaien Island
(approximately 770 km (480 mi) north of Vancouver
), just north of the mouth of Skeena River
, and linked by a short bridge to the mainland. The city is located along the island's northwestern shore, fronting on Prince Rupert Harbour.
At the western terminus of Trans-Canada Highway
16 (the Yellowhead Highway
), Prince Rupert is approximately 12 km west of Port Edward
, 144 km west of Terrace
, and 717 km west of Prince George
.
(Köppen
Cfb) and is also located in a temperate rainforest. Prince Rupert is known as "The City of Rainbows", as it is Canada's wettest city, with 2590 millimetres (102 in) of annual precipitation on average, 2470 millimetres (97.2 in) of that total being rain; in addition, 240 days per year have at least some precipitation, and there are only 1230 hours of sunshine per year - It is regarded as the municipality in Canada which receives the least amount of sunshine annually. Tourist brochures boast about Prince Rupert's "100 days of sunshine".
Summers are mild and comparatively drier, with an August daily mean of 13.5 °C (56.3 °F). Spring and autumn are not particularly well-defined; rainfall nevertheless peaks in the autumn months. Winters are chilly and damp, but warmer than most locations at a similar latitude, due to Pacific moderation: the January daily mean is 1.3 °C (34.3 °F), although frosts and blasts of cold Arctic air from the northeast are not uncommon.
Snow amounts are moderate for Canadian standards, averaging 126 centimetres (50 in) and occurring mostly from December to March. Snowfall in Prince Rupert is rare and normally melts within a few days, although individual snowstorms may bring copious amounts of snow. Wind speeds are relatively strong, with prevailing winds blowing from the southeast.
Extremes in temperature range from less than −24.4 °C in January 1965 to greater than 28.7 °C (84 °F) in August 1977.
has recorded the following population counts in their
censuses. Census agglomerations are listed in parentheses.
of Prince Rupert is Jack Mussallem. The current councillors of Prince Rupert are Nelson Kinney, Anna Ashley, Joy Thorkelson, Gina Garon, Jennifer Rice, and Judy Carlick-Pearson.
Prince Rupert is part of the Skeena—Bulkley Valley
federal riding
(electoral district). Nathan Cullen
is the current Member of Parliament
for the riding, and is a member of the New Democratic Party
.
In the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
, Prince Rupert is a large portion of the North Coast riding. Gary Coons
is the current Member of the Legislative Assembly
. He is a member of the New Democratic Party of British Columbia
. The NDP traditionally has strong support in the region.
became mayor of Prince Rupert. He went on to become the Premier of British Columbia
from 1933–1941, as a member of the Liberal Party
.
Alexander Malcolm Manson
, the first lawyer in Prince Rupert, was elected to the BC Legislature in the riding of Omineca in 1916 as a Liberal. He became Speaker of the House
in 1921 and the following year was appointed as both Attorney-General and Minister of Labour, serving in both capacities for six years. He was later appointed to the BC Supreme Court.
Iona Campagnolo
began her political career when she was elected to Prince Rupert City Council in 1966. In 1974, she successfully ran for the Liberal Party
in the federal riding of Skeena
. In 1976 she was appointed Minister of Amateur Sports. She became president of the Liberal Party of Canada in 1982. She served as British Columbia's Lieutenant-Governor from 2001 to 2007.
In 1986, NDP
candidate Dan Miller was elected to the Prince Rupert Electoral District
and from August 1999 through February 2000 was Premier
.
Peter James Lester was elected to Prince Rupert council in 1955, and to the position of Mayor on December 12, 1957, a post he held for the next 36 years, continuously through 17 terms of office. He was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1994. Lester was the President of the North Central Municipal Association for the 1972-1973 term.
Peter Lester passed away Honourable Iona Campagnola, Lieutenant Governor noted the passing of former Mayor Peter Lester
Rod Brind'Amour
, former captain of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes
Paul Wong (Artist)
, Canadian Video Artist, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Gloria Macarenko
, Canadian Journalist, co-anchor CBC Vancouver, born and raised in Prince Rupert.
Shane Woodford, Canadian Journalist, Anchor/Reporter CKNW 980 Vancouver, born in Prince Rupert.
Takao Tanabe
, CM, OBC is a Canadian painter, born in Prince Rupert.
Tara Jean Stevens (Wilkin) of the Vancouver-based radio show Kiah & Tara Jean
is from Prince Rupert.
Bernice Liu
, is a Chinese Canadian actress and singer, born and raised in Prince Rupert.
Prince Rupert's sheltered harbour is the deepest ice
-free natural harbour in North America, and the 3rd deepest natural harbour in the world. Situated at 54° North, the harbour is the northwestern most port in North America linked to the continent's railway
network. Located on the Great Circle Route between eastern Asia and western North America, the port is the first inbound and last outbound port of call for cargo ship
s.
Passenger ferries operating from Prince Rupert include BC Ferries
' service to the Queen Charlotte Islands
and to
Port Hardy
on Vancouver Island
, and Alaska Marine Highway ferries to
Ketchikan
, Juneau
and Sitka and many other ports
along Alaska's Inside Passage
. The Prince Rupert Ferry Terminal is co-located with the Prince Rupert railway station
, from which Via Rail
offers a thrice-weekly Jasper – Prince Rupert train, connecting to Prince George
and Jasper
, and through a connection with The Canadian
, to the rest of the continental passenger rail network.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority
is responsible for the port's operation.
Much of the harbour is formed by the shelter provided by Digby Island, which lies windward of the city and contains the Prince Rupert Airport
. The city is located on Kaien Island
and the harbour also includes Tuck Inlet, Morse Basin, Wainwright Basin, and Porpoise Harbour, as well as part of the waters of Chatham Sound which takes in Ridley Island.
(PRPA) is a federally appointed agency which administers and operates various port properties on the harbour. Previously run by the National Harbours Board and subsequently the Prince Rupert Port Corporation, the PRPA is now a locally run organization.
PRPA port facilities include:
All PRPA facilities are serviced by CN Rail.
The Canadian Coast Guard
maintains CCG Base Seal Cove on Prince Rupert Harbour where vessels are homeported for search and rescue and maintenance of aids to navigation throughout the north coast. CCG also bases helicopters at Prince Rupert for servicing remote locations with aids to navigation, as well as operating a Marine Communications Centre, covering a large Vessel Traffic Services zone from Port Hardy
at the northern tip of Vancouver Island
to the International Boundary north of Prince Rupert.
Both BC Ferries
and the Alaska Marine Highway
operate ferries which call at Prince Rupert, with destinations in the Alaska Panhandle
, the Queen Charlotte Islands
, and isolated communities along the central coast to the south.
(YPR/CYPR) is located on Digby Island
. Its position is 54°17′10"N 130°26′41"W, and its elevation
is 35 m (116 ft) above sea level
. The airport consists of one runway
, one passenger terminal
, and two aircraft stands. Access to the airport is typically achieved by a bus connection that departs from one location in downtown Prince Rupert (Highliner Hotel) and travels to Digby Island by ferry. The airport is served by Air Canada
and Hawkair
from Vancouver International Airport
(YVR).
Prince Rupert is also served by the Prince Rupert/Seal Cove Water Aerodrome
, a seaplane
facility with regularly scheduled, as well as chartered, flights to nearby villages and remote locations.
. At Valemount, the Prince Rupert mainline joins the CN mainline from Vancouver
. Freight traffic on the Prince Rupert mainline consists primarily of grain, coal, wood products, chemicals, and as of 2007, containers. As the renovations at the Port of Prince Rupert continue, traffic on CN will steadily rise in future years.
In addition, a three times weekly Jasper – Prince Rupert train operated by Via Rail
connects Prince Rupert with Prince George
and Jasper
. Running during daylight hours to allow passengers to be able to see the scenery along the entire route, the service takes two days and requires an overnight hotel stay in Prince George
. The route ends in Jasper and connects passengers with Via's The Canadian, which runs between Toronto
and Vancouver
.
(formerly CityTel). CityWest is owned by the City of Prince Rupert. CityWest provides long-distance telephone service, as does Telus
.
In September 2005, the city changed CityTel from a city department into an independent corporation named CityWest. The new corporation immediately purchased the local cable company, Monarch Cablesystems
, expanding CityWest's customer base to other northwest British Columbia
communities.
Since January 2008, Rogers Communications
has offered GSM and EDGE
service in the area—the first real competition to CityWest's virtual monopoly. Rogers offers local numbers based in Port Edward
(prefix 600), which is in the local calling zone for the Prince Rupert area. The introduction of Rogers service forced Citywest to form a partnership with Bell Canada
to bring digital services to Citywest Mobility, using CDMA
.
, British Columbia
to Skagway, Alaska
. It is visited by many cruise ships during the summer en route between Alaska to the north and Vancouver and the Lower 48 to the south.
Prince Rupert is also the starting point for many wildlife viewing trips including whales, eagles and grizzly bears. The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear sanctuary features one of the densest remaining populations in North America; tours can be arranged by water or air (using float planes) departing from Prince Rupert.
The Haida Gwaii are to the west of Prince Rupert, across the Hecate Strait
. Alaska
is 49 nautical mile
s (90 km, 56 mi) north of Prince Rupert.
, includes an essay about Prince Rupert entitled "Highway of Monsters".
Ra McGuire of the band Trooper
wrote the hit song "Santa Maria" on a boat in Prince Rupert's Harbour. Says McGuire, "The boat was called The Lucky Lady. We sailed from Prince Rupert onto an island [Lucy Island http://www.fogwhistle.ca/bclights/lucy/ off the coast with an awful lot of alcohol and some salmon to barbecue. Many of the lines in the song are direct quotes from the skipper. He actually said 'Okay, there's only fear and good judgment holding us back.' On the way back he said 'Does somebody know how to drive this thing?' I actually wrote these down in a little notepad as we went." http://www.trooper.ca/default.php?cat=articles&subcat=35
Amuro Ray
, the protagonist of the anime
series Mobile Suit Gundam
, was born and raised in Prince Rupert.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
, and home to some 12,815 people (Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
, 2006).
History
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
, was founded by Charles Melville Hays
Charles Melville Hays
Charles Melville Hays was an American railway executive of the Grand Trunk Railway. He died at sea on the RMS Titanic.-Early years:...
, the general manager
of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
(GTP) and was incorporated on March 10, 1910. Prior to the opening of the GTP, the business centre on the North Coast was Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
on the Skeena River
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
. After the founding of Prince Rupert at the western terminus for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
, Port Essington returned to being a fishing community and is now a ghost town.
Charles Hays had many grand ideas for Prince Rupert including berthing facilities for large passenger ships and the development of a major tourism industry. These plans fell through when Charles Hays perished April 15, 1912 on the RMS Titanic. Mount Hays, the larger of two mountains on Kaien Island, is named in his honour, as is a local high school, Charles Hays Secondary School
Charles Hays Secondary School
Charles Hays Secondary School is a public secondary school located in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. The school serves a student population of approximately 700 students in grades 9 to 12...
.
Local politicians used the promise of a highway connected to the mainland as an incentive and the city grew over the next several decades. American troops finally completed the 100 mile stretch of road between Prince Rupert and Terrace during World War II to facilitate the movement of thousands of allied troops to the Aleutian Islands and the Pacific. Following World War II, the fishing industry, particularly salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and halibut
Halibut
Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders . Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly and butt , for its popularity on Catholic holy days...
, and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
became the city's major industries. Prince Rupert was the Halibut Capital of the World until the early 1980s. A long-standing dispute over fishing rights in the Dixon Entrance to the Hecate Straight between American and Canadian fisherman lead to the formation of the 54-40 or Fight Society. The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
maintains a military base in nearby Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
.
Over the years, hundreds of students were said to have largely paid their way through school by working in the then lucrative fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
industry. Construction of a pulp mill began in 1947 and was operating by 1951. The construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
shipping terminals
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
followed. The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s saw the construction of many amenities including a civic centre, swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
and performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
centre (recently renamed "The Lester Centre of the Arts"). Prince Rupert had much to offer as it transitioned from a fishing and mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
to a small city.
In the 1990s, both the fishing and forest industries experienced a significant downturn in economic activity. In July, 1997, Canadian fishermen blockaded the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska....
ferry M/V Malaspina
M/V Malaspina
M/V Malaspina, colloquially known as the Mal, is a mainline ferry and the original Malaspina-class vessel for the Alaska Marine Highway System.Designed by Phillip F...
, keeping it in the port as a protest in the salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fishing rights dispute between Alaska and British Columbia. The forest industry died when the soft wood lumber dispute arose between Canada and the U.S. After the pulp mill closed down, many people were out of a job, and a significant amount of top of the line machinery was left dormant. After reaching a peak of about 18,000 in the early 1990s, Prince Rupert's population began to decline as people left in search of work.
The period from 1996 to 2004 saw difficult times for Prince Rupert, including closure of the pulp mill
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
, the burning down of a fish plant and a significant population decline. 2005 may be viewed as a critical turning point though. The announcement of the construction of a container port in April 2005, combined with new ownership of the pulp mill
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
, the 2004 opening of a new cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
, the resurgence of coal and grain shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
, and the prospects of increased heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
foretell a bright future for the area.
On August 22, 1949, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
destroyed windows and buildings swung. See 1949 Queen Charlotte earthquake
1949 Queen Charlotte earthquake
The Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake of 1949 was a magnitude 8.1 interplate earthquake that struck the sparsely populated Queen Charlotte Islands and the Pacific Northwest coast on August 22, 1949. It is one of the world's greatest earthquakes. The main shock epicenter began in the ocean bottom...
.
Geography
Kaien Island
Kaien Island is a Canadian island on the coast of British Columbia, immediately south of the Alaska Panhandle. The city of Prince Rupert, British Columbia is situated on it. The city and island are both located within the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District.-External links:*...
(approximately 770 km (480 mi) north of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
), just north of the mouth of Skeena River
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
, and linked by a short bridge to the mainland. The city is located along the island's northwestern shore, fronting on Prince Rupert Harbour.
At the western terminus of Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
16 (the Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
), Prince Rupert is approximately 12 km west of Port Edward
Port Edward, British Columbia
The District of Port Edward is a town of approximately 577, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.It is situated on the Tsimpsean Peninsula, opposite Ridley Island, 15 km south of Prince Rupert.-Directions:...
, 144 km west of Terrace
Terrace, British Columbia
Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
, and 717 km west of Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
.
Climate
Prince Rupert has an oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb) and is also located in a temperate rainforest. Prince Rupert is known as "The City of Rainbows", as it is Canada's wettest city, with 2590 millimetres (102 in) of annual precipitation on average, 2470 millimetres (97.2 in) of that total being rain; in addition, 240 days per year have at least some precipitation, and there are only 1230 hours of sunshine per year - It is regarded as the municipality in Canada which receives the least amount of sunshine annually. Tourist brochures boast about Prince Rupert's "100 days of sunshine".
Summers are mild and comparatively drier, with an August daily mean of 13.5 °C (56.3 °F). Spring and autumn are not particularly well-defined; rainfall nevertheless peaks in the autumn months. Winters are chilly and damp, but warmer than most locations at a similar latitude, due to Pacific moderation: the January daily mean is 1.3 °C (34.3 °F), although frosts and blasts of cold Arctic air from the northeast are not uncommon.
Snow amounts are moderate for Canadian standards, averaging 126 centimetres (50 in) and occurring mostly from December to March. Snowfall in Prince Rupert is rare and normally melts within a few days, although individual snowstorms may bring copious amounts of snow. Wind speeds are relatively strong, with prevailing winds blowing from the southeast.
Extremes in temperature range from less than −24.4 °C in January 1965 to greater than 28.7 °C (84 °F) in August 1977.
Population
Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
has recorded the following population counts in their
censuses. Census agglomerations are listed in parentheses.
- 2006 - 12,815 (13,392)
- 2001 - 14,643 (15,302)
- 1996 - 16,714 (17,414)
- 1991 - (17,359)
- Population by Age Group 2001
- Age Group = Population (% Distribution)
- Under 18 years = 4,320 (28.2%)
- 18 – 34 years = 3,370 (22.0%)
- 35 – 54 years = 5,020 (32.8%)
- 55 – 74 years = 2,075 (13.6%)
- 75 years and over = 515 (3.4%)
- Total - Age Groups = 15,300 (100.0%)
- Median Age = 34.8
- Source: BC Stats Population Estimates, 2004.
Government
The current mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Prince Rupert is Jack Mussallem. The current councillors of Prince Rupert are Nelson Kinney, Anna Ashley, Joy Thorkelson, Gina Garon, Jennifer Rice, and Judy Carlick-Pearson.
Prince Rupert is part of the Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...
federal riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
(electoral district). Nathan Cullen
Nathan Cullen
Nathan Cullen is a Canadian Member of Parliament for the riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley in the Canadian House of Commons. He is a candidate for the federal leadership of the NDP. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Cullen is fluent in English, French and Spanish and is married with young twin sons...
is the current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the riding, and is a member of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
In the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
, Prince Rupert is a large portion of the North Coast riding. Gary Coons
Gary Coons
Gary Earl Coons is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the North Coast riding of British Columbia, Canada....
is the current Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
. He is a member of the New Democratic Party of British Columbia
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
. The NDP traditionally has strong support in the region.
Notable residents
After 1908, Thomas Dufferin "Duff" PattulloThomas Dufferin Pattullo
Thomas Dufferin Pattullo was the 22nd Premier of British Columbia, Canada from 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's Pattullo Park....
became mayor of Prince Rupert. He went on to become the Premier of British Columbia
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
from 1933–1941, as a member of the Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
.
Alexander Malcolm Manson
Alexander Malcolm Manson
Alexander Malcolm Manson was a British Columbia judge and politician in the Liberal Party. Positions he held included Speaker, Minister of Labour and Attorney General. He was later appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia....
, the first lawyer in Prince Rupert, was elected to the BC Legislature in the riding of Omineca in 1916 as a Liberal. He became Speaker of the House
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the presiding officer of the British Columbia legislature.-The office of Speaker in British Columbia:...
in 1921 and the following year was appointed as both Attorney-General and Minister of Labour, serving in both capacities for six years. He was later appointed to the BC Supreme Court.
Iona Campagnolo
Iona Campagnolo
Iona Campagnolo, is a Canadian politician, and was the first woman and 27th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Prior to becoming Lieutenant Governor she was a Canadian politician and cabinet member in the Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.-Career:Born Iona Victoria Hardy...
began her political career when she was elected to Prince Rupert City Council in 1966. In 1974, she successfully ran for the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in the federal riding of Skeena
Skeena (electoral district)
Skeena was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 2004.-Geography:This was a rural, mostly wilderness, riding in northwestern B.C...
. In 1976 she was appointed Minister of Amateur Sports. She became president of the Liberal Party of Canada in 1982. She served as British Columbia's Lieutenant-Governor from 2001 to 2007.
In 1986, NDP
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
candidate Dan Miller was elected to the Prince Rupert Electoral District
Prince Rupert (electoral district)
Prince Rupert was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the election of 1916 and its last in the 1986 election...
and from August 1999 through February 2000 was Premier
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
.
Peter James Lester was elected to Prince Rupert council in 1955, and to the position of Mayor on December 12, 1957, a post he held for the next 36 years, continuously through 17 terms of office. He was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1994. Lester was the President of the North Central Municipal Association for the 1972-1973 term.
Peter Lester passed away Honourable Iona Campagnola, Lieutenant Governor noted the passing of former Mayor Peter Lester
Rod Brind'Amour
Rod Brind'Amour
Roderic Jean Brind'Amour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He captained the Hurricanes to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in...
, former captain of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes
Paul Wong (Artist)
Paul Wong (artist)
Paul Wong, is a Canadian multimedia artist. An award-winning artist, curator, and organizer of public interventions since the mid-1970s, Wong is known for his engagement with issues of race, sex, and death...
, Canadian Video Artist, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Gloria Macarenko
Gloria Macarenko
Gloria Macarenko is a Canadian journalist. Macarenko has been either sole anchor or co-anchor of CBUT's local supper-hour newscast since the late 1990s; presently she co-hosts the current iteration of this newscast, CBC News: Vancouver, weekdays from 5:00-6:30 p.m...
, Canadian Journalist, co-anchor CBC Vancouver, born and raised in Prince Rupert.
Shane Woodford, Canadian Journalist, Anchor/Reporter CKNW 980 Vancouver, born in Prince Rupert.
Takao Tanabe
Takao Tanabe
Takao Tanabe, CM, OBC is a Canadian painter.Born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the son of a commercial fisherman, he was interned with other Japanese-Canadians in the British Columbia interior during World War II...
, CM, OBC is a Canadian painter, born in Prince Rupert.
Tara Jean Stevens (Wilkin) of the Vancouver-based radio show Kiah & Tara Jean
Kiah & Tara Jean
Kiah & Tara Jean is a Canadian radio show hosted by Kiah Tucker and Tara Jean Stevens on Virgin Radio 953 in Vancouver, British Columbia, an Astral Media radio station...
is from Prince Rupert.
Bernice Liu
Bernice Liu
Bernice Jan Liu is a Chinese Canadian actress, singer, and commercial model based in Hong Kong. She has previously held the title Miss Chinese Vancouver 2000 as well as Miss Chinese International 2001, the latter position bringing her fame in Hong Kong.Liu is best known for her role as Princess...
, is a Chinese Canadian actress and singer, born and raised in Prince Rupert.
Industry
Prince Rupert currently relies on the fishing industry, port, and tourism; however from 1951 to 2001 Prince Rupert also benefited from the Watson Island Pulp Mill, located less than 14 km (8 mi) outside of the city.Seaport
Sea ice
Sea ice is largely formed from seawater that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs below the freezing point of pure water, at about -1.8 °C ....
-free natural harbour in North America, and the 3rd deepest natural harbour in the world. Situated at 54° North, the harbour is the northwestern most port in North America linked to the continent's railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
network. Located on the Great Circle Route between eastern Asia and western North America, the port is the first inbound and last outbound port of call for cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
s.
Passenger ferries operating from Prince Rupert include BC Ferries
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
' service to the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
and to
Port Hardy
Port Hardy, British Columbia
Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Port Hardy has a population of 3822 at last census...
on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, and Alaska Marine Highway ferries to
Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
, Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
and Sitka and many other ports
along Alaska's Inside Passage
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington...
. The Prince Rupert Ferry Terminal is co-located with the Prince Rupert railway station
Prince Rupert railway station
The Prince Rupert railway station is on the Canadian National Railway mainline in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The station is the western terminus for the Via Rail's Jasper – Prince Rupert train.The station was declared a national historic site in 1992....
, from which Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
offers a thrice-weekly Jasper – Prince Rupert train, connecting to Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
and Jasper
Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley....
, and through a connection with The Canadian
The Canadian
The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1955 and 1978. It is currently operated as an Inter-city rail service by Via Rail Canada with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in...
, to the rest of the continental passenger rail network.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority
Prince Rupert Port Authority
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is a port authority operating under the Canada Marine Act as an autonomous and commercially viable agency...
is responsible for the port's operation.
Much of the harbour is formed by the shelter provided by Digby Island, which lies windward of the city and contains the Prince Rupert Airport
Prince Rupert Airport
Prince Rupert Airport, , is located west southwest of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
. The city is located on Kaien Island
Kaien Island
Kaien Island is a Canadian island on the coast of British Columbia, immediately south of the Alaska Panhandle. The city of Prince Rupert, British Columbia is situated on it. The city and island are both located within the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District.-External links:*...
and the harbour also includes Tuck Inlet, Morse Basin, Wainwright Basin, and Porpoise Harbour, as well as part of the waters of Chatham Sound which takes in Ridley Island.
Port facilities
The Prince Rupert Port AuthorityPrince Rupert Port Authority
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is a port authority operating under the Canada Marine Act as an autonomous and commercially viable agency...
(PRPA) is a federally appointed agency which administers and operates various port properties on the harbour. Previously run by the National Harbours Board and subsequently the Prince Rupert Port Corporation, the PRPA is now a locally run organization.
PRPA port facilities include:
- Atlin Terminal http://www.rupertport.com/atlin.htm
- Northlands Terminal http://www.rupertport.com/northland.htm
- Lightening Dock
- Ocean Dock
- Westview Dock
- Fairview Terminal http://www.rupertport.com/container.htm
- Prince Rupert Grain http://www.rupertport.com/princerupertgrain.htm
- Ridley Terminals http://www.rupertport.com/ridleyterminals.htm
- Sulphur Corporation
All PRPA facilities are serviced by CN Rail.
The Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
maintains CCG Base Seal Cove on Prince Rupert Harbour where vessels are homeported for search and rescue and maintenance of aids to navigation throughout the north coast. CCG also bases helicopters at Prince Rupert for servicing remote locations with aids to navigation, as well as operating a Marine Communications Centre, covering a large Vessel Traffic Services zone from Port Hardy
Port Hardy, British Columbia
Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Port Hardy has a population of 3822 at last census...
at the northern tip of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
to the International Boundary north of Prince Rupert.
Both BC Ferries
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
and the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska....
operate ferries which call at Prince Rupert, with destinations in the Alaska Panhandle
Alaska Panhandle
Southeast Alaska, sometimes referred to as the Alaska Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The majority of Southeast Alaska's area is part of the Tongass National Forest, the United...
, the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
, and isolated communities along the central coast to the south.
Airport
Prince Rupert AirportPrince Rupert Airport
Prince Rupert Airport, , is located west southwest of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
(YPR/CYPR) is located on Digby Island
Digby Island
Digby Island is a small island off the coast of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The island is home to the Prince Rupert Airport and the small community of Dodge Cove. The island is named for Henry A. Digby, an officer on the HMS Malacca....
. Its position is 54°17′10"N 130°26′41"W, and its elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
is 35 m (116 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The airport consists of one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
, one passenger terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
, and two aircraft stands. Access to the airport is typically achieved by a bus connection that departs from one location in downtown Prince Rupert (Highliner Hotel) and travels to Digby Island by ferry. The airport is served by Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
and Hawkair
Hawkair
Hawkair is a regional airline based in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada. It operates scheduled and charter regional passenger services in British Columbia and Alberta...
from Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
(YVR).
Prince Rupert is also served by the Prince Rupert/Seal Cove Water Aerodrome
Prince Rupert/Seal Cove Water Aerodrome
Prince Rupert/Seal Cove Water Airport, , is located adjacent to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. North Pacific Seaplanes, Inland Air, Vancouver Island Helicopters and White River Helicopters are users of this aerodrome....
, a seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
facility with regularly scheduled, as well as chartered, flights to nearby villages and remote locations.
Railway
CN Rail has a mainline that runs to Prince Rupert from Valemount, British ColumbiaValemount, British Columbia
Valemount is a village of 1,018 people in east central British Columbia, Canada. It is situated between the Rocky, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. It is the nearest community to the west of Jasper National Park, and is also the nearest community to Mount Robson Provincial Park, which features...
. At Valemount, the Prince Rupert mainline joins the CN mainline from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Freight traffic on the Prince Rupert mainline consists primarily of grain, coal, wood products, chemicals, and as of 2007, containers. As the renovations at the Port of Prince Rupert continue, traffic on CN will steadily rise in future years.
In addition, a three times weekly Jasper – Prince Rupert train operated by Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
connects Prince Rupert with Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
and Jasper
Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley....
. Running during daylight hours to allow passengers to be able to see the scenery along the entire route, the service takes two days and requires an overnight hotel stay in Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
. The route ends in Jasper and connects passengers with Via's The Canadian, which runs between Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Communications
Telephone, mobile, and Internet service are provided by CityWestCityWest
CityWest, formerly known as CityTel, is a city-owned corporation that provides wireline and cellular telephone and internet services in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. CityWest also purchased Monarch Cablesystems' assets, which were split between the former CityTel and Shaw Communications.It has...
(formerly CityTel). CityWest is owned by the City of Prince Rupert. CityWest provides long-distance telephone service, as does Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
.
In September 2005, the city changed CityTel from a city department into an independent corporation named CityWest. The new corporation immediately purchased the local cable company, Monarch Cablesystems
Monarch Cablesystems
Monarch Cablesystems, LTD. is a now-defunct cable television and internet service provider in British Columbia and portions of Alberta in Western Canada, and also operates Monarch TV-10, a community channel on Cable 10. Monarch was founded in the 1960s, and had expanded throughout Northern and...
, expanding CityWest's customer base to other northwest British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
communities.
Since January 2008, Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
has offered GSM and EDGE
Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution is a digital mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates as a backward-compatible extension of GSM...
service in the area—the first real competition to CityWest's virtual monopoly. Rogers offers local numbers based in Port Edward
Port Edward, British Columbia
The District of Port Edward is a town of approximately 577, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.It is situated on the Tsimpsean Peninsula, opposite Ridley Island, 15 km south of Prince Rupert.-Directions:...
(prefix 600), which is in the local calling zone for the Prince Rupert area. The introduction of Rogers service forced Citywest to form a partnership with Bell Canada
Bell Canada
Bell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,...
to bring digital services to Citywest Mobility, using CDMA
IS-95
Interim Standard 95 is the first CDMA-based digital cellular standard by Qualcomm. The brand name for IS-95 is cdmaOne. IS-95 is also known as TIA-EIA-95....
.
Radio
- AM 560 - CHTK,
- AM 860 - CFPR, CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
- FM 100.7 - CIAJ-FMCIAJ-FMCIAJ-FM is a Christian radio station that broadcasts at 100.7 FM in Prince Rupert, British Columbia.Owned by the Aboriginal Christian Voice Network, the station was given approval by the CRTC on October 18, 1999.-External links:...
, ChristianChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
programming - FM 101.9 - CJFW-FM-2CJFW-FMCJFW-FM is a Canadian radio station, airing at 103.1 FM in Terrace, British Columbia. It is currently owned by Astral Media, broadcasting a country music format to communities throughout northwestern B.C....
, country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
(repeats CJFW-FMCJFW-FMCJFW-FM is a Canadian radio station, airing at 103.1 FM in Terrace, British Columbia. It is currently owned by Astral Media, broadcasting a country music format to communities throughout northwestern B.C....
, TerraceTerrace, British ColumbiaTerrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
) - FM 98.1 - VF2119CFNR-FMCFNR-FM is a Canadian radio station based in Terrace, British Columbia, owned and operated by Northern Native Broadcasting. The programming represents the First Nations communities in Northern British Columbia. Programming of CFNR-FM is distributed to numerous repeater stations in the region.The...
, classic rock (repeats CFNR-FMCFNR-FMCFNR-FM is a Canadian radio station based in Terrace, British Columbia, owned and operated by Northern Native Broadcasting. The programming represents the First Nations communities in Northern British Columbia. Programming of CFNR-FM is distributed to numerous repeater stations in the region.The...
, Terrace)
Television
- Channel 6 - CFTK-TV-1CFTK-TVCFTK-TV is a television station in Terrace, British Columbia, broadcasting on channel 7 , channel 3 , channel 324 , channel 256 . It is owned by Astral Media and is the CBC Television affiliate in that city...
, CBC TelevisionCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
private affiliate (repeats CFTK-TVCFTK-TVCFTK-TV is a television station in Terrace, British Columbia, broadcasting on channel 7 , channel 3 , channel 324 , channel 256 . It is owned by Astral Media and is the CBC Television affiliate in that city...
, Terrace)
Tourist attractions
Prince Rupert is a central point on the Inside Passage, a route of relatively sheltered waters running along the Pacific coast from VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to Skagway, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
. It is visited by many cruise ships during the summer en route between Alaska to the north and Vancouver and the Lower 48 to the south.
Prince Rupert is also the starting point for many wildlife viewing trips including whales, eagles and grizzly bears. The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear sanctuary features one of the densest remaining populations in North America; tours can be arranged by water or air (using float planes) departing from Prince Rupert.
Neighbouring communities
By virtue of location, Prince Rupert is the gateway to many destinations:- Dodge Cove (1 km, 0.6 mi, west)
- MetlakatlaMetlakatla, British ColumbiaMetlakatla, British Columbia, is a small community that is one of the seven Tsimshian village communities in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated at Metlakatla Pass near Prince Rupert, British Columbia...
(5 km, 3 mi, west) - Port EdwardPort Edward, British ColumbiaThe District of Port Edward is a town of approximately 577, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.It is situated on the Tsimpsean Peninsula, opposite Ridley Island, 15 km south of Prince Rupert.-Directions:...
(15 km, 9 mi, south) - Lax Kw'alaamsLax Kw'alaamsLax-Kw'alaams , usually called Port Simpson, is an Indigenous village community in British Columbia, Canada, not far from the city of Prince Rupert. It is the home of the "Nine Tribes" of the lower Skeena River, which are nine of the fourteen tribes of the Tsimshian nation...
(Port Simpson) (30 km, 19 mi, northwest) - Oona River (43 km, 27 mi, southwest)
- KitkatlaKitkatlaThe Kitkatla are one of the 14 bands of the Tsimshian nation of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and inhabit a village, also called Kitkatla , on Dolphin Island, a small island just by Porcher Island off the coast of northern B.C. Because of this they have sometimes been called Porcher...
(65 km, 40 mi, south) - Kisumkalum (140 km, 87 mi, east)
- KitselasKitselas, British ColumbiaKitselas, also Kitsalas, is an unincorporated settlement, otherwise known as Kitselas Indian Reserve No. 1 of the Kitselas subgroup of the Tsimshian people lcoated on the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Kitselas means "people of the village at the canyon" in the Tsimshian...
(142 km, 88 mi, east) - TerraceTerrace, British ColumbiaTerrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
(146 km, 87 mi, east) - Hartley BayHartley Bay, British ColumbiaHartley Bay is a First Nations community on the coast of British Columbia. The village is located at the mouth of Douglas Channel, about north of Vancouver and south of Prince Rupert...
(157 km, 98 mi, southeast)
The Haida Gwaii are to the west of Prince Rupert, across the Hecate Strait
Hecate Strait
Hecate Strait is a wide but shallow strait between the Haida Gwaii and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It merges with Queen Charlotte Sound to the south and Dixon Entrance to the north...
. Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
is 49 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (90 km, 56 mi) north of Prince Rupert.
Citations
The book Unmarked: Landscapes Along Highway 16, written by Sarah de LeeuwSarah de Leeuw
Sarah de Leeuw is a Canadian writer who wrote Unmarked: Landscapes Along Highway 16.A native of British Columbia, she grew up in Duncan, Queen Charlotte Islands and Terrace. She has worked as a tug boat driver, logging camp cook and journalist...
, includes an essay about Prince Rupert entitled "Highway of Monsters".
Ra McGuire of the band Trooper
Trooper (band)
Trooper is a Juno Award winning Canadian rock band that developed from a group formed by vocalist Ramon McGuire and guitarist Brian Smith in 1975...
wrote the hit song "Santa Maria" on a boat in Prince Rupert's Harbour. Says McGuire, "The boat was called The Lucky Lady. We sailed from Prince Rupert onto an island [Lucy Island http://www.fogwhistle.ca/bclights/lucy/ off the coast with an awful lot of alcohol and some salmon to barbecue. Many of the lines in the song are direct quotes from the skipper. He actually said 'Okay, there's only fear and good judgment holding us back.' On the way back he said 'Does somebody know how to drive this thing?' I actually wrote these down in a little notepad as we went." http://www.trooper.ca/default.php?cat=articles&subcat=35
Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
, the protagonist of the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
, was born and raised in Prince Rupert.
External links
- City of Prince Rupert
- Prince Rupert City and Regional Archives
- Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce
- Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District
- Prince Rupert Pictures
- Prince Rupert Port Authority
- Prince Rupert Airport
- Northwest Community College (Prince Rupert Campus)
- School District 52 (Prince Rupert)
- Prince Rupert Secondary School
- Charles Hays Secondary School
- Prince Rupert Library
- Prince Rupert Economic Development Corporation
- Tourism Prince Rupert