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Prince Rupert

Gateway to the Grizzly Bear

By Prestige Adventures

April 25^th, 2018

an island city

I never gave it much thought until I was driving over a short bridge that connects Prince Rupert to the mainland that I realized this coastal city was situated on an island - Kaien Island to be exact.

Just prior to the bridge, a few kilometres away, is a pull off on the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy. 16) leading into Prince Rupert. A small, southern arm off Prudhomme Lake is a great spot to stop and pull out the camera, especially given that this was a sunny day. The views were spectacular and so easy to access.

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert, with a population of just over 12,000 people, is the land, air and water transportation hub of B.C.'s North Coast.

When planning this short trip, I was excited to learn that Prince Rupert is the starting point for many wildlife viewing trips including whales, eagles, salmon and (my favourite) grizzly bears. Unfortunately, the day I arrived was the last day tour boats were heading out to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear sanctuary, where one of the densest remaining populations in North America can be found.

I was hoping to capture images similar to a great Canadian photographer, Christopher Martin, from Bragg Creek, Alberta who made the trip here and photographed the "spirits in the Khutzeymateen." Below are a couple of photos of the bears as well as an incredible shot of a soaring eagle taken from his room at the Prestige Hotel located downtown Prince Rupert. In an email to me, he wrote: "it’s a great spot for eagles as they ride the air that pushes up the hill and over the hotel." These spectacular shots have made me determined to return again earlier in the season when I can visit the sanctuary.

Christopher Martin photography.

Christopher Martin photography.

Christopher Martin photography.

As I pulled into the city, I stopped to admire City Hall which was originally constructed as the Federal Building in 1938, before checking into the Prestige Hotel downtown.

The architect was Max B. Downing who persuaded the Department of Public Works to use "monolithic concrete" on the edifice instead of brick.

It was built in the fashionable art deco streamlined style; many years later decorative native motifs were incorporated into the front wall. It is one of only two existing art deco city halls in Canada; the other being Vancouver City Hall.

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

A MORNING HIKE

I woke up to sun streaming through the window on my first morning in Prince Rupert. I couldn't believe my luck that it was a 'non-typical' day for the city - no rain! Known as the "City of Rainbows," Prince Rupert is the wettest city in Canada. Checking my weather app I was elated to see that for the next couple of days, it was showing only bright little suns on my smartphone screen.

I packed up my camera gear, slipped on my hiking boots and headed off to Butze Rapids trail for a morning hike.

Located just a few kilometres from downtown, just off Hwy. 16, Butze Rapids trail takes you through mystical old-growth forests, coastal wetlands and fascinating forest bogs, which Prince Rupert is known for the world over.

It is an easy 5.4 km hike looping through the rainforest to a viewpoint above the reversing tidal rapids. The viewing platform 1.8 km from the parking overlooks the rapids. The trail traverses a coastal rainforest ecosystem through old growth forest, across bogs, wetlands and swamps carpeted with sphagum moss and stunted growth pines. There are many boardwalks along the way, which can be slippery when wet. The morning I was there, joggers zipped around my tripod while families with dogs in tow pushed children in buggies, which gives you an idea of the ease of the trail.

The morning was still, peaceful and well worth the easy effort of getting to this trail.

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

a national historic site

After my 2.5 hour hike, I hopped back in the car and headed east on Hwy. 16 to the small town of Port Edward where the North Pacific Cannery is located.

Tourist season was just capped in the area, but the General Manager, Laurie Davie had agreed to give me a private tour in between her, and her staff, cleaning up what they label as "Prince Rupert's Premiere Tourist Destination." I had seen pictures online, but I was dumbfounded with the sheer scale of the Cannery. It's huge with many of the original buildings intact. Original architecture and the pristine BC wilderness set the backdrop for a unique and engaging experience.

Laurie told me it was their busiest season ever this past year. Visitors, she told me, were able to take guided tours, just as I was undertaking. In fact there are two different tours available when the facility is open from May 1st to October 1st (10am-5pm).

The Industry Tour explores North Pacific Cannery’s industrial buildings, workspaces, and equipment, taking you on a journey from the earliest days of manual salmon canning to the highly-mechanized plants that operate today.

The Cannery Life Tour explores the unique experiences of workers of First Nations, Japanese, Chinese, and European descent, discussing the types of work, the living conditions, and the family and cultural connections that were fostered on remote cannery villages such as this. This tour also includes the site's two semi-restricted buildings, the First Nations Net Loft and Company Store.

With Laurie as my guide, she gave me what I jokingly called "the Royal Tour." As I entered the "net room," I was taken aback by its size and scale. Looking at the remnants of nets and fishing gear hanging from the rooftop and scattered on the weathered floors, I could almost hear the sounds of the Japanese who were largely tasked with net mending. At most of these canneries, labour was divided according to race and culture, with Japanese fishing and net mending, First Nations fishing and working on the cannery line, Chinese on the cannery line and cooking, and Europeans fishing and managing. They all lived and worked in close proximity with one goal in mind - can salmon to sell to the rest of the world.

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

a craft brewery

"We are a little brewery at the end of the road on the left side of British Columbia" - that's the description Wheelhouse Brewery tags itself on their website. Intrigued, I wanted to know more about this craft brewery, so I pulled into the small parking lot on the edge of Cow Bay Marina.

Not many other segments of B.C.'s food and beverage industry have seen such explosive growth and record-breaking revenues as the craft beer industry. A recent shift in consumer appetite has given craft beer sales an increasingly larger share of the beer market.

Recent success in the craft beer market is attracting more start-up brewers hoping to get a share of the ever-growing pie. In 2016, there were 102 craft breweries in B.C., and 31% of these are less than a year old.

Opening my trunk and grabbing my camera, I turned back to Wheelhouse Brewery, a small building housing not only the brewing facility but also a retail store and bar, where up on a tall ladder stood head brewer Craig Outhet.

"This brewery began as a dream of three friends who were transplants to Prince Rupert," Craig tells me. They had looked at themselves and asked the proverbial question: "Why can't there be a brewery here?"

"When we opened our doors around Christmas 2013, we were not prepared for the positive response we received from the locals," Chris commented. "Within two hours of the first pour, we had completely sold out of all our beer and needed to rush to get things ready for the following week."

Craig, along with his partners James Witzke and Kent Orton, have made it their mission to showcase the vibrant nature of the north coast through quality beer produced locally that represents the people and the historical culture of the Northwest Coast. They must be doing something right because the popularity of their craft beer now extends beyond the city's borders.

I find it's great that in so many places I've traveled in British Columbia I've not only found great restaurants, but also wineries, and breweries who are "keeping it local." It's not only great for the local economies of their cities but also adds to the diversity of food and drink - and that's a good thing.

final morning

After spending some time at Wheelhouse Brewing, I walked across the street to catch the afternoon sun at Cow Bay Marina.

Located right in the heart of Prince Rupert's tourist area with great stores and restaurants that are within walking distance from my hotel, Cow Bay Marina was one of my "must see's."

With the capacity to berth 51 vessels, including larger yachts, the marina is an ideal re-supply stop for boats traveling to and from Haida Gwaii and Alaska.

Located at the Atlin Terminal in Cow Bay, the new marina offers slips for vessels that are up to 100 feet, with a capacity to moor larger vessels on the dock's breakwater. The breakwater is covered by a walkway and is accessible to everyone.

Knowing I had an early flight the next morning, I vowed to come back at daybreak and get a couple of shots of this popular tourist spot, before heading off on my flight home. I wasn't disappointed and my good luck with the great weather continued the next day.

As seagulls began their morning squawks and the moored boats clanged in the harbour, I set up my camera and quietly snapped a few images that will be forever ingrained in my memory.

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert

sunset over prince rupert

Before I left Prince Rupert I knew I had to return to where I started - a small park just off the highway leading into the city. The location, for me, was peaceful and beautiful and it was an easy pull off to sit on the bench and listen to the sounds of the birds, the ocean and watch as the sun set over the landscape.

© 2026 Prestige Adventures

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