North Island
Around North Island
Photo: Christof46 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Countryside and towns · British Columbia · 10k people
North Island
Where the ocean meets the rainforest, and the wild is always near.
Deep ocean blueRainforest green
Welcome to the North Island, where the ocean meets the rainforest. We're a tight-knit community of fishers, loggers, and outdoor lovers. Come for the scenery, stay for the friendly faces.
Clubs for North Island
No clubs for North Island yet.
The room
One room for everyone around North Island. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around North Island. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Cape Scott Provincial Park Remote wilderness with rainforest trails and sandy beaches.
- San Josef Bay Iconic beach with sea stacks and surf, within Cape Scott.
- Quatse River Hatchery Salmon hatchery with interpretive centre.
- Port Hardy Museum Local history including Indigenous, pioneer, and wartime heritage.
- Sointula Museum Finnish settlement history and artefacts.
- Telegraph Cove Historic boardwalk community with whale-watching.
- Outdoors Hike the Cape Scott Trail
- Outdoors Kayak the Broughton Archipelago
- With kids Visit the Quatse River Hatchery
- With kids Walk the Telegraph Cove boardwalk
- Evenings Pub nights at local pubs
- Evenings Live music at community halls
- Locals love fishing spots
- Locals love hiking trails
Through the year
- Filomi Days July Port Hardy's summer festival with parade, music, and community fair.
- Sointula Midsummer June Finnish-style maypole, dancing, and potluck on Malcolm Island.
- Port McNeill Fall Fair September Agricultural show, crafts, and local produce.
- North Island Fishing Derby Summer Local angling competition for salmon and halibut.
- Canada Day Celebrations July 1 Fireworks and community picnic in Port Hardy.
A mild, wet maritime climate with heavy rain in winter and cool, drier summers. The best time to be out is July–August. Best: July and August are the driest and warmest, perfect for outdoor adventures.
Talk like a local
- “the North Island”
- The region itself
- “bush”
- Forest or wilderness
- “skookum”
- Strong, good (Chinook jargon)
- “over the hump”
- Crossing the island's mountain range
Getaways
- Campbell River Salmon capital, gateway to Strathcona Park.
- Tofino and Ucluelet Surfing, beaches, and Pacific Rim National Park.
- Strathcona Provincial Park Mountain hikes, alpine lakes, and winter skiing.
- Courtenay Comox Valley amenities, food, and arts.
Local flavour
Rooting for Vancouver Canucks, BC Lions, Toronto Blue Jays
Eat and drink
- Spot prawns Sweet, fresh spot prawns caught locally, often served simply with butter or in a seafood boil.
- Smoked salmon Locally smoked salmon, a staple of the coast, often enjoyed with bannock or on crackers.
- Dungeness crab Caught locally, a favourite seafood.
- Pulla Finnish cardamom bread from Sointula's heritage.
- Wild mushrooms Chanterelles and morels in season.
Where people go
- Working fishing villages Tight-knit communities like Port Hardy, Port McNeill, and Port Alice with busy harbours, fish processing plants, and a working waterfront.
- Lighthouses Historic lighthouses along the rugged coast, such as those near Cape Scott, guiding ships through the Inside Passage.
- Old-growth forests Ancient cedar and spruce forests with mossy floors, accessible via trails and marine parks.
- Indigenous cultural sites Kwakwaka'wakw villages, totem poles, and cultural centres that preserve the region's First Nations heritage.
Make this page better
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Nearby
Every areaCampbell RiverBritish ColumbiaWhere the river meets the seaTofino and UclueletBritish ColumbiaWhere the rainforest meets the wild PacificStrathconaBritish ColumbiaWhere the wild coast meets the quiet forestCourtenayBritish ColumbiaWhere ocean, forest, and community thrive.Powell RiverBritish ColumbiaWhere the ocean meets the forest, and community thrives.
Rural Mount Waddington, BC. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.