Prince Rupert
Around Prince Rupert
Photo: Sam Beebe · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Town and around · British Columbia · 13k people
Prince Rupert
Locals say North Coast · “City of Rainbows”
Where the rainforest meets the sea.
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Welcome to the North Coast! Whether you're here for the fishing, the rainforest, or the rich Indigenous culture, you'll find a friendly community. Grab a coffee in Cow Bay and watch the boats come in.
Clubs for Prince Rupert
No clubs for Prince Rupert yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Prince Rupert. 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 Prince Rupert. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Museum of Northern BC Local history and Indigenous art
- Cow Bay Historic harbourfront with shops and restaurants
- Sunken Gardens A sunken garden with flowers and paths
- Kwinitsa Railway Museum Restored 1911 railway station
- Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay Showcases Haida art and totem poles
- Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve Protected archipelago with ancient Haida sites
- Outdoors Whale watching tours
- Outdoors Kayaking in the harbour
- With kids Visit the Museum of Northern BC
- With kids Walk the Sunken Gardens
- Evenings Live music at local pubs
- Evenings Harbourfront bars
- Locals love fishing charter boats
- Locals love seafood restaurants
Through the year
- Seafest June Community festival with parade, food, and waterfront activities
- All Native Basketball Tournament February Major Indigenous basketball tournament drawing teams from across BC and Alaska
Mild, wet coastal rainforest climate with cool summers and rainy winters. Best time to be out is July and August when it's driest. Best: July and August are the driest and most pleasant.
Talk like a local
- “North Coast”
- The region around Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii
- “The Charlottes”
- Old nickname for Haida Gwaii
Getaways
Local flavour
Teams
- Prince Rupert Rampage CIHL
Eat and drink
- smoked salmon A local staple, often cedar-smoked
- halibut and chips Fresh halibut battered and fried
- Dungeness crab Caught locally in the surrounding waters
- bannock
Where people go
- totem poles
- longhouses
- coastal rainforest trails Dense, mossy, and dramatic
- fishing villages Working harbours and canneries
- deep-sea fishing charters Popular for salmon and halibut
- BC Ferries terminals
Heritage and traditions
Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii are proud of their deep Indigenous heritage, especially the Haida culture, and their rugged coastal lifestyle centered on fishing, rainforest, and the sea.
This time of year in Prince Rupert
- Salmon runs summer/fall Summer and fall bring salmon runs, a key fishing time.
- Mushroom picking fall Fall brings chanterelles and other mushrooms.
Say it like a local: “Potlatch” — A ceremonial feast
Festivals
- Edge of the World Music Festival summer A folk and world music festival on Haida Gwaii, often held in July.
Landmarks with a story
- SGang Gwaay (Ninstints) UNESCO World Heritage Site on Haida Gwaii, with standing totem poles and longhouse remains.
- Old Massett Village Home to many totem poles and longhouses, a living Haida community.
- Skidegate Village Another Haida village with totem poles and the Haida Heritage Centre nearby.
Food traditions
- Herring roe on kelp A traditional Haida delicacy harvested in spring when herring spawn on kelp.
- Oolichan grease A prized oil rendered from eulachon fish, used in cooking and trade.
- Dried seaweed Harvested and sun-dried, used as a seasoning or snack.
- Clam digging A popular family activity on the beaches of Haida Gwaii.
- Cedar-plank salmon Salmon grilled on a cedar plank, a traditional cooking method.
Music and arts
- Haida totem pole carving A renowned art form, with poles carved from cedar.
- Haida printmaking Silkscreen prints and other graphic arts by Haida artists.
- Traditional Haida singing and dancing Ceremonial songs and dances performed at cultural events.
- Tsimshian weaving Traditional weaving of cedar bark and wool.
A little history
- ancient Haida presence for over 10,000 years
- 1778 European contact with Captain Cook in 1778
- 1910 Founding of Prince Rupert in 1910 as railway terminus
- early 1900s Salmon canning boom in early 1900s
- 1885-1951 Potlatch ban from 1885 to 1951
Rivalries
- Prince Rupert vs Terrace Friendly rivalry between coastal and inland towns
- Game day Ice hockey
- Game day Fishing derbies
- Outdoors Storm watching
- Outdoors Northern lights viewing
- With kids Beach picnics
- With kids Visiting the public library
Locals speak English with a Canadian accent, and many place names come from Indigenous languages. Some Chinook jargon words are still used.
Only here
- The All Native Basketball Tournament is the largest Indigenous basketball tournament in the world, held in Prince Rupert.
- The region is one of the rainiest in Canada, with over 2,500 mm of precipitation annually.
- The Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay is a world-class cultural facility.
- SGang Gwaay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the largest collection of standing totem poles.
New here? A few tips
- Bring rain gear; it rains a lot.
- Learn about the local Indigenous cultures and history.
- Try the fresh seafood, especially halibut and crab.
- Make ferry reservations to Haida Gwaii well in advance.
- Be prepared for limited services in smaller communities.
Make this page better
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Nearby
Every areaKetchikanAlaskaWhere the rainforest meets the sea, and totems tell stories.TerraceBritish ColumbiaWhere rivers run wild and mountains meet the sky.Kitimat-StikineBritish ColumbiaWhere the mountains meet the seaHaida GwaiiBritish ColumbiaWhere the ancient forest meets the wild Pacific.Bulkley-NechakoBritish ColumbiaWhere the rivers run deep and the mountains meet the sky.
Prince Rupert. 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.