Hartley Bay
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On the norther coast, fog can roll in at a moment's notice.
Light 651.2 at the Hartley Bay Breakwater
The following is about one of the remarkable chapters in the life of this aboriginal community. On March 22, 2006, the people of Hartley Bay helped rescue the passengers of the BC Ferries vessel Queen of the North, by arriving before the Canadian Coast Guard. The town community centre was turned into a rescue center with the small community providing aid. According to Betsy Reece, "everyone not out on the water was helping keep people warm and fed at the cultural centre." The town's populace received the Governor General's Commendation for Outstanding Service on May 3, 2006, for "initiative, selflessness and an extraordinary commitment to the well-being of others" in the rescue; the honour also cites the town's "tremendous spirit and the remarkable example it has set".
One of the primary sources of income for Hartley Bay inhabitants is Fishing. First Nations peoples are not subject to the same fishing regulations as non-native fishermen. Unfortunately, many of the fishing boats at Hartley bay never leave the docks as there is little incentive to fish these days. The Canadian government provides other sources of income, most of which are subsidies of various kinds.
Hartley Bay Emmanuel United Church
I didn't walk through the entire village, but I believe this to be the only church in Hartley Bay. Though rarley used for church services any more, the church stands sentinal looking out to Wright Sound where the 125 metres ferry, "Queen of the North" sank after running into Gil Island in the early morning hours of March 22, 2006 with 101 people aboard. Two were lost and their bodies never recovered. The wreck of the ship lies at a depth of 427 metres below the surface. The villagers of Hartley Bay played an heroic part in rescuing passengers from the ferry.
This is my brother's boat dockside in the First Nations village of Hartley Bay. I spent a wonderful five days aboard the San Simone with my brother and his wife - truly a highlight of my life.
This totem stands in the village of Hartley Bay on the west cost of B.C. Some 90K south of Prince Rupert. The village is rather isolated with no land roads connecting to it. Access is either by float plane or boat.
Wally is a 'First Nations' native of Hartley Bay, a village of some 200 Gitga'at peoples. Hartley Bay is a First Nations community on the coast of British Columbia. The village is located at the mouth of Douglas Channel, about 630 kilometres (390 mi) north of Vancouver and 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Prince Rupert. It is an isolated village accessible only by water and air. Wally works as a ferry and float-plane hand, assisting with docking and loading and off-loading people and freight. He has a wonderful friendly nature as can be seen by this photo. I first made his acquaintance some two years ago. He's a good man to know.
Hartley Bay's breakwater, a fortress-like stack of boulders covered in green algae, shelters battered fishing boats and the odd luxury yacht. Hartley Bay lies at the mouth of Douglas Channel, the same body of water at the head of which is Kitimat.
By the standards of urban North America, Hartley Bay is about as remote as you can get. The Gitga'at village lies approximately 620 kilometres north of Vancouver and 80 southwest of Kitimat, tucked snugly into a cove at the mouth of the Douglas Channel (satellite map here). No highway or backcountry road connects Hartley Bay to the B.C. interior. Most people take a small ferry -- named the Tsimshian Storm -- from Prince Rupert. The journey is about three and a half hours down the narrow Grenville Channel. On either side, rainforested mountains wrapped by wisps of cloud plunge into gray-blue seas. Single-family homes -- most vinyl-sided -- spread in a rough semi-circle along the shore. They're connected by a matrix of boardwalks that glisten when it rains. Locals rumble across town on ATVs or covered golf carts.