Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-east tip of Vancouver Island. Port Hardy has a population of 3,902 as of the 2021 census. It is the gateway to Cape Scott Provincial Park, the North Coast Trail and the BC Marine Trail, located on the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island. The community has access to various outdoor activities, such as kayaking, caving, scuba diving, nature viewing, surfing, saltwater rapids, fishing and camping. Port Hardy's twin city is Numata, Japan.

Name

Port Hardy was named after Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, who served as the captain of HMS Victory. He served at the Battle of Trafalgar when Horatio Nelson died in his arms.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Port Hardy had a population of 3,902 living in 1,791 of its 1,984 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 4,132. With a land area of 38.55 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Port Hardy included:

Ethnicity

Filomi Days

Once a year, Port Hardy holds a celebration in Rotary Park to acknowledge its natural resource based economy. The three syllables, fi, lo and mi, stand for "fishing, logging and mining". The celebration includes festivities in the park such as activities for children, fundraising concessions, entertainment, beer gardens, bake sales, craft sales, and fireworks. A dance for each age group and a parade are also held on Filomi Days weekend- typically the third weekend in July. Brookes Laidlaw represents the current Vice Admiral in the annual parade.

Tourism

Port Hardy's economy relies greatly on tourism. Ferries to Prince Rupert, another popular tourist destination in British Columbia, depart every other day during peak season. Tourist traffic in the summer is immense, and hotels and restaurants usually find themselves with no room to accommodate all travellers.

Wildlife

Deer, black bears, bald eagles, squirrels, seals, salmon and many other species of birds and mammals are often spotted along the Quatse Loop Nature Trail or at Storey's Beach which is a short drive from town. Humpback whales can occasionally been seen surfacing in the bay. Port Hardy has many wildlife charters, fishing charters and places to camp during tourist season.

Climate

Port Hardy has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) due to its proximity to the Pacific moderating influence. As a result, summers are very cool for the latitude, whereas winters instead are very mild. Although there is a strong drying trend in summer, its summer rainfall is still higher than those of the southerly mediterranean climates. Winter rainfall is very high and in general Port Hardy is far wetter than Canada's interior.

Radio

Transportation

Port Hardy is located at the northern end of British Columbia Highway 19, which runs south towards Nanaimo. It is served by the Bear Cove ferry terminal, which sees ferry sailings to Prince Rupert and summer-only service to Bella Coola. Port Hardy Airport has flights to Vancouver on Pacific Coastal Airlines. There are two taxi companies and a public transport bus.

Sister-city relations

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