Page 125 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Canada

The islands have been the 12
home of the Haida people for
thousands of years. Today, the Fort St. John
Haida are recognized for their ~ @ n 9324 96th St; Did You Know?
carvings and sculptures from www.fortstjohn.ca
cedar wood and argillite (a Fort St. John is
black slatelike stone found Fort St. John is located along the oldest non-
only on these islands). It was the Alaska Highway, which was First Nations
the Haida who led environ- constructed in 1942 and led settlement in BC.
mental campaigns against to a dramatic increase in the
logging companies in the tiny town’s population. The
1980s, leading to the founding high way turned Fort St. John
of the Gwaii Haanas National into a busy supply center for northern frontier town.
Park Reserve and Haida the area, and an important link Before the Alaska Highway
Heritage Site in 1988. The in the region’s agricultural was built in the 1940s, Fort
park is home to cen turies-old growth. The town’s great est Nelson was an important
rainforest, with 1,000-year-old boom, however, came when stop along the route for the
Sitka spruce and red cedar. oil was found here in the 1950s, Yukon and Alaska, although
in what proved to be the until the 1950s it was without
Gwaii Haanas National largest oil field in the province. running water or electricity.
Park Reserve and Haida Today, Fort St. John’s pride in Fur trading was the main
Heritage Site its indus trial and pioneering activity until the energy boom;
" # Daily (no fee in winter) heritage is reflec ted in the even today both Aboriginal
∑ pc.gc.ca local museum, which has an oil and white trappers hunt wolf,
derrick at its entrance and a beaver, and lynx, for both
range of exhibits that tell the their fur and their meat.
INSIDER TIP story of the local oil industry. Today, the town has an air
All At Sea and bus service, a hospital,
There are two ways to and good visitor facilities.
get to Haida Gwaii: by 13 Local people are famous for
ferry or by air. BC Ferries their friendliness, and during
offers two options, Fort Nelson the busy summer months
one from Prince Rupert ~ @ n 5319 50th Ave S; run a program of free talks
(six hours) and one from www.northernrockies.ca describ ing life in the north to
Port Hardy via Prince visitors. A small museum
Rupert (15 hours). Despite the growth of the oil, displays photographs and
Advance cabin bookings gas, and lumber industries in artifacts that tell the story of
are recommended. the 1960s and 1970s, Fort the building of the 1,523-mile
Nelson retains the feel of a (2,451-km) Alaska Highway.

A visitor taking in the vast
rainforest of the Gwaii Haanas
National Park Reserve
125

124-125_EW_Canada.indd 125 28/01/2019 14:44