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Campbell River
Marina
Photo courtesy of Audrey Hunt
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Atop a townsite carved out of the surrounding rainforest, Campbell
River is built facing east out over the narrow Discovery Passage. Located
on the east coast of Vancouver
Island, British Columbia,
Canada, Campbell
River is 153 km (96 mi) north of Nanaimo,
and 264 km (165 mi) north of British Columbia's capital city, Victoria.
The city of Campbell River has the distinction of being the "Salmon Capital
of the World," thanks to the thousands of spawning salmon that jam the Discovery
Passage and the river every year. The allure of the salmon has caused the community
to play host to a broad range of visitors since the end of the 19th century,
including movie stars and billionaires, as they try to land a mammoth tyee salmon.
Since the early days, Campbell River has grown from a place where early movie
stars and captains of industry slept in tents, to a small but modern city with
all the conveniences of civilization.
HISTORY & ECONOMY
Archaeological evidence suggests the Campbell River area was first inhabited
by native peoples some 9,000 years ago. Unsurprisingly, it is believed that
these early settlers were attracted by the remarkable number of salmon found
in the Discovery Passage.
Both the town and the river of Campbell River were
named after Dr. Samuel Campbell, the staff surgeon on the HMS Plumper while
it was charting the area in the 1860s–but the Plumper was by no means the
first European vessel to reach the area. In 1792, Capt. George Vancouver's ships,
Discovery and Chatham, were the first European vessels to reach the area. Capt.
Vancouver and his botanist went ashore on nearby Quadra
Island and observed the village of a Salish-speaking tribe. By the mid-1800s,
the Salish people had lost the entire area to the Lekwiltok, a Kwakiutl tribe.
The Lekwiltok gained control using war canoes and guns obtained by trading with
Europeans. They were firmly in control of the region by the time the first European
logging communities were being established in the area in the 1880s. Cedar,
Douglas fir, spruce, balsam and hemlock are all found in the surrounding rainforests,
and it was these old-growth rainforests which first attracted European settlement.
While forestry remains the cornerstone of the local economy, it was salmon that
put the town on the map. In 1896, British journalist Sir Richard Musgrave wrote
an article for a London periodical, The Field, about a massive 32 kg (70 lb)
chinook salmon caught in the mouth of the Campbell River. The fishing craze
initiated by this article has never really died down, and the town has been
known as the "Salmon Capital of the World" ever since.
CULTURE
The culture of the local First Nations is alive and well in Campbell River.
Totem poles dot the landscape, while native
dance presentations and traditional potlatch
ceremonies are regular occurrences.
Native folklore has also survived
European settlement, including the mythology of local landmarks like the Big
Rock. Sitting on the shoreline near the south end of town, the Big Rock is a
10-m (30-ft) tall glacial erratic. According to native folklore, however, the
rock was originally a boastful grizzly bear. The bear claimed he could jump
from the mainland to Vancouver Island, but was warned by the Great Spirit that
he would turn to stone if he landed in the water. Ignoring the Great Spirit's
warning, the bear jumped across the strait and reached the island, but his back
paw landed in the water. Just as the Great Spirit had warned, the bear turned
to stone. The legend serves as an explanation of why grizzly bears, which are
common on the coast of the mainland, are not found on Vancouver Island.
Campbell River has also developed some unique institutions in more recent times.
Concerned by the dwindling stocks of large salmon, local sportsmen formed the
Tyee
Club of British Columbia in 1924. Membership is granted only to those
who catch a chinook (also known as tyee, spring, or king) salmon weighing over
13.6 kg (30 lb), from a rowboat in Discovery Passage's Tyee Pool, using a hand-operated
reel and no more than 9-kg (20-lb) test line. Special pins are also awarded
for documented catch and release of qualifying fish.
GEOGRAPHY
The town lies on the east coast of Vancouver Island, at the south entrance
to the Discovery Passage, a narrow body of water separating Vancouver Island
from the Discovery Islands.
The Passage is where the warm waters of the Georgia Strait meet cold northern
waters, providing ideal feeding grounds for all kinds of marine life, especially
salmon. While the Georgia Strait is over 30 km (19 mi) wide, the Passage is
only 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide at the mouth. As a result, all northbound water traffic–including spawning salmon, migratory whales, and cruise ships destined for
Alaska–passes within
close range of Campbell River. Looking to the west, the mountains make a stunning
backdrop on a clear day.
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Orcas
Breaching |
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TOURS & ACTIVITIES
Fishing in the Campbell River area is nearly unavoidable. Anyone can purchase
a fishing
licence, walk to the end of the Discovery
Pier, and cast off, but for those who desire a more natural setting,
there are countless guided
fishing tours available. The duration, price and destinations of these
tours vary greatly, but most of the area's tour operators boast very high success
rates. All-inclusive packages,
some including transportation from Vancouver
or Seattle, are also available.
With nature right at its doorstep, Campbell River has become the jumping off
point for wilderness
adventures in the area. Nature-watching cruises bring visitors close–but not too close–to killer
whales and grizzly
bears. Birdwatchers can observe bald eagles and numerous seabirds in
the area, particularly at the nearby Mitlenatch
Island Bird Sanctuary. Swimming with the salmon is the latest tour innovation
in Campbell River. Interpretive guided
tours of the area are also available.
There are several distinct bodies of water around the town of Campbell River:
the clear freshwater of the Campbell River, the cold Pacific saltwater of the
Discovery Passage, and the warmer waters of the Georgia Strait. Thanks to this
convergence of waters, boating,
kayaking,
sea
kayaking, fishing,
and scuba
diving tours are all popular activities in this area. Scuba diving has
grown exponentially in Campbell River, due in large part to the international
acclaim given to the quality of the diving experience here. The Jacques Cousteau
Society has rated the Georgia Strait as second only to the Red Sea in terms
of water clarity and diversity and abundance of marine life. Spring diving allows
visitors to swim with the fishes–literally–as the passage and the river
are flooded with spawning salmon. Also below the surface, a flourishing artificial
reef has been created by the planned sinking of the decommissioned antisubmarine
destroyer HMCS Columbia.
Land reclamation has been undertaken in several areas of Campbell River, necessitated
by the fact that the mountainous terrain often drops off sharply into the water.
While a hindrance for developers, this topography is popular with hikers and
mountain bikers–there are dozens of trails
to explore in the rainforest. Nearby Elk
Falls Provincial Park has a number of scenic trails, and offers RV and
tenting campsites. Also of interest to the adventurous are the many natural
caves in the area. Sequoia
Park, near the Campbell
River Museum, has a stairway leading down to the coastline caves, where
visitors can explore for themselves. The more adventurous traveller can sign
up for a guided
cave tour in one of the more challenging caves.
ACCOMODATIONS
Accommodations
in Campbell River are numerous and varied, with everything from tenting and
RV campsites
to motels,
hotels
and resorts.
There are also a number of bed
and breakfast establishments, as well as cabins,
vacation
home rentals and lodges
in the area. Some accommodations are seasonal, so it is advisable to check for
availability before arriving, particularly from November to May.
CLIMATE
| |
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Month |
Avg.
Daily Temperature |
Average
Precip. |
|
Min |
Max |
| Jan
|
0°C
(32°F) |
5°C
(41°F) |
169
mm |
| Feb |
1°C
(34°F) |
7°C
(45°C) |
123
mm |
| Mar
|
2°C
(36°F) |
9°C
(48°F) |
133
mm |
| Apr |
4°C
(39°F) |
13°C
(55°F) |
59
mm |
| May
|
7°C
(45°F) |
17°C
(63°F) |
43
mm |
| Jun
|
10°C
(50°F) |
20°C
(68°F) |
36
mm |
| Jul |
12°C
(54°F) |
23°C
(73°F) |
31
mm |
|
Aug |
12°C
(54°F) |
22°C
(72°F) |
36
mm |
|
Sep |
9°C
(48°F) |
19°C
(66°F) |
49
mm |
|
Oct |
6°C
(42°F) |
13°C
(55°F) |
130
mm |
|
Nov |
2°C
(36°F) |
8°C
(46°F) |
198
mm |
|
Dec |
1°C
(34°F) |
6°C
(42°F) |
200
mm |
|
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Average
Daily Temperatures and Climate Data for Campbell River |
Campbell River has a very moderate Pacific maritime climate. It is decidedly
on the rainy side of the scale, with an average of 160 days a year having some
precipitation. The rainy season is primarily from October to March, with the
wettest period being between November and January. The driest (and warmest)
months of the year are July and August, but even the heat is moderate: the average
temperature in these months is 17 °C (63 °F), but fluctuates from as low as
10 °C (50 °F) at night to 22 °C (72 °F) or higher during the day. It is not
uncommon for the city to receive some rain during the dry season, so an umbrella
or a water-repellent coat and waterproof shoes are a good idea. One thing that
won't be necessary is a snow shovel–Campbell River hardly gets any snow, especially
by Canadian standards. As a result, the local golf courses are open year-round,
weather permitting.
TRANSPORTATION
Although Campbell River has an airport
and a floatplane base, visitors from outside the Pacific Northwest region will
not be able to fly here directly (unless they have a small plane and a pilot's
licence.) There are three airlines
serving the airport, with flights from Seattle,
Vancouver and Comox.
Regularly scheduled seaplane service is also available from Seattle to Campbell
River during the summer months (May to September).
There is frequent ferry
service between Vancouver and Victoria,
and the Island Highway connects Victoria to Campbell River. At Parksville,
roughly 100 km (62 mi) south of Campbell River, the highway splits into Route
19A, a scenic route which follows the coastline, and Route 19, the four-lane
inland highway. Alternatively, ferry service is available between Powell
River, on the Sunshine
Coast, and Comox, which is only 50 km (31 mi) south of Campbell River
by road. Bus
service from Victoria to Campbell River is also available.
Once in Campbell River, the public
transit system covers the entire town. Taxi
service is available, as well as water
taxi service along the shoreline. For those who prefer to drive themselves,
car
rentals are available, the roads are paved and street parking is not
usually a problem. Ferry service between Campbell River and Quadra
Island operates during the day, and there is another ferry between Quadra
Island and Cortes Island.
Nautical travellers will find several marinas in Campbell River, and boat
rentals are available in town.
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Discovery
Pier
Photo courtesy of Audrey Hunt |
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FEATURED ATTRACTIONS
Discovery Pier
Variously claimed to be the world's first public fishing pier and Canada's first
saltwater fishing pier, among other things, the Discovery
Pier is Campbell River's main landmark. The L-shaped pier juts out 47
m (150 ft) from shore, and the main segment is 183 m (600 ft) long. A concession
is located at the corner of the pier, and fishing from the pier is allowed –
although a fishing
licence is required in British Columbia, and size and catch restrictions
are in effect. The pier also affords a good view of the many cruise ships and
other vessels entering and exiting the Discovery Passage. On a clear day, Quadra
Island is well within view, and it is also not unheard of to see marine wildlife
from the pier.
Haig-Brown Heritage House
Haig-Brown
House was the home of Roderick and Ann Haig-Brown between 1936 and 1975.
Roderick was one of British Columbia's most distinguished conservationists,
and a prolific author. His writings on fly-fishing garnered the most recognition,
but he also wrote 25 books on natural history and conservation.
He and his wife
Ann were devoted to the protection of B.C. rivers, particularly those on which
wild salmon are dependent for their survival. Defending the mighty Fraser River
from hydroelectric dams was one of their many successful endeavours.
In recognition
of their efforts, the Haig-Brown family home, including the house, gardens and
orchard, was made an official British Columbia Heritage Site in 1990. The Haig-Brown
House is also a bed
and breakfast, which is very uncommon for a heritage site.
The Museum at Campbell River
Campbell River's award-winning museum
sits on a small rise with a clear view of the Passage below. Recent accolades
for the museum include the 2002 Award of Merit from the British Columbia Museums
Association and the 2003 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Heritage Society
of British Columbia.
The museum's permanent exhibits cover the First Nations
of the west coast, the histories of the logging and salmon fishing industries
on Vancouver Island, and the history of Campbell River. A restored Japanese-Canadian
fishing vessel and a working steam donkey are displayed outdoors, near the west
coast garden.
The exhibits are complemented by events, audio-visual presentations,
theatrical performances, temporary collections, the Archives Research Centre,
and a gift shop specializing in native artwork. The grounds are adjoined by
Centennial
Park and Sequoia
Park, where the bright orange Torii Gate, a gift from Campbell River's
sister city of Ishikari, Japan, is found.
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Seymour
Narrows
Photo courtesy of Audrey Hunt |
Seymour Narrows
Campbell River's second claim to fame, the Seymour Narrows were once considered
the most dangerous inland waters in North America. The combination of powerfully
churning tides, whirlpools and the infamous Ripple Rock led to the sinking of
120 vessels and the loss of 114 lives between 1875 and 1958.
Ripple Rock was
a submerged prominence whose twin peaks sat just three meters (nine feet) below
the surface at low tide. Known among sailors and locals as "Old Rip", the rock
posed such a hazard to maritime traffic that a public works project was undertaken
to demolish it. After several unsuccessful attempts to drill the rock from above,
a tunnel was built from a nearby island, under the Passage, and up into the
rock. The rock was packed with 1,274 tonnes (1,375 tons) of explosives, which
were detonated on April 5, 1958. The blast destroyed the peaks in one of the
largest ever man-made non-nuclear explosions. Since the demolition, the highest
point of Ripple Rock lies 14 m (47 ft) below the surface. The whirlpools and
churning seas can still be seen in the Narrows during tide
changes.
Seymour
Narrows Lookout is accessible by car and lies 10 to 15 minutes north
of town on Highway 19, but binoculars are recommended. For a closer look, the
nearby Ripple
Rock Trail is a challenging 9 km (5.6 mi) forest hike that leads
visitors to the cliff overlooking the narrows. Archive footage of the explosion
can also be viewed at the Campbell
River Museum.
