British Columbia Travel Guide
The unofficial BC Travel & Tourism Guide
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Photo: Tourism Kitimat
With so many natural features Kitimat presents a wilderness environment that speaks to many types of outdoor enthusiasts - fishermen, hikers, paddlers, cross-country skiers, golfers, starlight campers (riverside/lakeside), and hot-spring bathers are all drawn the specific grandeur only known to the remote areas of Northern British Columbia. The wondrous falls, extraordinary old-growth spruce, surging rivers of salmon stock, rugged beauty of the Douglas Channel, scenic canyons, and mountain peaks of Kitimat open visitors to an extraordinary first-hand experience with mother nature.

Wildlife viewing in the extended trails around Kitimat may bring encounters with bear, moose, deer, fox, wolves, porcupine, skunk and on the water front trails or beaches seals, whale, orca, sea lions, and bald eagles tend to appear throughout the seasons.

Local Kitimat pubs, lodges, industrial tours, bed & breakfasts, restaurants, marinas, and services at campgrounds and parks welcome visitors who want to explore the harsh, yet stunning northern landscape and fresh air.

The First Nations legacy is a large part of the community, museums and the Kitimat Village. Their present day activities reflect and honour the traditions of their ancestors. They operate a nearby campground and Kitimat Village. Kitimat's local galleries also feature First Nations carvings by local artists, no appointment necessary - look, enjoy and possibly find your northern BC souvenir!

Population: 11,572

Highlights:
Kitimat River Estuary - over one hundred species
Radley Park - 500 year old Sitka Spruce tree (the oldest in BC)
Moore Creek Falls
Hirsch Creek Park - Humphrey Creek Falls & Hirsch Creek Canyon
Kitimat River Fish Hatchery - tours May to September
Annual Fish Derby - Labour Day Weekend, September
Kitimat Centennial Museum
Haisla Native village
Furlong Bay Provincial Parks
Lakelse Lake Provincial Parks
Onion Lake cross-country ski trails
Weewanie, Bishop Bay and Ocean hotsprings
Shames Ski Area - 75 minutes from Kitimat
Wildlife Museum
Heritage park

Things To Bring:
Caution: wild life recommendations - appropriate footwear, airhorn, cow bells, and dogs to remain on the leash. What you carry in please carry out. Avoid drinking river waters, they may contain harmful bacteria. Bring a map, bottled water and compass.

History:
For over eight thousand years the First Nations Haisla and Henaaksaila, which reached numbers of close to ten thousand, inhabited the areas around Kitimat today. Kitimat earns its name from the First Nations word meaning 'people of the snow'. The local Kitimat Village today is part of the existing members and their traditions are practiced amongst themselves. Earlier methods of fishing and hunting were important to their survival throughout the four seasons.

By the 1950s, the area was discovered as the future site for the world's largest aluminum smelter by the Aluminum Company of Canada, Alcan. Kitimat, as a town, was planned and layout well before development took root. This site was strategically designed to be fed directly by its coastal harbour access.

Climate:
Summer average 17 degrees Celsius
Winter average 0 degrees Celsius


For more information please visit www.visitkitimat.com
 

Kitimat Accommodations


Kitimat Things to Do

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