Wilderness trails, water sports, fishing activities and wildlife viewing are flexible and readily available to all visitors.
Port McNeil is the Gateway to the Broughton Archipelago and the Gateway to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, where Broughton Strait meets Johnstone Strait.
Port McNeill vehicle ferry access:
Northern Route - from mainland Port Rupert to Port Hardy
Southern Route - from mainland Vancouver, Tswassennen to Victoria, Swartz Bay / Nanaimo mid-island.
Flights from Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo arrive in Port Hardy to the north and vehicle rental from this point would be recommended for consistent transportation and exploration during your stay.
Population: 2,800+
Highlights:
Whale watching - mid-June to mid-October.
Bond Sound - last remaining pristine watersheds in the Broughton Archipelago.
North Island Heritage Museum
Things To Bring:
Use extreme caution and do your best to avoid wildlife that may be within the city limits.
History:
Port McNeill's bay sits adjacent to Alert Bay, home to what is considered the oldest community in British Columbia, traditional grounds of the Kwakuitl tribe of First Nations residents. Their cultural history here dates back over 6,000 years.
On nearby Cormorant Island, the U'mista Cultural Centre presence First Nations art, cultural artifacts. A site welcoming to visitors.
A rare ambition in the late 1900's to create an island oasis, Utopian society, is still evident in the historical tales of Sointula, named by Finnish immigrants meaning 'a place of harmony' on nearby Malcolm Island.
Port McNeill was named after Captain William Henry McNeill of the SS Beaver, who's ship was the first steamship on the Pacific Northwest Coast in the late 1800's.
Following the development of the first forestry mill in the area in the 1930's, several companies followed and it remains the main staple industry in Port McNeill to date.
Climate:
Summer average 19 degrees Celsius
Winter average 3 degrees Celsius
For more information please visit www.portmcneill.net
