DAY 1 VICTORIA TO PORT HARDY
I had attempted to get to Haida Gwaii in 2025 with my longtime friend C. We booked everything (mostly camping) along the road trip through Prince George and west to Prince Rupert. And back. The minute everything was booked C had to cancel for medical reasons.
My friend Spring told me all through that process that if the trip didn't happen, could she and I go together. So we tried to plan a 2026 trip going by transit but soon discovered that one either needs a car on H G or a kayak. Then Spring approached me with the idea of going on a tour, the only setback, I would need to overide my self inflicted No Fly Rule (carbon footprint). I knew that if I did not fly it would take me 4 days to get back to Victoria and it would not be easy so I said yes. Principles are great until they conflict with common sense.
Mile Zero was easy and pleasant to deal with all the way through. I highly recommend this company.
We were picked up at the door by a fancy limo and taken to the nice A C bus that was waiting for us at Tillicum Mall parking lot.
Spring and I meeting up on the bus
We stopped to pick up a few folks on our way up island. Our first coffee stop was in Ladysmith and then we stopped for lunch in Campbell River. Most of our fellow tourists went to one of the many restaurants, Spring and I went on a search for a bench...
...to eat our lunch .. which Spring had packed ... I am way too lazy to have done the same. Thanks Spring!
The bench was located at the entrance of this lovely indigenous centre
which was closed for BC Day.
Tummys full, we still had time to explore a bit.
where we ran into tour guide Donna.
Next stop was the wee village of Woss then late afternoon we arrived at Port Hardy situated on the northern end of Vancouver Island. We stayed at the indigenous Hotel Kwa'lilas.
Before dinner, while Spring napped, I went on a walkabout down the hill to the Port Hardy Harbour. Locals were very friendly, stopping to chat and talk about their lovely town. The day was glorious and warm which fortunately continued throughout our trip.
Apparently this large ship has equipment to scoop farmed fish out of their (awful cramped) pens, then dumps the poor lice infested fish in fresh water (in the hold of the ship) for a few hours then vacuums them back to their salt water pens. All this to rid them of lice. (Sidenote I never knowingly eat farmed salmon!)
There is a lovely walkway around the harbour.
Back to the hotel where we were served a buffet dinner in one of the banquet rooms. Spring and I sat with a very interesting scientist couple, Celie and Roger.
Tired, we were pleased to get to our lovely comfortable beds early. But did I sleep, ha of course not!
DAY 2 BC FERRY FROM PORT HARDY TO PRINCE RUPERT
We had to get up at 4AM! and were onboard the Port Hardy - Prince Rupert ferry before 6AM. You can see that it was still dark when we boarded.
What a lovely journey, we had a reserved stateroom with twin beds, a shower and toilet and a TV, as well as reserved (lazyboy like) seats in the lounge. There is a cafeteria where not only could we eat but we could also play cards....cribbage it was, after an included ferry breakfast. It was foggy out so we took advantage of that and rested in our rooms until noon when the fog lifted. We walked around the outer decks, found a outdoor table out of the wind where we played Skipbo and Quirkle.
Later I sat down outside with Donna where we had a lovely connecting conversation, me sharing that my Mom had passed away just 2 weeks prior.
Dinner was also included, I enjoyed a salmon caesar and Spring tackled the huge filet mignon. We strolled around the outer deck after dinner and were treated to a long show from the humpback whales. Wow, how special was that!
near Bella Bella, note the totems
So lovely, calm, warm.
We enjoyed a nap once it got dark. The ferry got into Prince Rupert around 11:30 and by just after midnite we were in our beds at the Crest Hotel.
DAY 3 PRINCE RUPERT MUSEUM & CANNERY
We got to sleep in but who can do that. I was up early at 5:50AM.
The hotel had a delicious included breakfast. As we had arrived in the dark, we had no idea just where in Prince Rupert we were located. From the restaurant we had an amazing view ..of the fog! But as I was finishing my breakfast the fog lifted and revealed a stunning view. We were on a cliff overlooking the seafront and the beautiful blue sky. Priceless.
After breakfast we had about an hour free time so Spring and I explored a bit......
..along that down below seafront.
A handsome Raven
At 10:15 AM Donna wrangled us all from the hotel to the wonderful museum, just 5 minutes walk.
We were fortunate to have this young indigenous woman guide us through this wonderful museum.
I was especially interested in the bent boxes and
the weaving.
and of course an early sewing machine.
Next we caught our personal tour bus to Prince Rupert Cannery.
Our included lunch was onsite the cannery property, a restaurant called Momma's Mess run by these two women. More salmon, lucky me!
In the cannery's heyday it employed 500 workers who mostly lived onsite. The photo below shows a decaying boardwalk which illustrates how they housed so many. There were indigenous and Chinese workers who were given the most menial jobs for the least pay. They were not treated well at all.
Again we enjoyed an excellent tour given by a young indigenous woman.
The Net Loft
Yes, all the trash was tossed below to be washed away by the tide. Sewage was dealt with in the same manner.
This was the Tool Shed. It had a distinctive aroma, one that instantly brought me back to my step grandfather's garage. Simultaneously another woman mentioned that the smell took her back to her Grandfather's basement.
"Executive Row"
and the restaurant was also down the boardwalk.
Always cheerful and resourceful Sarah took the group photo. She was traveling with her parents.
A wonderful group of folks! Everyone was lovely ..and interesting to talk to.
That evening we had free time and had to provide our own dinner. Pavilion Restaurant in Prince Rupert.
After dinner I took a solo walk, again down to the seafront. I saw an eagle quite close, such a beautiful evening. I called home and talked to Keith.
DAY 4 BC FERRY FROM PRINCE RUPERT TO DAAJING GIIDS
This morning we had a quick buffet breakfast at the Hotel then Jan (coincidentally Jan and I had met 9 days prior to our trip at Yellow Point!) and I had a quick walk before we had to catch our bus back to the ferry port. I am so glad we did.
The totem is not actually at an angle, just the photo...
We discovered, in an out of the way location, indigenous totems and longhouses!
Now off to Haida Gwaii!!!
Boarding the ferry
Oh No! Should I include this photo? I think it was just this bad at the very start of the journey.
A cloudy day at first then a lovely warm windless afternoon.
Spring and I played games and I also stitched.. so 7 hours flew by.
"Northern Adventure"
As we approached Skidegate I started up a conversation with an indigenous woman who owns a security business. There was to be a huge music festival at the H G village of Tlell and she and 4 of her employees were to be working there.
Approaching Skidegate
A quick 10 minute bus ride from the ferry terminal to the village of Daajing Giids, we checked into The Sea Raven Motel. We enjoyed an included dinner at the adjacent restaurant. It was a Thursday evening and I discovered that there was a Thrift Store in this wee small town .. and that it was open. Spring and I never miss a thrift store opportunity so off we went. Celie had complained at dinner that there was no hair dryer so we bought her one ... for $1! She insisted on paying me back.
DAY 5 BOAT TRIP TO SKEDANS ON LOUISE ISLAND
Both Spring and I were woken up by the 4:48AM earthquake but many of our group did not feel it.
Breakfast at the same adjoining restaurant, then at 8:20 AM we all assembled and walked down to the marina area where we were kitted out for a boat ride to the Haida Village K'uuna Llnagaay aka Skedans on Louise Island.
The name of the boat company is Haida Style Expeditions. We were split into two groups, each on a boat captained by a twin brother and guided by young women cousins, the daughters of the captains.
They made a good team.
The boat my group was assigned
Another beautiful calm day.
On the Haida totems there is often a watchman on top. Well there are still watchmen, Hudey along with his nephew were employed as watchmen for this village.
Our guide was Maia, a well spoken, passionate soul who taught us so much about the Haida culture ... the totems, mortuary poles, memorial poles and long houses. It was so interesting and I was very impressed!
There is little visible to the uneducated eye, everything has fallen to the ground and has been reclaimed to the grass and trees. Maia had a gentle and pragmatic way about her regarding the past; colonization, residential schools, cultural genocide (my words) ... I mean she did not make us feel guilty but made sure we heard the message. So well done! They have so much to be angry about. I was grateful to learn and to feel such respect for their amazing culture.
Custom dictates that the foundation of a longhouse must be completely dug in one day.
Salmon once again! And halibut.. Our picnic provided by Maia and her captain Dad was delicious!
Back on the boat stopping to check out the many massive seal lions.
Then the other boat advised us that there were orcas behind us. So we backtracked and witnessed an orca show. Per BC law all boats must maintain a 1000 m distance, one Kilometer, that is a long way away... thankfully for the orcas ...but the show was a distance away. When I see the whale watching boats leaving from Victoria, full of tourists, I get angry on behalf of the whales but here I was, enjoying the distant show.
Tour member Kathy took these shots, I knew my phone would not be able to do the job.
our captain
beautiful flowers at our motel
Spring and I walked down to the Stellar Jay Pub for dinner where we joined Kathy and her parents Edna and Melville aka Bud.
DAY 6 HAIDA GWAII MUSEUM & REBECCA'S
Another included breakfast next door then the school bus picked us up at 9:30 to take us to the Museum in Skidegate. But first another walk.
Back down to the marina, see the eagle on the mast?
getting to know the town cat ..i sent this photo to Brian ..he had posted that it was National Cat Day.
Another eagle sighting. And the ravens! So many of them.
In the village of Skidegate, 3 totems were commissioned in year 2000, raised in 2001.
Skidegate Museum
The young woman guide explained that the totems are seen to have a life span just like a human. As they begin to lean, to fall ... this is not prevented. But sometimes they can be moved out of the way and eventually become nurse logs disappearing into the vegetation.
A beautiful, spacious, informative museum, located on the water.
Oh and totems always face out towards the water .. to welcome family and visitors.
We ate a catered salmon lunch, delicious but oh dear, that created so much garbage, two garbage bags full.
After the museum we were driven to a souvenir store. Luckily Keith called just then ... he told us that Harry and Meghan were in Victoria, surprise visitors to David Fosters final fund raising event.
Back to the motel and I wandered off for some quiet stitching time. It turned out to not be so quiet as I was joined by Donna and then Robert. Lovely conversations were had about Mom's passing and ancestry ... so I was content.
Another highlight of the tour was Dinner At Roberta's. Apparently she has hosted royalty during Expo 86. So she and her family have been at this for many years. Male family members now do the cooking, her granddaughter serves and entertains (!). The starter, served on a scallop shell, consisted of dried herring roe (tastes much better than it sounds), cracker-like seaweed that deliciously melts in your mouth and smoked salmon.
The next course was a steaming hot bowl of halibut soup.
The granddaughter entertaining us with a fish story.
Granddaughter, Roberta and daughter.
The main course consisted of salmon, smoked salmon, coleslaw with wild blueberries, cooked peas and other vegetables, rice, roast potato and sweet potato, thankfully small portions of each item. Dessert was a lemon tart with whip cream and a wild berry tea.
Several tables were placed end to end to fit 24 of us. Art! ... art that many of their family members have created was all over the walls and covering every surface. There were even a few carved totems, small of course. Their home is located right on the waterfront.
Roberta told us that if she wasn't having to host us she would have been dancing at the music festival.
Lovely Lovely Experience!
The evening light was so gorgeous so Spring and I wandered once again to the marina.
We were happy to see several kingfishers and an eagle.
After a fun game of Skipbo on our beds we happily fell asleep. Another great day!
DAY 7 DAAJING GIIDS TO MASSET
Once again aboard the school bus, by the way, driven by wonderful Sara
we stopped at Balance Rock.
Marguerite shows her muscle
then Spring gets into the action.
Then Jungle Beach, a long expanse of beach which reminded me of Long Beach.
more photo opportunities
Jan and Gloria
Kathy is the Queen of the Castle
Next a very expensive shop selling beautiful jewelry, but just not my thing.
However I was interested in this humpback whale skeleton on a neighbouring property.
Every dandelion appeared to be a landing pad for the wasps.
We were given huge sandwiches for our lunch which we ate on the Port Clements Museum grounds.
Seeing a BC Puffin is high on my bucket list. Unfortunately it appears that this stuffed puffin in a small museum will have to suffice.
First Growth!!
A tragic story of a logger, Grant Hadwin, driven insane by the logging practices that he witnessed. In a misguided attempt at protest he felled a golden spruce, which unknown to him, was sacred to the Haida people. He disappeared on his kayak on the day he was to go to court.
After my return home Keith and I watched a documentary on Knowledge Network about him. It was on their series Storyville and is called Hadwin's Judgement.
The drive the rest of the way to Masset was lovely with thick forest on both sides of the road.
After Masset Oceanview Hotel check-in, Spring and I walked to Masset Harbour
So many eagles! And 1 kingfisher.
We met the group back at 626 Fish N Chipper for dinner. Spring and I both enjoyed Poke Bowls.
Somehow I forgot my jacket and my hat behind. Luckily we headed out for an evening walk, the restaurant crew were just about to close up so I was able to retrieve them.
The sunset walk out the pier was very cold and not the best sunset. But we did see a kingfisher and a seal. We were happy to arrive back to our nice warm room where we played Yahtzee and 10,000 then to bed at 11PM.
DAY 8
Our hotel rooms were very large with nice views over the water. ..and bonus, a table on which to play cards.
The 626 Fish N Chipper
Sara and her bus collected us after the included breakfast. A local guide named Ralph (the Ranger) joined us. A very personable story teller, he kept the entire bus rapt. Later I saw that he was one of the people featured in the Golden Spruce documentary.
We began with a tour of Masset, as we started out on the north coast road, Ralph pointed out The "Elephant Cage", a massive circular Military antenna array located at what was a Canadian Forces Station. It was built in 1970 during the Cold War to intercept High-frequency radio signals and monitor maritime communications. It employed hundreds, until it was automated. That left many vacant homes and lowered housing values in the area which took decades to rectify. Currently a small Masset home costs about $300,000.
At the end of the road along the north coast is Tow Hill. A forested boardwalk path to the ocean. The hill is really a cliff.
Ralph in Story Telling Mode ~ enjoyed by all.
On the way back to Sara's bus I noticed this totem across the stream. We went to visit the site next, it is a glamping business.
We had to wait for the others so I took a few photos.
Next stop Agate Beach
Ralph had everyone looking for agates, I believe we were all successful.
The tour ended with a drive through Old Masset = the reserve and then a stop at Sarah's (not the driver) where we shopped for souvenirs. I purchased a pen with a Haida design but turns out it was made in China. Still, it is a very nice pen.
Back to the hotel for a rest and a shower then back to Old Masset for a special dinner and Haida dance presentation.
They weren't quite ready for us so we wandered down to the Anglican Church. This spectacular totem was created by master carver Robert Davidson in 1969.. just 2 years after the Canadian government lifted the ban on potlaches and totem carving and I assume many other cultural activities. Shame on us! The carver was only 20 years old at the time he carved this.
Meanwhile one of our tour group, Michael, had earlier left his cap behind at the souvenir store. Donna was on the phone attempting to retrieve it for him. Unfortunately another tourist (not in our group) had picked up the cap and bought it! Too funny. The owner will replace the cap and meanwhile gave him another one.
Sarah and Spring (showing off her souvenir t-shirt)
Our dinner at the event. Salmon again. We had salmon at least once a day on this tour. Yumm!!
Our hostess for the evening meal and show .. in her traditional cape.
A terrifying mask ...the mouth opened and closed .. with a loud clack.
They got all us women up to dance and then the men in our group had to show their stuff.
Great fun! Michael on the left.
The children are encouraged to learn their Haida language and culture. A large part is Haida dance. The young man on the left was particularly talented. His Haida name is appropriately translated as "Born to Dance".
The Elephant Cage as described at the start of Day 8.
DAY 9 FLYING HOME
I had time on our final morning to do a wander and take in the charm of the village.
at the airport
Checking the map it seemed that there was a nice beach not far away from the airport so Helene and I attempted a hike through the forest but we gave it up as we kept losing the trail and time was getting tight.
so back to the airport
flying over Haida Gwaii
approaching YVR
The 2nd flight from YVR to YYJ was funny. Pacific Coastal airlines for both legs but the tiny plane for the short hop to Victoria was something else. Even short me was unable to stand upright. Our group filled the entire plane. The 6'3" steward spent his days bent in two. He was unable to turn around and had to back up to return to the front of the plane. But another beautiful and safe flight.
We enjoyed the tour very much but were happy to be returning home. The tour was just the perfect length and the perfect busyness. We left Haida Gwaii with so much knowledge and respect for the fascinating culture of the Haida people.
At the airport we were met by our limo drivers.
Anita and me, we both live in James Bay.
And she is also a quilter!
Jan lives in Fairfield. I expect to see her again next year at Yellow Point.
As you can tell I highly recommend travel with Mile Zero. I was impressed from start to finish.
Their guide Donna was so much fun to travel with, we had many laughs as well as educational talks. A perfect 10/10 trip.
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