Port Hardy

Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north east tip of Vancouver Island. Port Hardy has a population of 3,902 as of the 2021 census. It is the gateway to Cape Scott Provincial Park, the North Coast Trail and the BC Marine Trail, located on the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island. The community has access to various outdoor activities, such as kayaking, caving, scuba diving, nature viewing, surfing, saltwater rapids, fishing and camping. Port Hardy's twin city is Numata, Japan.

Port Hardy was named after Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, who served as the captain of HMS Victory.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Port Hardy had a population of 3,902 living in 1,791 of its 1,984 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 4,132. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

+ Panethnic groups in the District of Port Hardy (1986−2021)Panethnicgroup2021201120062001199619911986Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage) European 2,785 72.15 2,820 69.12 3,015 76.23 3,115 81.76 3,965 86.95 4,680 88.64 4,395 86.60 4,575 84.96 Indigenous 800 20.73 1,055 25.86 700 17.70 485 12.73 460 10.09 300 5.68 460 9.06 415 7.71 Southeast Asian 80 2.07 50 1.23 60 1.52 35 0.92 20 0.44 105 1.99 25 0.49 35 0.65 East Asian 75 1.94 85 2.08 10 0.25 65 1.71 60 1.32 90 1.70 70 1.38 105 1.95 South Asian 40 1.04 15 0.37 35 0.88 30 0.79 20 0.44 40 0.76 85 1.67 180 3.34 African 25 0.65 25 0.61 15 0.38 15 0.39 0 0.00 25 0.47 0 0.00 30 0.56 Latin American 15 0.39 15 0.37 60 1.52 25 0.66 0 0.00 20 0.38 30 0.59 45 0.84 Middle Eastern 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 25 0.66 0 0.00 0 0.00 10 0.20 0 0.00 Other/Multiracial 0 0.00 10 0.25 45 1.14 10 0.26 35 0.77 0 0.00 Total responses 3,860 98.92 4,080 98.74 3,955 98.68 3,810 99.69 4,560 99.69 5,280 99.94 5,075 99.86 5,385 99.93 Total population 3,902 100.00 4,132 100.00 4,008 100.00 3,822 100.00 4,574 100.00 5,283 100.00 5,082 100.00 5,389 100.00

Once a year, Port Hardy holds a celebration in Rotary Park to acknowledge its natural resource based economy. The three syllables, fi, lo and mi, stand for "fishing, logging and mining". The celebration includes festivities in the park such as activities for children, fundraising concessions, entertainment, beer gardens, bake sales, craft sales, and fireworks. A dance for each age group and a parade are also held on Filomi Days weekend typically the third weekend in July. Brookes Laidlaw represents the current Vice Admiral in the annual parade.

Port Hardy's economy relies greatly on tourism. Ferries to Prince Rupert, another popular tourist destination in British Columbia, depart every other day during peak season. Tourist traffic in the summer is immense, and hotels and restaurants usually find themselves with no room to accommodate all travellers.

Deer, black bears, bald eagles, squirrels, seals, salmon and many other species of birds and mammals are often spotted along the Quatse Loop Nature Trail or at Storey's Beach which is a short drive from town. Humpback whales can occasionally been seen surfacing in the bay. Port Hardy has many wildlife charters, fishing charters and places to camp during tourist season.

Port Hardy has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) due to its proximity to the Pacific moderating influence. As a result, summers are very cool for the latitude, whereas winters instead are very mild. Although there is a strong drying trend in summer, its summer rainfall is still higher than those of the southerly mediterranean climates. Winter rainfall is very high and in general Port Hardy is far wetter than Canada's interior.

Port Hardy is located at the northern end of British Columbia Highway 19, which runs south towards Nanaimo. It is served by the Bear Cove ferry terminal, which sees ferry sailings to Prince Rupert and summer only service to Bella Coola. Port Hardy Airport has flights to Vancouver on Pacific Coastal Airlines. There are two taxi companies and a public transport bus.