BC City Guide 2018: Prince Rupert

Credit: Destination BC/Andrew Strain

In the seaside home of North America’s fastest-growing port, everything revolves around the water

Tradition runs deep in Prince Rupert. More than a third of the 12,000-plus people who call the city home identify as Indigenous, and with that sense of history comes a respect for nature and the land.

One of the best ways get to Prince Rupert is via the longest route offered by BC Ferries. From Vancouver Island, you sail through the forested channels of the Inside Passage for 15 scenic hours. Locals insist that their city needs to be seen from the water, and they’re right. Approaching Kaien Island, you half expect Robinson Crusoe to be waiting by the port. Instead, you’ll find a friendly place flush with antique storefronts, industrial buildings and a packed marina. No matter how you arrive, make sure you get down to the ocean, because that’s where all the action is here.

That includes the town’s lifeblood, the Prince Rupert Port Authority, which oversees North America’s fastest-growing port. Last year, cargo moving through the harbour reached a record volume of 24.1 million tonnes. Container operations employ some 500 residents, while many more work in related industries, making the port the most significant local business.

High-school sports teams in Prince Rupert are called the Rainmakers, to pay homage to the town’s history (Kaien Island was once the meeting place of the Tsimshian and Haida tribes, and the city has preserved numerous relics of its Indigenous past) and its heavy rainfalls. This is Canada’s wettest city, according to the Weather Network. With about 2,600 millimetres and an average of 240 days of precipitation a year, it’s the perfect place to brood and pen the next great Canadian novel.

But if you’re taking a serious tour, you’ll want to get a professional involved. The area’s most breathtaking attraction is 45 kilometres northeast of the city. Khutzeymateen Provincial Park, the only such sanctuary in Canada, contains about 50 grizzly bears in their natural habitat. The animals are protected from human activity, but you can observe them from a boat offshore.

PEOPLE
Population: 12,335
Household age (0-45, 45-64, 64+): 33.7%, 41.3%, 25%
University grads: 17.3%
Average household income: $96,365
Average household income under 45: $83,062
Five-year income growth, 2012-17: 22.3%
Five-year population growth: –5.7%

HOUSING
Median detached home price: $268,000
Median condominium price: $271,500
Average monthly rent for a two-bedroom: $913
Average annual household spending on shelter: $17,658

WORK
Key industries: Shipping; government services; retail; hospitality and tourism
Notable employers: City of Prince Rupert; Prince Rupert Port Authority
Regional unemployment: 6.2% (February)

BUSINESS
Total value of building permits issued in 2017: n/a
Change from 2016: n/a
Cost of a business licence: n/a
Average processing time for a building permit: 2 days–1 week
Business property tax rate: $24.73 per $1,000 of assessed value
Average office lease rate per sq. ft./year: n/a
Average retail lease rate: n/a

QUALITY OF LIFE
Major post-secondary institutions: Northwest Community College
Major recreational amenities: Six parks; golf course; skating rink; pool
Key annual events: Children’s Festival; Seafest; Winterfest
Average annual household spending on recreation: $4,310
Residents who walk or bike to work: 8.4%

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