| Prior to the arrival
of the Europeans, the Tsimshian First Nation people occupied the
land and sea surrounding the village of Prince Rupert,
British Columbia, Canada. The traditional lands of the
Tsimshian bordered the native lands of the Haida, Gitxsan, Nisga'a
and Heiltsuk First Nations. Each nation had its own unique dialect,
customs and history. The coastline had many villages lined with
large cedar post-and-beam log houses fronted by Totem Poles and
hand carved canoes.
Today the same Totem Poles can still be viewed
while exploring on a guided tour visiting some of the remote villages
along the coastline. The Tsimshian people are known around the
world as master carvers and great story tellers.
There are five significant Tsimshian archaeological
sites dating back to the ice age on Laxspa'aws (Pike Island) which
can be viewed taking a guided tour with the people of Tsimshian
First Nation.
Prince Rupert was a cousin of
Charles II of
England and was the first Governor of the Hudson Bay Company.
Starting in 1910 the Europeans started to arrive by rail attracted
by the booming fishing industry. Charles Hayes and his Grand Trunk
Railroad (later becoming the Canadian National Railway) was the
big player of the day developing a major rail terminal servicing
the west of Canada.
Today, the Kwinitsa Station Railway in the Rotary
Waterfront Park is a good reminder of the prime rail
days and the fish
cannery attraction in Port Edward is a reminder of
the fishing industry of yesteryear.
Prince Rupert was said to be the first planned
city in British Columbia. Development was progressing nicely,
until Hayes was invited on a cruise aboard the RMS Titanic...
well, his fate was sealed when the Titanic sank in 1912. The project
continued and soon later the CNR Docks were completed and Prince
Rupert became one of the most successful rail and sea ports on
the west coast of Canada.
The area of Prince Rupert is rich in heritage buildings dating
back to the early 1900's like Smiles Restaurant (1922), Atlin
Terminal (1933), JavaDot Cup (1912), Capital Theatre (1928) and
Pillsbury House (1908).
|
History
Prince Rupert
