Coal Harbor

Sunday, September 21st

We took one more side trip late Sunday afternoon before leaving the Port Hardy area, and that was to Coal Harbor.

On the way, we drove past this bear, foraging right beside the road.


Coal Harbor -- a 20-minute drive from Port Hardy -- has had several identities in its lifetime.


It began as a coal mining town in the 1880s. But the quality of coal was poor and the mine didn't do well. Regardless, the name stuck.

In the 1940s it became a sea plane base. The big hangar buildings are still there, as well as some old planes. This memorial along with the Air Force flag hearken back to those days.


Later still it became a whaling station. These Blue whale jaw bones remind visitors of that time. It closed as a whaling station in 1967, the last of such stations on the North American coast.


The town also had a copper mine. This was in operation for 26 years and closed 12 years ago, in 1996.

Though Coal Harbor seemed somewhat deserted on this quiet Sunday evening, it wasn't dead. There was traffic to and from the boats in the marina and the Coal Harbor store was open. We bought drumsticks and enjoyed our ice-cream treats in the lengthening shadows of a beautiful day.