A Pleasant Town Off the Beaten Path

A pleasant town off the beaten path, Prince Rupert is such a town, considered a small city by many, one road in and the same out, unless you venture by sea or plane. Cruise ships stop here periodically and ferries scurry back and forth between the town and Queen Charlotte Islands and other destinations. It is the most populous northern Canada town along the Pacific coast, around 13,000 folk. This is a town with some history, including a 1949 earthquake measuring 8.1, and it has a bonefide downtown. The community is located on rolling hills, resulting in some beautiful sights of well established homes on hillsides overlooking the downtown area just a couple of blocks from the open salt water. The look reminded me a bit of parts of Point Loma on the western edge of San Diego. The town is known for many things, but part of the tourism focus is on Totem poles. Yes, Totem poles.

(Pause and reminisce)

As a young child of maybe five or six years old, I remember owning a small totem, maybe 12 inches high. At that time I lived with my family north of Spokane Washington. The totem was one of my favorite possessions for a number of years. This foot-long carved wood keepsake was brightly colored, uniquely figured with birds, people's faces, and bear claws. The wings swiveled on its back, and as a typical young boy, I also used it at times as a make-believe bird or plane. This "treasure" was about all I knew of totems until I came across totem poles in our journeys in the North Country, my first real exposure to these curious creations was up in Fairbank at the Alaska Native Museum. But my ignorance was finally dispelled when we visited a world class museum found in the heart of Prince Rupert, a gem by this wayfaring group of three. Known in the native tongue as Na Exbiisa Lagigyet, or in English, the Museum of Northern British Columbia its collections of native artifacts of the north west coastal is unequaled. I learned of native tribes' cultures, the role and nature of gifts, of class distinctions, and totems. Carved wood hats spoke of status and accomplishments, but Totems were initially the purview of tribal kings - the ultimate class symbol- and as time went on the carving of totems also extended to the more wealthy class. Totems could take up to two years to harvest a special tree, haul and transport, carve and decorate. The mounting of a totem was a significant community event. These totems spoke of stories of the hunt, the encounters with wild animals, and the interconnection of land and sea, wildlife and humans and in rare occasions used as a public shaming for someone who stepped out of the established cultural traditions of class and status. Here are a couple pictures I took of the totems mounted in Prince Rupert, the first being in a most usual spot.

Totems, to my surprise, were of immense interest since they told stories, memorialized events, and sent messages. But, don't forget the art form, the use of symmetry, form and color - truly an unique expression of art. Here are a couple other pictures I took of Prince Rupert and of the Inverness Cannery a few miles south of town.

A panoramic shot of their little private craft harbor...

The VW bug afterlife! I want one...

There is also a small arts studio open to the public. Only local craft is sold here, and it is fairly priced. I neglected to take pictures of the wares, but the yellow building house these fine pieces of art including wood carving and oils.

The Skeena River flows into the fiord that leads out to the open ocean just south of Prince Rupert. We witnessed locals Salmon fishing along the river during the early evening, some folk took their boats out, camped along the side of the river, although they lived but a few miles from their idyllic site.

And as we trek inland and find a place to stay for a night of sleep, we are surprised by this set of mountains that reminded us of the Grant Tetons in western Wyoming.