The people of Alert Bay barely stay on land. Most houses fringe the island’s waterfront. Fishers head out at first light. The top rated local attraction is whale watching.
Indeed, the land is less inviting than the water. Thick sitka spruce and hemlock forests blanket the north and east of the island, lying eerily quiet as if watching you. Indeed they are: crows caw sharp warnings if you enter their domain. Fist-sized rocks ring the entire island making beachwalks wobbly. The Ecological Park, a marshland in the heart of the island, is a cemetery for the still standing skeletons of old growth trees.
Even so, Alert Bay has an astounding wealth of cultural treasure. The U’Mista Cultural Centre documents the vitality of the local Namgis Nation, with many items repatriated from Victoria. Restaurants such as Candid Chefs and the Orca punch way above their weight for an island of 1,300 residents. Alert Bay even has a five-pin bowling alley preserved in pristine condition from the 1950s. (We rented the whole place for an hour for just $18!). Our Airbnb was like a museum – even with its own display case of stunning local artifacts.
I wouldn’t recommend long visits here with an active family unless you have a boat. But if you crave solitude, a writer’s retreat or a get away with a friend or spouse – Alert Bay is your place.
We spotted a pod of Dall’s Porpoises near Alert Bay
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