Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island.[1] Port Hardy has a population of 3822 at last census (2006). It is the gateway to Cape Scott Provincial Park on the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island. Highway 19, which stretches from one end of Vancouver Island to the other, ends in Port Hardy, right near Rotary Park. This explains the town's motto, found on a sign entering town, that reads, "where the highway ends and the adventure begins." Port Hardy's twin city is Numata, Japan.
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Once a year, Port Hardy holds a celebration in Rotary Park to acknowledge its natural resource based economy. The three syllables, fi, lo and mi, stand for "Fishing, Logging and Mining". The celebration includes festivities in the park such as activities for children, fundraising concessions, entertainment, beer gardens, bake sales, craft sales, and fireworks. A dance for each age group and a parade are also held on Filomi Days weekend- typically the 3rd weekend in July.
Port Hardy's economy depends greatly on tourism. Ferries to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, another popular tourist destination in British Columbia, depart every other day during peak season. Tourist traffic in the summer is immense, and hotels and restaurants usually find themselves with no room to accommodate all travellers.
Deer, black bears, bald eagles, squirrels, and many other species of birds and mammals are often spotted along the Quatse Loop Nature Trail or at Storey's Beach which is a short drive from town. Humpback whales can occasionally been seen surfacing in the bay in front of Rotary Park. Port Hardy has many wildlife charters, fishing charters and places to camp during tourist season. Recent guided bear hunts have left with significant amounts of bear furs.
| Climate data for Port Hardy | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.7 (56.7) |
16.7 (62.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
23.3 (73.9) |
33.4 (92.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
26.7 (80.1) |
28.3 (82.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
25.6 (78.1) |
18.9 (66.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
33.4 (92.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.8 (42.4) |
7 (45) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.1 (52.0) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.5 (59.9) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
15.7 (60.3) |
11.8 (53.2) |
7.9 (46.2) |
5.9 (42.6) |
11.6 (52.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.4) |
1.3 (34.3) |
1.8 (35.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
8.1 (46.6) |
5.5 (41.9) |
2.7 (36.9) |
1.1 (34.0) |
4.9 (40.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −14.4 (6.1) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
2.8 (37.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−14.4 (6.1) |
| Wind chill | −19.8 | −23.5 | −15.3 | −6.9 | −4.3 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 3.0 | −2.2 | −8 | −20.8 | −22 | −23.5 |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 238.2 (9.378) |
174 (6.85) |
149 (5.87) |
118.8 (4.677) |
77.5 (3.051) |
87.5 (3.445) |
54.4 (2.142) |
67.8 (2.669) |
109.5 (4.311) |
235.1 (9.256) |
288.3 (11.35) |
269.3 (10.602) |
1,869.3 (73.594) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 219.2 (8.63) |
161.9 (6.374) |
140.1 (5.516) |
117.2 (4.614) |
77.5 (3.051) |
87.5 (3.445) |
54.4 (2.142) |
67.8 (2.669) |
109.5 (4.311) |
234.8 (9.244) |
283.7 (11.169) |
254.7 (10.028) |
1,808.3 (71.193) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 18.6 (7.32) |
11.8 (4.65) |
6.6 (2.6) |
1.4 (0.55) |
0.1 (0.04) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.3 (0.12) |
3.9 (1.54) |
13.2 (5.2) |
55.9 (22.01) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 21.4 | 18.9 | 20.4 | 19.0 | 16.7 | 16.0 | 11.7 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 20.6 | 22.3 | 22.1 | 215.1 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 19.5 | 17.9 | 19.9 | 19.0 | 16.7 | 16.0 | 11.7 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 20.5 | 21.8 | 20.8 | 209.8 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 5.0 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 18.4 |
| Sunshine hours | 55.0 | 71.3 | 111.7 | 144.1 | 178.4 | 167.7 | 200.9 | 189.9 | 146.3 | 96.3 | 57.7 | 45.8 | 1,465.1 |
| Source: Environment Canada[2] | |||||||||||||
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