Port Hardy

Port Hardy
District municipality
District of Port Hardy[1]

Harbour of Port Hardy
Port Hardy
Coordinates: 50°43′21″N 127°29′34″W / 50.72250°N 127.49278°W / 50.72250; -127.49278Coordinates: 50°43′21″N 127°29′34″W / 50.72250°N 127.49278°W / 50.72250; -127.49278
Country  Canada
Province  British Columbia
Region North-Island
Regional District Mount Waddington
Founded 1966
Government
  Mayor Hank Bood [2]
Area
  Total 38.73 km2 (14.95 sq mi)
Elevation 23 m (75 ft)
Population (2011)
  Total 4,008
  Density 100/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC−8)
Area code(s) 250, 778
Website http://porthardy.ca/

Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the northwestern end of Vancouver Island.[3] Port Hardy has a population of 4,008 at last census (2011). It is the gateway to Cape Scott Provincial Park, the North Coast Trail and the BC Marine Trail, located on the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island. The community has access to spectacular wilderness adventures, such as kayaking, caving, world-class scuba diving, nature viewing, surfing, fishing and camping.

Port Hardy's twin city is Numata, Japan.

Naming

Port Hardy was named after Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy who served as the captain of H.M.S. Victory.[3]

Filomi Days

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 third weekend in July.

Tourism

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.

Wildlife

A deer near the Quatse river

Deer, black bears, bald eagles, squirrels, seals, salmon 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. Port Hardy has many wildlife charters, fishing charters and places to camp during tourist season. Controversial bear hunts are common here.

Climate

Climate data for Port Hardy Airport
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex 14.2 16.8 19.5 22.9 35.3 31.9 30.6 32.8 28.0 25.4 18.8 15.7 35.3
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)
28.7
(83.7)
25.8
(78.4)
25.6
(78.1)
18.9
(66)
14.8
(58.6)
33.4
(92.1)
Average high °C (°F) 6.5
(43.7)
7.3
(45.1)
8.9
(48)
11.2
(52.2)
13.9
(57)
15.9
(60.6)
17.8
(64)
18.1
(64.6)
15.8
(60.4)
11.8
(53.2)
8.1
(46.6)
6.0
(42.8)
11.8
(53.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.2
(39.6)
4.4
(39.9)
5.5
(41.9)
7.3
(45.1)
10.1
(50.2)
12.3
(54.1)
14.3
(57.7)
14.4
(57.9)
12.2
(54)
8.8
(47.8)
5.5
(41.9)
3.7
(38.7)
8.6
(47.5)
Average low °C (°F) 1.8
(35.2)
1.4
(34.5)
2.0
(35.6)
3.4
(38.1)
6.1
(43)
8.7
(47.7)
10.7
(51.3)
10.7
(51.3)
8.5
(47.3)
5.7
(42.3)
3.0
(37.4)
1.3
(34.3)
5.3
(41.5)
Record low °C (°F) −14.4
(6.1)
−11.8
(10.8)
−12.8
(9)
−3.3
(26.1)
−1.1
(30)
1.7
(35.1)
2.8
(37)
3.3
(37.9)
−9.9
(14.2)
−5.4
(22.3)
−12.5
(9.5)
−12.2
(10)
−14.4
(6.1)
Record low wind chill −19.8 −23.5 −15.3 −6.9 −4.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 −0.6 −7.7 −20.8 −22.0 −23.5
Average precipitation mm (inches) 247.0
(9.724)
160.2
(6.307)
159.7
(6.287)
125.0
(4.921)
79.3
(3.122)
80.7
(3.177)
53.7
(2.114)
73.1
(2.878)
109.6
(4.315)
256.7
(10.106)
311.7
(12.272)
250.9
(9.878)
1,907.6
(75.102)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 235.0
(9.252)
151.9
(5.98)
154.8
(6.094)
123.5
(4.862)
79.2
(3.118)
80.7
(3.177)
53.7
(2.114)
73.1
(2.878)
109.6
(4.315)
256.5
(10.098)
307.9
(12.122)
239.9
(9.445)
1,865.7
(73.453)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 12.4
(4.88)
8.8
(3.46)
4.9
(1.93)
1.5
(0.59)
0.1
(0.04)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.1
(0.04)
3.9
(1.54)
10.8
(4.25)
42.7
(16.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 22.6 18.0 21.1 18.9 16.3 15.7 11.2 11.9 14.5 21.8 23.3 21.6 216.9
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 21.5 17.2 20.8 18.9 16.3 15.7 11.2 11.9 14.5 21.8 22.7 20.6 213.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 3.5 2.5 2.0 1.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.6 3.7 14.6
Average relative humidity (%) 81.8 76.6 72.9 70.0 69.6 72.2 72.6 74.8 77.8 81.1 82.5 82.6 76.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 51.4 73.9 114.2 143.2 174.7 165.8 201.8 189.2 150.0 95.5 56.3 46.3 1,462.4
Percent possible sunshine 19.5 26.2 31.1 34.6 36.4 33.7 40.7 42.0 39.5 28.7 20.8 18.5 31.0
Source: [4]

Radio

CFNI- 1240 Coast AM

Transportation

Port Hardy is served by Port Hardy Airport and the Bear Cove Ferry Terminal. There are two taxi companies and a public transport bus.

Gallery

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, January 31, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.