Hartley Bay, British Columbia

Hartley Bay is a small First Nations community on the coast of British Columbia. The village is located at the mouth of Douglas Channel, about 630 kilometres (390 miles) north of Vancouver and 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of Prince Rupert. It is an isolated village accessible only by air and water with a population of 200.

It is home to the Gitga'ata (sometimes Gitga'at or Gitk'a'ata), which means "People of the Cane." The Gitga'at are members of the Tsimshian Nation. About 200 band members live on the reserve and 500 members live off reserve in Prince Rupert, Vancouver or other regions. The community is served by seaplane and ferry from Prince Rupert. A unique feature of the community is the wooden boardwalks which are used rather than gravel roads.

History and culture

The Gitga'at geographical name for the bay where the village is situated is Txałgiu. This name was anglicised to Kalkayu when the Government of Canada made the land an Indian Reserve in 1889. The ancient winter village of the Gitga'at, known today as Lax Galts'ap or "Old Town," is located 12 miles north on Douglas Channel. There was also a village site in a small bay on Gil Island, not far from where the "Queen of the North" sank. Capt. George Vancouver anchored there in 1793, where he observed remains of houses. Both of these ancient sites continue to be used by the Gitga'at today, as they do other important resource and cultural sites within their traditional territories.

Hartley Bay was established and settled in 1887 after a number of families left Metlakalta, B.C., where they had joined other Tsimshian people at the utopian mission begund by the lay minister William Duncan. When Duncan and his Tsimshian supporters moved to New Metlakatla, Alaska, many of the Gitga'at returned to their traditional territories. However, they chose to settle at Txałgiu rather than their ancient village.

For most of the twentieth century, the fishing industry sustained the people of Hartley Bay. Today, however, with the decline of the fishing industry, employment has diversified, with tourism playing a significant role. For example, a number of Hartley Bay residents work at nearby fishing lodges during the summer as guides. Air service is through Hartley Bay Water Aerodrome.

The sinking of the "Queen of the North" in 2006

On March 22, 2006, the people of Hartley Bay helped rescue the passengers of the BC Ferries vessel Queen of the North, by arriving before the Canadian Coast Guard. The town community centre was turned into a rescue center with the small community providing aid. According to Betsy Reece, "everyone not out on the water was helping keep people warm and fed at the cultural center." [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/264040_bcferry23.html?source=rss]

The town's populace received the Governor General's Commendation for Outstanding Service on May 3, 2006, for "initiative, selflessness and an extraordinary commitment to the well-being of others" in the rescue; the honour also cites the town's "tremendous spirit and the remarkable example it has set". [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/28/ggawards-060428.html]

References

*cite book | last = Campbell | first = Kenneth | title = Persistence and Change, A History of the Ts'msyen Nation | year = 2005 | publisher = First Nations Education Services, SD 52, Prince Rupert
*cite book | last = Seguin | first = Margaret | title = The Tsimshian: Images of the Past; Views for the Present | year = 1984 | publisher = UBC Press | id = ISBN

External links

* [http://www.gitgaat.net/ Gitga'at First Nation website]
* [http://bluebookofboats.com/Cruisingdestinations/HartleyBay.htm Hartley Bay - a destination for boaters cruising the BC Inside Passage to Alaska]

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