Campbell River

Campbell River, or Wiwek̓a̱m, is a city of about 35,000 people (2016) on the east coast of Vancouver Island. It is renowned as the "Salmon Capital of the World". Campbell River lies along the important coastal Inside Passage shipping route. The town has little to appeal to the average tourist, but is heaven for hikers, kayakers, fishers and naturists. Here you will find a slow, quiet island lifestyle and beautiful scenery.

Understand
Campbell River has a variety of growing industries including aquaculture, agrifoods, clean energy development, construction, creative industries, forestry, health care, international education, mining, technology and tourism. Since Elk Falls Mill, one of the largest employers in the area, shut down in 2009, many people have moved away to other places with higher demands for a similar labour force, particularly Fort McMurray, Alberta.

8.6% of the population is of First Nations (Indigenous) origin.

History
The first settlers known in the area were members of the Island Comox and related Coast Salish peoples. During the 18th century, a migration of Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwak'wala-speaking) people of the Wakashan cultural and linguistic group migrated south from the area of Fort Rupert and established themselves in the Campbell River area, at first enslaving and then absorbing the Comox. They became infamous as raiders of the Coast Salish peoples farther south, known to history as the Euclataws. Of this group, also known as the Southern Kwakiutl, there are two subdivisions, the Wekayi or Weiwaikai of the Cape Mudge Indian Band on Quadra Island and the Weiwaikum of the Campbell River Band located in and around the city of Campbell River.

Captain George Vancouver reached Campbell River in 1792 aboard the ships HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham. The channel between Quadra Island and Campbell River is named Discovery Passage after HMS Discovery. The captain and his botanist, Mr Archibald Menzies, discovered a small tribe of 350 natives who spoke the Salish language. A Lekwiltok war party, heavily armed with European rifles, paddled south from Johnstone Strait in the middle of the 19th century and were in control of the area when the HMS Plumper came through on a cartography mission under Captain George Henry Richards around 1859. Dr Samuel Campbell was the ship surgeon, and historians believe his name was given to the river by Richards. The community took the name of "Campbell River" when its post office was constructed in 1907. Likewise, the name of HMS Discovery’s First Lieutenant Zachary Mudge is preserved in the nearby Cape Mudge.

Sports fishermen travelled to the area as early as the 1880s, especially after the tales from noted anglers such as Sir Richard Musgrave and Sir John Rogers. E.P. Painter opened his Painter's Lodge in 1929. It attracted clientele from Hollywood and regular patrons included Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Commercial fishing was a large industry for many years. The town's magistrate Roderick Haig-Brown purchased a fishing cabin on Campbell River and wrote a number of books on fly fishing that are influential and well-loved around the world for both sport fishermen and conservationists.

Industrial logging took off in the 1920s. A large forest fire started near Buttle Lake and burned much of the valley in 1938. Rock Bay, Menzies Bay, and Englewood all were big logging camps.

Campbell River prospered after 1912 and it became a supply point for northern Vancouver Island, Quadra Island and Cortes Island. After the Second World War, Campbell River became a boom town and industrial centre with the building of the John Hart Dam, Elk River pulp mill, and nearby mills in Tahsis and Gold River. Logging and mining in the area prospered. There is a lead zinc mine nearby, and coal mines, while a large copper mine operated to the north.

By plane
Airport Flights available to Campbell River from Vancouver (40 minutes).

Ground transportation

 * Car rentals are available from the Arrivals area

Seaplanes

 * Offers regularly scheduled service to Campbell River from Seattle on seaplanes and land planes from May through September.

By ferry

 * Vehicle ferry route:
 * Connecting with Quadra Island (Quathiaski Cove) ferry terminal. The ferry route has a 10 minutes crossing, and operates 16 or 17 crossings a day. From Quadra Island (Heriot Bay) ferry terminal, there is ferry service to Cortes Island.

By car
Travelling north from Nanaimo, there are two options: the Highway 19A (Island Highway), which is the scenic old road with the beautiful ocean views, or the Inland Highway 19 (Island Highway), which is the faster expressway. The drive on the old Island Highway takes approximately 2 hours (153 km / 95 mi) from Nanaimo or 3.5 hours (264 km / 165 mi) from Victoria. The Inland Highway can reduce that time, potentially by up to an hour when driving from Victoria.

Get around
The city boasts a robust cycling infrastructure including paved cycling paths, wooded commuting trails, and bike lanes. There is also an abundance of logging roads and mountain biking trails throughout the area.

By public transit

 * Operates route 6 daily between Campbell River (at Willow Point) and Oyster River (16 minutes). From Oyster River, passengers can travel Monday to Saturday through to Courtenay (35 to 45 minutes) route 12 operated by BC Transit (Comox Valley Regional Transit System). Willow Point in Campbell river is about 15 to 20 minutes from downtown Campbell River on bus routes 1, 2, and 3.
 * Operates route 6 daily between Campbell River (at Willow Point) and Oyster River (16 minutes). From Oyster River, passengers can travel Monday to Saturday through to Courtenay (35 to 45 minutes) route 12 operated by BC Transit (Comox Valley Regional Transit System). Willow Point in Campbell river is about 15 to 20 minutes from downtown Campbell River on bus routes 1, 2, and 3.

See
Campbell River hosts a busy arts and culture scene with museums that cover local history.



Do

 * Guided salmon fishing is also a very popular thing to do.
 * Guided salmon fishing is also a very popular thing to do.
 * Guided salmon fishing is also a very popular thing to do.

Go next
There are options to move on in every direction from Campbell River.


 * Quadra Island — Quadra Island is a ten-minute ferry ride from Campbell River. It has kayaking, hiking and First Nations culture and history.
 * Outer Islands and Mainland Inlets — Take a water taxi or float plane into the outer Discovery Islands. There are fishing lodges, grizzly bears, salmon fishing or you can just relax enjoy the peacefulness.
 * Strathcona Provincial Park — West on Hwy 28, the park is a great place for outdoor-minded travellers, with world-class hiking and camping. Recommended hikes include Flower Ridge Trail, Crest Mountain Trail, and the Elk River Trail.
 * Gold River — Head west on Hwy 28 until it ends and you come to Gold River. It has caves and is the gateway to Nootka Sound on the west coast and the Yuquot National Historic Site.