Tuesday, August 22, 2017 | Language: English | Currency: Canadian Dollar | Population = 12,508

Prince Rupert is a little marine city on an island on the northwest Pacific coast of British Columbia. The Weather Network named Prince Rupert the wettest city in the country, with an average of 240 days of rain a year, amounting to 102 inches of rain a year. That is a lot of rain. Today did not disprove that data.

Prince Rupert’s deep harbor was touted from the early 1900s as a site for a world-class port. The city’s official founder, Charles Melville Hays, was a tireless booster for the area’s potential. Although Prince Rupert only had a few thousand residents when in was incorporated in 1910, it seemed to be well on its way to becoming a place of note. However, a disaster at sea in 1912 had repercussions for Prince Rupert’s future when Charles Hays handed his wife and daughter into a lifeboat on the Titanic as he remained on board to perish.

Today, as the deepest natural harbor in North America, large ships anchor, refuel and rest here before the trip back across the Pacific Ocean. As the shortest link between North America and Asia, the harbor is almost always home to one or two container ships.

Prince Rupert is located in the traditional territory of the Tsimshian First Nations, who have lived in the area for more than 10,000 years. First Nations are the original inhabitants of Canada.

Wasn’t quite sure how to pronounce Tsimshian but it turns out it sounds like a Yiddish word, like tsimmes, tsar, tschotchke or tsouris. For those of you who don’t speak Yiddish, sorry I can’t explain it phonetically.  

We started our visit at the Museum of Northern British Columbia, which has an impressive collection of artifacts that celebrate the culture and history of the Tsimshian First Nations. Our guide explained the significance of the Yaawk ceremony illustrated by beautifully carved headdresses, ceremonial robes, dance aprons and raven rattles, used exclusively by tribal chiefs. There seems to be a great admiration of ravens in this culture although I could not find a single purple one anywhere.

After learning about the culture through artifacts, we adjourned to the Wiiwaabm Ts’msyeen (Tsimshian Longhouse) where this culture came to life through traditional dance and storytelling.

After the show, as we explored the town, we stumbled upon sunken gardens. The plentiful rainfall created lush, verdant colors and textures.