Gateway to the Inside Passage - Campbell River

Discover Vancouver Island’s Campbell River through the eyes of local writer Ian Douglas.

Ian Douglas has sailed around the world, stopping in ports of call all along the way. But when he landed in Campbell River on Vancouver Island’s northeast coast nearly 25 years ago, he knew he had found his home.

“This area has some of the most beautiful coastline in the world,” said Douglas, an aquaculture instructor, sailor, freelance writer and author of Campbell River: Gateway to the Inside Passage – a coffee table photo book from  Harbour Publishing that tells the story of Campbell River in words by Douglas and photos by professional photographer Boomer Jerritt.

Once the site of an ancient First Nation village called Tsa-Kwa-Luten, "the gathering place,” Campbell River began to grow in the early 1900s due to the logging, fishing and mining industries. But since the closure of the Catalyst Paper mill in 2010, Campbell River has looked toward its incredible ecotourism values for the future of the community.

Douglas said fishing is still a huge part of the region’s draw, as people come from all over to fish for tyee salmon–huge salmon over 30 pounds that put up quite a fight.

“If you go out in a rowboat off the mouth of Campbell River and catch one of these fish with a single-action reel, you can join the tyee club,” Douglas said, noting that the fish are so big they need to be unloaded from boats by a net lowered from the pier.

Another salmon-related attraction is the unique opportunity to actually swim with the salmon in Campbell River during the spawning season, Douglas said.

Quadra Island, one of the group of Discovery Islands off the coast of Campbell River in the Inside Passage, was the main settlement in the area around the turn of the last century. But once a road was laid the length of Vancouver Island and the pulp mill opened, the population shifted to Campbell River.

Today Quadra Island has a population of about 3,500 people and boasts some of the region’s most beautiful scenery and exciting activities. From swimming at Rebecca Spit to watching orca and humpback whales to endless opportunities for kayaking and boating, Douglas said Quadra Island has plenty to offer the traveller.
Particularly popular for RV enthusiasts is the We Wai Kai Campground, Douglas noted.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “You’re right on the water. It’s popular with families and people book every year for the sites.”

He adds that RVers should be prepared to pay a hefty fee to get the ferry to Quadra Island. And since it’s a popular route in the summer, waits can be long for the 10-minute ferry ride.

Back on the mainland, Douglas said downtown Campbell River is great for exploring on foot. Nearby Strathcona Provincial Park offers great opportunities for hiking and sightseeing as well as luxury accommodations at Strathcona Park Lodge.