Ling Cod & Sole

The tranquility of this town is palpable.  Smooth graceful takeoffs and landings of seaplanes add to the slow gentle wakes carved by the working boats on the Hecate Strait.  Losing track of time is easily done on this waterfront.  I found my perch early today and was prone to remain for hours.

 

 

It wasn’t until after World War I that the fishing and fish processing industry really grew here in Prince Rupert BC.  It looks to be a big part of the economy even today with a large fish processing plant in town and a good sized commercial fishing fleet at the dock.

 

During World War II, the local dry docks fabricated quite a few ships.  That coupled with the construction of a government grain elevator, elevated Prince Rupert to the status of a major deep sea port.  In the decade following 1960, major ferry terminals were built, adding transportation hub to Rupert’s resume.

Things changed dramatically in June of 1972 as a major fire destroyed the docks, sheds, warehouses and fish processing cannery.  The entire waterfront was lost.  Showing resilience throughout the latter portion of that decade and on into 1982, all was rebuilt and even expanded to include the Fairview terminal and Ridley Island terminals.

The Grand Trunk Railroad ran between Prince Rupert and Terrace, routed to the east along the Skeena River.  The Kwinitsa Station was built in 1911 and served as a depot along the line.  No longer needed in 1985, the entire station was lifted onto a barge and floated down to Prince Rupert to be preserved as a railway museum.

This sunny day was a good one.  Riding about the strait and waterfront, getting to know a few residents and devouring some phenomenal ling cod and sole, rounded it out quite nicely.