Hartley Bay

The First Nation village at Hartley Bay is the last gas stop on the way to Prince Rupert.   After waiting for a small ferry to dock, we tied up aft of it next to the gas pump.  We filled the fuel and water tanks, bought ice and asked about a dock for the night.  We were told to pick any open spot – no cost.  The fishing fleet was in harbor; but, we had no trouble finding out-of-the-way space; nor, did two new American Tugs and a 50 foot sailboat. 

All of the ‘streets’ were boardwalks.  ATVs seemed the preferred mode of travel – even for the short distances involved.  The residents were the most friendly we met on the entire trip.  While taking a picture of the school, a teacher came out and shared some of his experiences.  Looking through the door into his classroom, I observed high school students working in a modern computer lab.  Yes, they were linked to the outer world by satellite. 

Residents would stop and offer suggestions on sights to see and places to walk.  At one point, I stuck my head around a shed emitting smoke and peered at ‘grandmother’.  She held up a large but thin halibut fillet and beckoned us over.  After we showed interest in her work, she demonstrated her skill and the knives she used to produce about 3mm slices of halibut.  Alternate slices went into the smoke house and the drying shed.

We had a long talk with Marvin.  His job is to look after the tribe’s water and land resources.  We asked about Spirit Bears.  Spirit Bear is the name given by the First Nation people to a black bear with white fur.  There are not many and most of them live on his band’s land.  He told us that most bears were in the high mountains browsing on grasses in early June.  They would come down to the streams when the salmon were running.  However, he had recently spent a day with a Spirit Bear as she lay dying from old age.  He said that the Spirit Bear will always give way to a black bear, even if the black bear is young. 

“Come back in late August or September; I guarantee you a Spirit Bear,” he said.