North Coast

The North Coast is a heavily forested and mountainous region. The Skeena, British Columbia's second largest river, flows into the Pacific Ocean at Prince Rupert. It has been an important transportation link and food source for the First Nations people for more than 8,000 years.

In 1992, the Nisga'a First Nations people signed the first modern-day treaty with the governments of Canada and British Columbia, making the Nass River Valley formal Nisga'a territory.

Climate

The North Coast region has two climatic zones: coastal and interior. The coast has cool summers and cool to cold winters. Winter rain and snow can exceed 250 centimetres.

The east side of the Coast Mountains is much drier. Away from the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean, the winters are colder and the summers warmer than the coast.

People

More than half of the population lives in the communities of Prince Rupert, Terrace and Kitimat. Queen Charlotte City on the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) is also one of the larger communities in the North Coast region.

Economy

The North Coast economy is made up of commercial fishing, fish processing, logging, wood, pulp and paper, and metal manufacturing (aluminum), mining and mineral exploration, transportation services and tourism.

Prince Rupert is poised to become a major transportation hub, connecting North America with Asia. The city is home to the deepest harbour on the continent, accessible to container ships year round.

Related resources:

• Read an up-to-date economic regional profile for the North Coast region on the Trade and Investment British Columbia website.
• Learn about the Northern B.C. regions (which include the North Coast) on the HelloBC website.