The lion's share of visitors arrive in the warm, relatively dry spring, summer and fall. These are peak seasons for wildlife viewing and flightseeing thanks to a half-dozen whale watching and bear watching tour operators who depart from the waterfront. Their destination: the prime Orca and (in the fall) grizzly bear habitats found in the Johnston Strait and among the jigsaw-puzzle collection of Discovery Islands east and north of Campbell River.
Many other visitors get their thrills inland on hiking, biking, climbing, canoeing, and whitewater rafting excursions. Strathcona Provincial Park (Vancouver Island's largest green space), Mount Washington Alpine Resort's dynamic ski slopes, the Sayward Provincial Forest's lake district, and the scalloped shorelines of Oyster River and Miracle Beach are all within an hour's drive at most.
Salmon Nation
Big-league salmon fishing runs have drawn average anglers, international travelers, and Hollywood celebrities to Campbell River since the town was founded in the early 20th century. Painter's Lodge north of town remains a favourite bolthole for the rod-and-reel set. Charter guides by the dozen are available for deep-sea excursions. And when the salmon aren't biting, steelhead and cutthroat trout draw anglers to the region's wilderness lakes.
Fishing is deeply woven into the town's character. Noted author and conservationist Roderick Haig Brown lived on the banks of the Campbell River and wrote of his experiences. And the legendary Tyee Club preserves the fairplay rules of old-school angling as would-be members try (and in most cases fail) to net a big one offshore from the club's headquarters. Novelty treat: Sign up for a "swim with the salmon" excursion with one of several local tour companies.
About Town
A 90-minute highway drive north of Nanaimo, Campbell River isn't strictly about the family salmonidae, even if incoming fish outnumber the local population (31,328) by at least 20 to one in any given June to November migratory season.
Once a no-fuss pulp-and-paper mill town, the city is now blessed with a full range of urban amenities: good dining, all-budget accommodations, plentiful parks and a remarkably generous network of oceanfront walkways.
There are also boutique shops, art galleries, several superb museums and an acclaimed Sunday farmers' market in a downtown core that invites park-and-walk exploration. Watch the cruise ships float past neighboring Quadra Island. Dine on fish-and-chips in marinas packed with luxury pleasure boats. Cast a line off Canada's first public saltwater fishing pier. And inhale the intoxicating fresh air blowing in off the Discovery Passage.
Cultural and History
Two bands affiliated with the Kwakwaka'waka First Nation of northern Vancouver Island – the Wei Wai Kum (in Campbell River itself) and the Wei Wai Kai (Quadra Island) – are an integral part of the region's culture and history.
The aboriginal and post-European contact histories of the region are recounted with inventive flair at the Museum at Campbell River. Logging, mining, and the commercial fishery have all been major activities over the last century in a town that has developed an ecotourist industry to capitalize on its natural gifts.
Festivals
The largest logging sports festival in Canada is held in tandem with the "summer salmon sizzler" cook-out annually in early August at Nunns Creek Park downtown. Words on the Water: The Campbell River Writer's Festival annually draws major literary names for readings and special events in the spring. Six months later, the Haig Brown Festival presents readings, fly fishing demonstrations, and more at the late author's riverside property. Canada Day (July 1) festivities in town are highlighted by Transformations on the Shoreline, a wood carving competition that turns chunks of wood into works of art.
Where to Begin
Stop by the Campbell River Visitor Centre in the Tyee Plaza downtown for more information about the town and surrounding Vancouver Island region. Pick up maps of the region and information sheets prepared by the centre's knowledgeable staff.
Show Less