Port McNeill's history starts as far back as 9,000 years ago with the arrival of the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation.
Today, the Kwakwaka'wakw constitute a significant minority in the region and majority in many smaller communities. They imbue the area with a rich cultural heritage and compelling history sure to capture the traveller's imagination.
In the 1930s, loggers arrived and gave birth to a town. By the 1960s, the population had risen to 400, new businesses were afoot and a sense of community had begun to take shape. The new town was named after Captain Henry McNeill of the Hudson Bay Company's SS Beaver, the first steamship on the Pacific Northwest Coast.
Modern McNeill
Modern "McNeillers" are loggers, fishermen, outfitters, artists, photographers, sculptors, storekeepers, cooks and teachers. The pioneering spirit lingers; this is a resilient, outgoing town where the sense of community runs large and deep.
Port McNeill Heritage Museum
The Port McNeill Heritage Museum is the place to tap into the trappings of the logging era. Financed through local donations and installed in a fine log building, it's the pride of the town. Artifacts from a private collection donated to the museum include a Grand Jewel wood stove, cider press, antique typewriters, historic photographs, vintage phonographs, snow shoes and a 1904 Humber Motor Bike.
OrcaFest
Port McNeill's annual festival is OrcaFest, every mid-August, with fun run, parade, races, competitions, arts, crafts and potluck dinner.
Accessing Aboriginal Culture
Catch the 40-minute ferry ride to Alert Bay and plan to spend a day at the remarkable U'mista Cultural Centre and Museum. Discover the tradition of potlatch and view the Potlatch Collection, a stunning collection of ceremonial masks and regalia once outlawed in this country. A visit to the Big House brings exhilarating First Nations drumming and dancing. And no stay in Alert Bay is complete without a stroll to the local cemetery to see its artful funerary totems.
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