Entering Hyder, AK

Hyder is nestled at the head of Portland Canal, a 70 mile-long fjord which forms a portion of the US / Canadian border. Hyder is just 2 miles from Stewart, British Columbia, and 75 air miles from Ketchikan. It is the only community in southern Alaska accessible by road.

Today, Hyder is a community that is dependent on tourism. It is known as the "Friendliest Ghost Town in Alaska." In 1986, the State ferry began serving Hyder, which has opened up mainland connections to the Canadian highway system. The Ferry is now no longer running to Stewart and Hyder. Recreational fishing and hunting provide food for some families. Halibut, salmon, shrimp and crab are the favorite resources. There is a health clinic, a public library, some restaurants, cafes, motels, bars, a post office and a museum associated with the visitor center. Spectacular scenery as well as great fishing, eagles to watch and bears to photograph.

HISTORY OF HYDER, ALASKA

Old Hyder, AK (1930s)

Nass River Indians called the head of Portland Canal "Skam-A-Kounst," meaning "safe place," referring to the site as a retreat from the harassment of the coastal Haidas.

The Nass used this area as a seasonal berry-picking and bird-hunting site. In 1896, Capt. D.D. Gillard of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers explored Portland Canal. Gold and silver lodes were discovered in this area in the late 1898, mainly on the Canadian side in the upper Salmon River basin.

The Stewart brothers arrived in 1902. Hyder was originally called Portland City, and the name was changed in 1914 after Frederick Hyder, a Canadian mining engineer predicted a bright future for the area. Hyder was the only practical point of access to the silver mining properties in Canada, and the community became the ocean port, supply point, and post office for miners by 1917. Hyder's boom years occurred between 1920 and 1930, when the Riverside Mine on US territory extracted gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and tungsten. The mine operated from 1924 until 1950. In 1948, the townsite, built on pilings, was destroyed by fire.

Hyder, BC (1920s)

History has it that there was a well worn trail over the mountain from the Alaska side known as "Smugglers Trail". Many Alaskans would just walk over to Hyder, BC, drink their fill and return home. At one time, Hyder, BC boasted a row of residences, two hotels, two beer parlors, a taxi stand and a Canadian Customs two storey building, all set up on pilings. By the last 1940s only a few of the buildings remained. Hyder, BC was slowly being reduced to mere pilings.

By 1956, all major mining had closed except for the Granduc Copper Mine in Canada, which operated until 1984. Westmin Resources Ltd. operated a gold and silver mine which is currently in shut down mode.

Weather:
The unbelievable amounts of snowfall, the long summer days or the crisp autumn nights, provides a constant source of conversation for the locals and visitors alike. Hyder and Stewart is located in the maritime climate zone with warm winters, cool summers and heavy precipitation.

	Tourism
	Water bottling plant

Corridor Advantages:

	Canada’s most northerly ice free port
	Year-round, ice-free port providing deep, wide and sheltered passage to/from Pacific Ocean
	Deep harbour with some existing infrastructure
	Located on western leg of Highway 16 and CN, linking with Terrace to Canadian and US heartland
	3,900 foot paved runway at Stewart Airport
	Congestion-free transportation infrastructure
	Minimal weather-related road/rail shutdowns

Corridor Projects and Opportunities:

Existing Bulk Terminal underused and available at Stewart

Key Linkages:

Highway	Hwy. 37, Hwy. 37A
Bus Line	Seaport Limousine Ltd.
Trucking	Bandstra Transportation Systems, Lindsay’s Cartage & Storage, Seaport Limousine, Arrow Transportation
Railway	None
Airports	Paved airstrip 3900 ft long at Stewart
Airlines	Vancouver Island Helicopters, Taquan Air
Hydro	BC Hydro
Communication	Can-Al Communications
Ferry	None

Road Transport:

	Hyder is located at the westernmost point of Hwy. 37A
	Hwy. 37, via Hwy. 37A, links Stewart to the Trans-Canada Hwy. between Smithers and Terrace. The Alaska Highway via Hwy. 37 joining at Watson Lake
	Major north-south highway links in Prince George and Edmonton
	Hwy. 37 is paved south to Kitimat. Hwy. 37 connection to Yukon & Alaska

Bus and Freight Transport:

	Seaport Limousine Bus Service travels to Terrace from Monday to Friday, and makes regular connections with the Greyhound Bus Service
	Freight services provided by: Bandstra Transportation Systems, Lindsay’s Cartage & Storage, Seaport Limousine
	Toquan Air (float plane) brings US mail Monday's and Thursday's from Ketchikan - passenger services is limited to how much seating is left (Toquan Air main office is out of Ketchikan)

* some information on this page supplied by North West Development Corridor