Main Street, Stewart, BC

Situated at the end of the Portland Canal and across from Alaska's Misty Fjords National park, Stewart is a unique border town attracting as many American tourists as Canadian. Important to the economy are the industries of forestry and mining - the main employers in the town. The community is promoting the development of a wood processor and is endeavoring to cultivate bulk cargo for its port.

Visit the famous Bear Glacier, one of the few blue glaciers with the easiest access in the world. Also, take a walk on one of the hiking trails that reveal the evidence of old gold and silver mines as they take one on a walk through the magnificent coastal forest, mountain streams and alpine meadows.

Main Street, Stewart, BC

Be sure to try the amazing fishing in the numerous streams and lakes. You can watch the spawning of the rare Alaskan Chum Salmon at Fish Creek. If saltwater fishing is your thing, make sure to take a boat ride on the Portland Canal to catch prawns and crabs...or maybe see a majestic killer whale.

Don't miss out on the spectacular drive from Stewart to Hyder and follow the road through the Salmon River valley right up to the old Granduc mine along the Berendon Glacier. Keep your eye out for the spectacular view of Salmon Glacier, it is the fifth largest glacier in the world. You can easily take your car or RV on this road, but if you wish, there are some fun tours as well.

Stewart offers low cost available housing and land, a skilled work force, a salt water port, a barge terminal, a bulk commodity loader on salt water, a paved highway to major transportation routes, an excess of hydro power available for industrial use, and new sewage lagoons capable of servicing a town of approximately 6,000 people.

HISTORY OF STEWART, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Bridge between Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK (1926)

Stewart, BC is a small town big in history, nature and beauty. Mining was Stewart's beginning when 68 prospectors came to the head of the Portland Canal in the spring of 1898 looking for placer gold. Although rumours said the deposits equaled those of the Klondike, the promised "poor man" placer never materialized. However, other gold camps, once attention had been drawn to the area, mining and exploration increased.

Stewart is on the Cassiar Highway at the head of the Portland Canal, a narrow saltwater fjord approximately 90 miles/145 kilometres long. The fjord forms a natural boundary between Alaska and Canada. Stewart has a deep harbour and boasts of being "Canada's Most Northerly Ice Free Port".

Prior to the coming of the white man, Nass River Indians knew the head of the Portland Canal as Skam-A-Kounst, meaning safe place, referring to the place as a retreat from the harassment of the coastal Hiadas. The Nass came here annually to hunt birds and pick berries. Little evidence of their presence remains today.

Stewart, BC (1911)

In 1896, Captain D. Gillard (after whom the Gillard Cut in the Portland Canal was later named) explored the Portland Canal for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Two years after Gillards visit, the first prospectors and settlers arrived. Among them was D. J. Raine, for whom a creek and a mountain in the area are named. The Stewart brothers arrived in 1902, and in 1905, Robert M. Stewart, the first postmaster, named the town Stewart. Hyder was first called Portland City. It was renamed Hyder, after Canadian mining engineer Frederick B. Hyder, when the US Postal Authority told residents there were already too many cities named Portland.

Gold and silver mining dominated the early economy. Hyder boomed with the discovery of rich silver veins in the upper Salmon River basin in 1917-1918. Hundreds of pilings, which supported structures during this boom period, are visible in the tidal flats at Hyder and Stewart.

Hyder became an access and supply point for the mines, while Stewart served as the center for Canadian mining activity. Mining ceased in 1956, with the exception of Granduc Copper Mine, which operated until 1984.

Despite the many changes in population from a high of 10,000 prior to the first world war, to a low of under 700 today, Stewart has always and will continue to persevere.

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.

	Logging
	Mining
	Tourism

Major Industrial/Commercial Employers:

	Arrow Transportation Systems Inc.
	Hyder Water Works
	Soucie Construction
	Stewart Bulk Terminal - Active

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

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
Airlines	Vancouver Island Helicopters, Taquan Air
Hydro	BC Hydro
Communication	Can-Al Communications
Ferry	None

Road Transport:

	Stewart 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