Highway was an empty promise

The article originally appeared in the North Island gazette October 31, 2007.
In the early days of settlement, activities on Northern Vancouver Island centred around the water, and the main form of transportation in and out of the area was by boat and scheduled steamship.  As the economy and population of the Northern Vancouver Island grew, the communities of the area lobbied the government to provide more reliable and affordable transportation routes which would connect the Northern and Mid-Island communities.  Ferry, road, and even railway service were discussed, including connections all the way to Cape Scott.
In 1967 a car ferry service brought passengers and their vehicles from Kelsey Bay (Sayward), to Beaver Cove (South of Port McNeill).  The run was operated by a private company who operated the Lady Rose on the route. Originally cars were hoisted by a lift on and off the boat.  In 1969 the service was taken over by BC Ferries and a ramp was added to assist in the movement of cars.

Kelsey Bay Ferry Terminal

As recently as the 1970s, the only way to reach North Island communities by car was through a series of private logging roads via a gate in the area of Gold River.  The gate would remain locked to non-logging traffic during the day.  In the evenings, traffic would line up at the gate, and from 5pm to 6am non-industrial traffic would be permitted to use the road system.  The logging road system was originally a 'toll road' with rates set the same as the ferry costs.
While campaigning in 1969 then-Premier WC Bennett said in Nanaimo: "With or without any aid from the federal government, I give you my solemn promise that construction of the road from Kelsey Bay to Port McNeill will commence early next year."  Successive politicians made promises relating to the development of an Island Highway that would reach Port Hardy, but after being elected governments continually failed to follow through with construction.

"The Carrot" in Port Hardy's Carrot Park, marking the end of the Island Highway.

It was not until 1979 that the initial 'island highway' from Campbell River to Port Hardy was finally completed.  In order to commemorate the long-fought and hard-won battle for a highway to their community, the District of Port Hardy named the feature waterfront park in the middle of their town "Carrot Park."  A large carving of a carrot sits prominently at the site, which marks the end of the Island Highway.  The carrot symbolizes the success of the Carrot Campaign launched by the North Island Gazette and is a reminder of the 'carrot' that was dangled in front of the North Island electorate for so long, the promise of a highway which would connect their communities to the rest of Vancouver Island, which only after many decades had finally become a reality.

https://lifesatrip.ca/2016/04/05/carrot-campaign-helped-bridge-north-islands-incredible-gap/