Port Hardy in old photographs

Old Port Hardy was located on the East side of Hardy Bay.  Here is a photo of the Lyon's store in 1905.

• BC Archives A-05330

Lyon's store in 1905.  Photo shows Thomas P. Wicks on the wharf.    Photo by H. Helmsing.

City of Vancouver Archives - CVA 586-584

Old Port Hardy on the East side of Hardy Bay with the Lyon's store/hotel in 1907.

BC Archives A-05413

Port Hardy in 1911. Photo by H. Helmsing.

A bit more development in 1922.

BC Archives A-05347

In the mid 1920s the community moved to its current location on the West side of the Bay.  Originally the new community was called "Hardy Bay" to distinguish it from "Port Hardy."  Over time the community gradually moved to the Hardy Bay settlement.  No one ever officially changed the post office name when the post office moved from Port Hardy to Hardy Bay, and eventually Hardy Bay took on the name Port Hardy.

This photo of Hardy Bay is from the 1920s or early 1930s before the Cadwallader store was built.

• BC Archives D-02212 
 

Sketch of Port Hardy by Lindley Crease in 1937.  The building to the left of the wharf (the Hardy Bay Hotel) has a sign on it which says "Home Gas" and the Lyons store is up the street on the right side of the street with a "Store" sign on it.

BC Archives PDP07442

One of the smaller wharves in Hardy Bay in 1939.

BC Archives NA-11527

Log dump looking toward the area where Keltic Seafoods is today.  Photo from 1939 by the BC Forest Service.

BC Archives NA-11547

Hardy Bay view from the Steamship in 1941.

City of Vancouver Archives CVA 586-584

The Hardy Bay Hotel at the foot of the main wharf (eventually the Seagate).  Photo from the 1940s.

BC Archives E-05273

Looking down the wharf at the Hardy Bay Hotel.  Sign says 'licensed premises'.  Photo from 1939.

BC Archives NA-11562

View up the hill from the Government Wharf, including a General Store (left).  Date unidentified.  1939?

BC Archives NA-11527

The Port Hardy Hotel in the 1940s.

BC Archives E-05272

RCAF airmen posing with an old car, photos presumably taken during WWII, with the Port Hardy Hotel in the background of the first photo.

http://jakealoo.tumblr.com/post/54597228243/two-wwii-era-photographs-of-rcaf-airmen-in-port/embed

The Port Hardy main wharf (now the Seagate), in 1947.  Presumably the people on the wharf are waiting to get onto the steamship.

BC Archives I- 28374

Coming into the Port Hardy wharf 1947.  Cadwallader Store has been built along with a structure on the right side of the wharf.

BC Archives A-05330

The Port Hardy primary school in 1962.  This building was eventually moved to the intersection of Byng Road and Beaver Harbour Road and became the Old Schoolhouse Store.  Photo from 1952.

BC Archives I-31858

Port Hardy wharf 1963.

BC Archives I-28376

Old 8mm movies bring the historical North Island to life

A big shout out is due to Lindsey Pattinson, who has taken a number of his grandfather's old 8mm home movies and converted them to digital format.  They give a glimpse into what life was like on the old North Island.
Today on the blog we are featuring three of these movies:
https://vimeo.com/165743883
This video highlights logging in the Nimpkish area, from Woss to Beaver Cove, and includes footage of the historic rail line that transported people, equipment and logs all around the Nimpkish Valley from Rock Bay to Beaver Cove.
https://vimeo.com/164862542
The second video features fishing for salmon and herring on Canada's West Coast.  It features video of the fleet, the gear used, and the catches.
https://vimeo.com/164799300
Finally, a third video features footage of whaling off the West Coat of Vancouver Island and at the whaling station at Coal Harbour in Quatsino Sound.
I'm trying to figure out how to actually embed these videos, but for now you"ll have to click the links to access them.