Prince Rupert, a port city in British Columbia, Canada, is situated on Kaien Island near the Alaskan panhandle. As the transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, it serves as a significant land, air, and water transit point. As of 2016, the city had a population of 12,220 people.
The Coast Tsimshian people have occupied the Prince Rupert Harbour area for at least 5,000 years. Around 1500 B.C., the area experienced a significant population increase, leading to the construction of larger villages and houses. However, the early 1830s marked a decline in Coast Tsimishian influence in the area.
Prince Rupert replaced Port Simpson as the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) western terminus, and Port Essington as the business center for the North Coast. The GTP purchased a 57 km2 First Nations reserve and received a 40 km2 grant from the BC government. The town was incorporated on March 10, 1910, and named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the first Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.
The city grew over the next several decades, with the promise of a highway connected to the mainland serving as an incentive. During World War II, US troops completed the road between Prince Rupert and Terrace to help move thousands of allied troops to the Aleutian Islands and the Pacific. After World War II, the fishing industry, particularly for salmon and halibut, and forestry became the city's major industries.
Prince Rupert is located on Kaien Island, just north of the mouth of the Skeena River, and linked by a short bridge to the mainland. The city is along the island's northwestern shore, fronting on Prince Rupert Harbour.
Prince Rupert has an oceanic climate and is also in a temperate rainforest. Known as "The City of Rainbows", it is Canada's wettest city, with 2,620 mm of annual precipitation on average.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Prince Rupert had a population of 12,300 living in 5,072 of its 5,747 total private dwellings, a change of 0.7% from its 2016 population of 12,220.
As of the 2001 Canadian census, among Canadian municipalities with a population of 5,000 or more, Prince Rupert had the highest percentage of First Nations population.
Prince Rupert relies on the fishing industry, port, and tourism.
The port possesses the deepest ice-free natural harbour in North America, and the 3rd deepest natural harbour in the world. The Prince Rupert Port Authority is responsible for the port's operation.
Prince Rupert Airport (YPR/CYPR) is on Digby Island. The airport is served by Air Canada from Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
CN Rail has a mainline that runs to Prince Rupert from Valemount, British Columbia. In addition, a three times weekly Jasper – Prince Rupert train operated by Via Rail connects Prince Rupert with Prince George and Jasper.
Prince Rupert is a central point on the Inside Passage, a route of relatively sheltered waters running along the Pacific coast from Vancouver, British Columbia to Skagway, Alaska.
By virtue of location, Prince Rupert is the gateway to many destinations including Dodge Cove, Metlakatla, Port Edward, Lax Kw'alaams, Oona River, Kitkatla, Kisumkalum, Kitselas, Terrace, and Hartley Bay.
Prince Rupert has been featured in various forms of media, including the book "Unmarked: Landscapes Along Highway 16" by Sarah de Leeuw, the song "Santa Maria" by Ra McGuire of the band Trooper, and the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.
