VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 278

Getting There
The easiest way to reach Malcolm Island is with BC Ferries (250/956-4533), which makes
the short run across Broughton Strait from Port McNeill to Sointula around eight times
daily. The round-trip fare is adult $11.10, child $5.55, vehicle $25.80.
MM ALERT BAY
This fascinating village is the only settlement on crescent-shaped Cormorant Island,
which lies in Broughton Strait 45 minutes by ferry east from Port McNeill. The island's
population of 600 is evenly split between First Nations and those of European descent.
Alert Bay holds plenty of history. Captain Vancouver landed here in the early 1790s, and
it's been a supply stop for fur traders and gold miners on their way to Alaska, a place for
ships to stock up on water, and home base to an entire fishing fleet. Today the village is one
of the region's major fishing and marine service centers, and it holds two fish-processing
and -packing plants. Half the island is owned by the Kwakiutl, whose powerful art draws
visitors to Alert Bay.
Sights
All of the island's numerous attractions can be reached on foot or by bicycle. Start by wan-
dering through the village to appreciate the early-1900s waterfront buildings and the color-
ful totems decorating Nimpkish Burial Ground.
For an outstanding introduction to the fascinating culture and heritage of the Kwakiutl,
don't miss the U'Mista Cultural Centre (1 Front St., 250/974-5403, 9am-5pm daily in
summer, 9am-5pm Tues.-Sat. the rest of the year, adult $11, senior $10, student $5.50).
Built to house a ceremonial potlatch collection confiscated by the federal government after
a 1921 ban on potlatches, the center contains masks and other Kwakiutl art and artifacts.
It's a 10-minute walk north along the waterfront from the ferry dock. Also on the north end
of the island you'll find the Indian Bighouse, with one of the world's tallest totem poles
out front (it's 53 meters/174 feet high—the tallest is in Victoria). To get there, walk uphill
from the cultural center (the towering totem pole soon comes into view).
Away from the waterfront, grab an island map to find your way to Alert Bay Ecological
Park (allow around 40 minutes from downtown). Surrounded by moss-draped forests, the
park protects an open area of ghostly black water spring-fed swamps, home to ravens, bald
eagles, and other birds.