Prince Rupert, British Columbia
| Prince Rupert | ||
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| City | ||
| City of Prince Rupert | ||
Aerial view of Prince Rupert
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 Prince Rupert
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| Coordinates: 54°18′44″N 130°19′38″W / 54.31222°N 130.32722°W | ||
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 British Columbia
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| Regional District | Skeena-Queen Charlotte | |
| Incorporated | March 10, 1910 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Lee Brain | |
| • Governing Body | Prince Rupert City Council | |
| • MP | Nathan Cullen (NDP) | |
| • MLA | Jennifer Rice (NDP) | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 54.93 km2 (21.21 sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 222.94 km2 (86.08 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • City | 12,508 | |
| • Density | 227.7/km2 (590/sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 13,052 | |
| • Metro density | 58.5/km2 (152/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) | |
| Postal code span | V8J | |
| Area code(s) | 250 / 778 / 236 | |
| Highways |
 BC 16 Trans-Canada Highway
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| Website | Prince Rupert.ca | |
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Located on Kaien Island, Prince Rupert is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12,508 people (Statistics Canada, 2011).
Prince Rupert was incorporated on March 10, 1910. It was named for Prince Rupert of the Rhine, who was first Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, as the result of an open competition held by the Grand Trunk Railway, the prize for which was $250. Prior to the opening of the GTP, the business centre on the North Coast was Port Essington on the Skeena River. After the founding of Prince Rupert at the western terminus for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Port Essington returned to being a fishing community.
Charles Hays had many grand ideas for Prince Rupert including berthing facilities for large passenger ships and the development of a major tourism industry. These plans fell through when Charles Hays perished on the RMS Titanic in April 1912. Mount Hays, the larger of two mountains on Kaien Island, is named in his honour, as is a local high school, Charles Hays Secondary School.
Local politicians used the promise of a highway connected to the mainland as an incentive and the city grew over the next several decades. American troops finally completed the 100 mile stretch of road between Prince Rupert and Terrace during World War II to facilitate the movement of thousands of allied troops to the Aleutian Islands and the Pacific. Several forts were built to protect the city at Barrett Point and Fredrick Point. Following World War II, the fishing industry, particularly salmon and halibut, and forestry became the city's major industries. Prince Rupert was the Halibut Capital of the World until the early 1980s. A long-standing dispute over fishing rights in the Dixon Entrance to the Hecate Strait (pronounced as "hekk-et") between American and Canadian fisherman led to the formation of the 54-40 or Fight Society. The United States Coast Guard maintains a base in nearby Ketchikan, Alaska.
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