The neighboring communities of Stewart, BC and Hyder, Alaska are nestled at the head of Portland Canal, a 90-mile-long ocean fjord which forms a natural boundary between Canada and Alaska.

Surrounded by steeply-sloped coastal mountains, the Stewart-Hyder area is  one of immense natural beauty. The 38-mile road joining Stewart with Cassiar Highway 37 is one of the most spectacular in the North.

History

Gold, the magic word that lured men into the farthest reaches of our country,  was again responsible for the initial development of Stewart. In 1898 a small  band of miners and settlers were lured to the region. The promised Eldorado  never materialized then, but in later years gold, silver, and copper became  the mainstay of this beautiful little community.

In 1905, Stewart was named for its first postmaster and settler Robert M. Stewart.

By 1910, Stewart was a boom town with a population of 10,000. But dreams of building permanent port facilities at the terminus of a transcontinental railroad never materialized. With the war years and economic strife, Stewart-Hyder  fell into economic doldrums, only to be briefly revived with the opening of the fabulously rich Premier gold and silver mine, which ultimately closed  in 1950 when the price of metals fell.

Then in the late 1950s, Granduc Mining Co. drove the world's largest one-end tunnel 11 miles to the Leduc Copper ore body. Completed in 1968 and closed  in 1984.

Stewart is a community proud of its past and looking forward to an exciting  future in mining and tourism.

Information/Emergency

Stewart Visitor Infocenter is on Main Street; 250-636-9224, fax 250-636-2199; 1-888-366-5999.

Emergency Police - 636-2233; Fire - 636-2345; Ambulance - 1-800-461-9911.

Internet access: Toaster Museum open 12 to 5:30.

Services

Granmac Services 250-636-2307, on the  corner of Conway and 5th, downtown Stewart. Gas, propane, tire sales and service, welding. RV parts and service. Auto parts and towing.

Public dump station on 5th and Railway.

Shopping
A laundromat, grocery stores, bars, restaurants are located in "Downtown"  Stewart. There is a swimming pool at 8th & Railway.

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Accommodations
Bear River Trailer Court. Electric hook-ups, water, sewer. Located on Highway 37A just off Bear River Bridge, 250-636-9204 or 636-9139.

Oceanview Guest House Stewart, BC's finest accommodation and vacation rental home is here to make your stay that much more fun and pleasant. Discover a world of rustic luxury, surrounding you with mountains and the ocean breeze. Accommodation in Stewart, BC for the discerning traveller, seeking the ultimate in comfort, amenities and location.

King Edward Hotel and Motel is conveniently located on the main street of Stewart, BC. Ammenities include a cozy family style café, Casey's Pub, the Kings Table Dining Room and The Prospectors Meeting Room, thirty hotel rooms and twenty motel units with kitchenettes and drive up comfort. All our rooms have private bath, air conditioning, cable TV, direct dial telephones and much more. Non-smoking and pet friendly rooms are available.

Rainey Creek Municipal Campground At the west end of 8th Street,  250-636-2537. Shaded gravelled sites, grassy tenting areas with covered eating pavilion, fire pits, picnic tables, electric hook-ups, clean washrooms, flush toilets, coin showers, public phone, playground, tennis courts and horseshoe pits. Washrooms are handicap accessible. Salmon stream runs through center  of park. Nearby nature trail. Firewood sold.

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Transportation/Tours
Seaport Limousine provides bus service to Terrace with connections  to the rest of the Greyhound system. 250-636-2622.

Sightseeing tours available from Seaport Limousine. Write Box 217  Stewart, BC, 250-636-2622, or Cornell Travel Centre, Box 7, Stewart, BC, 250-636-2562.

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Things To Do
Fish Creek is a spawning ground for some of the world's largest chum salmon, and is therefore very popular with the local bears.
Editor's note: Although the bears that frequent this area seem tame, THEY ARE NOT, please remember these are wild and dangerous animals.

Seaport Limousine offers an excellent guided tour from Stewart to the Salmon Glacier. A variety of wildlife is often seen and the drivers are  informative and helpful. The Salmon Glacier is one of the most spectacular glaciers in the north. This tour is highly recommend as  there are several points of interest that you will not see if they are not  pointed out. Although the road has been upgraded recently it is still a challenge  best left to the professional driver. If you are driving a rental vehicle you should check your contract as often it will not be valid on this kind  of a road. This tour is for groups of 10 or more please call for rates.

Toaster Museum, an interesting array of toasters, well worth having a look at.

In Stewart, the Visitor Infocenter is located downtown on Main Street, here maps and detailed information on local attractions are available. The old Fire Hall at 6th and Columbia Streets houses the Historical Society Museum.

Fishing is good in the area—Dolly Varden in Fish Creek; king salmon  (to 50 lb), coho salmon and Alaska King Crab in Portland Canal; salmon, Dolly Varden and steelhead in Meziadin River mouth and Nass River; rainbow in Bob Quinn Lake. Area fishing charters are available.

Stewart has had a number of major motion pictures filmed here, and it only takes a short look around to see why.

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