{{Short description|First Nations community in British Columbia, Canada}} {{For|the small settlement of Hartley Bay in Ontario|Killarney, Ontario}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Location map|Canada British Columbia|lat=53.2530|long=-129.1505|width=320|caption=Location of Hartley Bay in British Columbia|label=Hartley Bay}} Hartley Bay, B.C. 2003|thumb Hartley Bay, B.C. ca 1980|thumb '''Hartley Bay''' is a First Nations community on the coast of British Columbia. The village is located at the mouth of Douglas Channel, about {{convert|630|km|mi}} north of Vancouver and {{convert|145|km}} south of Prince Rupert. It is an isolated village accessible only by air and water with a population of 200.
It is home to the Gitga'ata (sometimes Gitga'at or Gitk'a'ata), which means "People of the Cane." The Gitga'at are members of the Tsimshian nation. As of 2013, 167 band members live on the reserve and 533 members live off reserve in Prince Rupert, Vancouver or other regions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1357840941712/1360159430797 |title=Hartley Bay |publisher=Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada |date=2013-02-06}}</ref> The community is served by seaplane and ferry from Prince Rupert. A distinctive feature of the community is the wooden boardwalks which are used rather than gravel roads.
==History and culture== The Gitga'at geographical name for the bay where the village is situated is Txałgiu. This name was anglicised to Kalkayu when Indian reserves were formed in 1889, these being '''Kulkayu (Hartley Bay) Indian Reserve No. 4''' and '''Kulkayu (Hartley Bay) Indian Reserve No. 4A''' (the community is physically ''on'' No. 4A). The ancient winter village of the Gitga'at, known today as Lax Galts'ap or "Old Town," is located {{convert|12|mi}} north on Douglas Channel. There was also a village site in a small bay on Gil Island, not far from where the ''Queen of the North'' sank. Capt. George Vancouver anchored there in 1793, where he observed remains of houses. Both of these ancient sites continue to be used by the Gitga'at today, as they do other important resource and cultural sites within their traditional territories.
Hartley Bay was established and settled in 1887 after a number of families left Metlakalta, B.C., where they had joined other Tsimshian people at the utopian mission begun by the lay minister William Duncan. When Duncan and his Tsimshian supporters moved to New Metlakatla, Alaska, many of the Gitga'at returned to their traditional territories. However, they chose to settle at Txałgiu rather than their ancient village.
For most of the twentieth century, the fishing industry sustained the people of Hartley Bay. Today, however, with the decline of the fishing industry, employment has diversified, with tourism playing a significant role. For example, several Hartley Bay residents work at nearby fishing lodges during the summer as guides. Air service is through Hartley Bay Water Aerodrome.
==The sinking of the ''Queen of the North'' in 2006== On March 22, 2006, the people of Hartley Bay helped rescue the passengers of the BC Ferries vessel Queen of the North, by arriving before the Canadian Coast Guard. The town community centre was turned into a rescue centre with the small community providing aid. According to Betsy Reece, "everyone not out on the water was helping keep people warm and fed at the cultural centre."<ref>[http://www.seattlepi.com/local/264040_bcferry23.html BC Ferry] seattlepi.com {{dead link|date=April 2024}}</ref>
The town's populace received the Governor General's Commendation for Outstanding Service on May 3, 2006, for "initiative, selflessness and an extraordinary commitment to the well-being of others" in the rescue; the honour also cites the town's "tremendous spirit and the remarkable example it has set".<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/governor-general-to-honour-b-c-community-that-rescued-ferry-passengers-1.629635 GG Awards 2006]cbc.ca [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/governor-general-to-honour-b-c-community-that-rescued-ferry-passengers-1.629635]</ref>
==Climate== Under the Köppen climate classification, Hartley Bay features an Oceanic climate with chilly winters and mild summers. The area receives a copious amount of precipitation throughout the course of the year, averaging roughly 4500 mm annually. While the area experiences rain throughout the year, the summer months of June, July and August are noticeably drier than other times of the year. Precipitation mostly falls as rain, even during the winter months, although the area does experience snowfall averaging roughly 200 cm per year. {{Weather box |location = Hartley Bay |metric first = Y |single line = Y |Jan record high C = 13.0 |Feb record high C = 15.0 |Mar record high C = 19.5 |Apr record high C = 24.5 |May record high C = 29.0 |Jun record high C = 31.0 |Jul record high C = 32.5 |Aug record high C = 33.3 |Sep record high C = 32.2 |Oct record high C = 20.0 |Nov record high C = 14.4 |Dec record high C = 13.0 |year record high C = 33.3 |Jan high C = 4.1 |Feb high C = 5.3 |Mar high C = 8.2 |Apr high C = 10.9 |May high C = 15.3 |Jun high C = 17.9 |Jul high C = 20.2 |Aug high C = 20.1 |Sep high C = 17.3 |Oct high C = 11.6 |Nov high C = 6.4 |Dec high C = 4.1 |year high C = 11.8 |Jan mean C = 1.5 |Feb mean C = 2.5 |Mar mean C = 4.7 |Apr mean C = 6.7 |May mean C = 10.6 |Jun mean C = 13.3 |Jul mean C = 15.5 |Aug mean C = 15.4 |Sep mean C = 13.1 |Oct mean C = 8.4 |Nov mean C = 3.9 |Dec mean C = 1.9 |year mean C = 8.1 |Jan low C = -1.1 |Feb low C = -0.4 |Mar low C = 1.1 |Apr low C = 2.5 |May low C = 5.7 |Jun low C = 8.6 |Jul low C = 10.8 |Aug low C = 10.7 |Sep low C = 8.8 |Oct low C = 5.3 |Nov low C = 1.4 |Dec low C = -0.5 |year low C = 4.4 |Jan record low C = -14.5 |Feb record low C = -16.0 |Mar record low C = -11.7 |Apr record low C = -3.0 |May record low C = -0.6 |Jun record low C = 2.0 |Jul record low C = 2.5 |Aug record low C = 3.5 |Sep record low C = 1.0 |Oct record low C = -8.0 |Nov record low C = -22.0 |Dec record low C = -16.7 |year record low C = -22.0 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 518.4 |Feb precipitation mm = 426.5 |Mar precipitation mm = 327.1 |Apr precipitation mm = 301.2 |May precipitation mm = 227.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 182.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 159.4 |Aug precipitation mm = 192.0 |Sep precipitation mm = 405.2 |Oct precipitation mm = 686.4 |Nov precipitation mm = 693.9 |Dec precipitation mm = 553.1 |year precipitation mm = 4673.2 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 465.1 |Feb rain mm = 376.9 |Mar rain mm = 306.8 |Apr rain mm = 297.7 |May rain mm = 227.8 |Jun rain mm = 182.2 |Jul rain mm = 159.4 |Aug rain mm = 192.0 |Sep rain mm = 405.2 |Oct rain mm = 685.6 |Nov rain mm = 664.8 |Dec rain mm = 498.4 |year rain mm = 4461.8 |Jan snow cm = 53.3 |Feb snow cm = 49.6 |Mar snow cm = 20.4 |Apr snow cm = 3.5 |May snow cm = 0.0 |Jun snow cm = 0.0 |Jul snow cm = 0.0 |Aug snow cm = 0.0 |Sep snow cm = 0.0 |Oct snow cm = 0.8 |Nov snow cm = 29.1 |Dec snow cm = 54.7 |year snow cm = 211.3 |unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm |Jan precipitation days = 18.1 |Feb precipitation days = 17.3 |Mar precipitation days = 17.9 |Apr precipitation days = 17.4 |May precipitation days = 14.5 |Jun precipitation days = 14.4 |Jul precipitation days = 12.1 |Aug precipitation days = 10.8 |Sep precipitation days = 15.2 |Oct precipitation days = 22.5 |Nov precipitation days = 24.4 |Dec precipitation days = 20.5 |year precipitation days = 205.0 |unit rain days = 0.2 mm |Jan rain days = 15.5 |Feb rain days = 14.3 |Mar rain days = 16.6 |Apr rain days = 17.3 |May rain days = 14.5 |Jun rain days = 14.4 |Jul rain days = 12.1 |Aug rain days = 10.8 |Sep rain days = 15.2 |Oct rain days = 22.4 |Nov rain days = 22.9 |Dec rain days = 17.2 |year rain days= 193.1 |unit snow days = 0.2 cm |Jan snow days = 6.2 |Feb snow days = 5.2 |Mar snow days = 2.7 |Apr snow days = 1.9 |May snow days = 0.0 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.5 |Nov snow days = 4.9 |Dec snow days = 6.6 |year snow days = 27.8 |source 1 = <ref name=metadata>{{cite web |url=http://www.climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climate_normals/station_metadata_e.html?StnId=394 |title=Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data |publisher=Environment Canada |accessdate=July 9, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140217042244/http://www.climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climate_normals/station_metadata_e.html?StnId=394 |archivedate=February 17, 2014 }}</ref>|date=9 March 2013 }}
==See also== *List of Indian reserves in British Columbia
==References== *{{Cite book | last = Campbell | first = Kenneth | title = Persistence and Change, A History of the Ts'msyen Nation | year = 2005 | publisher = First Nations Education Services, SD 52, Prince Rupert}} *{{Cite book | last = Seguin | first = Margaret | title = The Tsimshian: Images of the Past; Views for the Present | year = 1984 | publisher = UBC Press | id = ISBN}}
==External links== *[https://www.gitgaatnation.ca Gitga'at First Nation website] *[https://archive.today/20130118071937/http://bluebookofboats.com/Cruisingdestinations/HartleyBay.htm Hartley Bay - a destination for boaters cruising the BC Inside Passage to Alaska] * {{BCGNIS|36221|Hartley Bay (community)}} * {{BCGNIS|40676|Kulkayu (Hartley Bay) Indian Reserve 4}} * {{BCGNIS|38412|Kulkayu (Hartley Bay) Indian Reserve 4A}} {{Reflist}}
{{Coord|53.2530|-129.1505|display=title}}
<!--also maybe Central Coast once that cat is made; this is kind of the boundary between the two-->
Category:Tsimshian Category:North Coast of British Columbia