This series of photos were taken mid July 2023 at Port Hardy near Fort Rupert (Kwakwaka’wakw Territory). The top 2 photos are of Storey’s Beach area. It’s a beautiful area to kayak, paddle or explore and we often encounter Pacific white-sided dolphins, Dall’s porpoise, and sometimes the odd whale. The bottom photo is an art display depicting First People’s art and culture which is located at the Port Hardy Airport.

Port Hardy is located on the northern end of Vancouver Island, B.C. With a population of under 5,000 people, it is the largest community on the north island. It is also the southern BC. Ferry terminus for the the inside passage voyage north to Bella Bella, Prince Rupert, Haida Gwaii, or Alaska. Port Hardy and the surrounding small communities are known as the “Gateway to Adventure”. Near the town of Port Hardy, you will notice the motto on the welcome signs “Live the Adventure” illustrating a black bear and salmon. The pristine outdoor options are a nature lover’s delight. There is also a small airport offering flights down island or to Vancouver and small planes also connect to fishing resorts and smaller coastal villages.

This blog post describes a special annual summer event that occurs during mid July in Port Hardy. FiLoMi Days weekend is a definite highlight for locals and tourists who are lucky enough to locate accommodation during this summer festivity. There are campgrounds, cabins, motels, and B&B but they fill quickly–especially during ferry nights or special celebrations. Here are a couple of the options…

The FiLoMi acronym symbolizes the 3 major industries of the town (Fishing, Logging, and Mining) although ecotourism is quickly becoming a 4th major industry here. Each year the FiLoMi days theme represents one of the 3 industries and in 2023 the theme was Fishing. This is a huge event for this town and visitors will discover a friendly, busy weekend with many former citizens venturing “home” to reunite with friends and community members.

Early on Saturday morning, you will see floats and vehicles being decorated around town prior to the parade marshalling. Ribbons are allocated in a multitude of classes based on the creative interpretation of the theme–2023 was Fishing! Later on Saturday morning the locals and visitors are generally either in the parade, or sitting watching it, as it meanders from the local Thunderbird Mall to the Tourist Information Center and main Carrot Park area.

FiLoMi Days parade 2023. The Port Hardy Seniors were one of the many groups in fine form. There was an enthusiastic audience gathered to view and support the event. Here is a short video sharing a few highlights from the parade and other events, such as, the Taiko Drummers, Boat Building competition, Beach Volleyball tournament, Music, Beer Garden, Buck a Shuck Oysters, Children’s Play area, Float Plane fly pass, Free Seniors Bingo, and Food and Crafts Booths. The Free Movie in the Park, Rubber Duck Races, and Fireworks also were crowd favourites; in addition to the “Sold Out” FiLoMi adult dance.

As a former teacher in Port Hardy area for over 35 years, one of my favourite aspects of FiLoMi Days weekend is when former students come up and reconnect sharing their life stories, new partners, children, successes, or challenges. It warms my heart and is so gratifying and uplifting. 🙂 I won’t list names, but here are a few of these special individuals from FiLoMi Days 2023.

The Boat Building competition is another crowd favourite. The boats are usually designed prior to the event then each team has 3 hours to build their creation then launch it and try to steer the boat around a buoy and back to shore first without sinking! Each year we wonder what materials and designs will be effective (or not) and how many “boats” will successfully complete the voyage around the buoy. This year was particularly special as two of the competitors from the winning boat team were former students of mine. Congratulations Buddy and Adam!

Here are a few more random photos taken during FiLoMi Days in Port Hardy. It was a family friendly event and the weather was great! Although heads up…the ocean water is pretty chilly!

I hope you enjoyed this taste of FiLoMi Days weekend in beautiful Port Hardy, Vancouver Island. Thanks so much to the dedicated organizers of the event. I look forward to FiLoMi Days 2024! Cheers Sandy