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Kitimat
Kitimat is located 58 km (36 miles) south of Terrace
on Hwy 37. Situated at the end of Douglas Channel and surrounded
by large mountains with an abundance of fresh water, Kitimat was
chosen for Alcan Aluminum during the 1950's for the location of
a large smelter.
Economy
today
Today, Rio Tinto Alcan , forestry and the possible construction
of the Enbridge oil pipeline plus the development of Liquefied Natural
Gas make up the economic engine that fuels the businesses in this
area.
Rio
Tinto Alcan
All this industrial activity can be viewed as you drive past town
and head towards Rio Tinto Alcan. You will pass the various plants
and machine shops that support the main industries. Once at Rio
Tinto Alcan, you can view the aluminum plant and Douglas Channel
in the background.
Haisla
Nation
Kitimat is also the traditional home to the Haisla First Nation
located at Kitamaat Village on the east side of Douglas Channel.
Access to Kitamaat Village can be made on Hwy 37 just past the tourist
information centre.
Fishing
and Boating
Douglas Channel and the Kitimat area are also home to some great
ocean fishing. The two main areas where you can launch a boat are
at MK Bay Marina and the free launch at Hospital Bay.
MK
Bay Marina
To get to MK Bay Marina and the Kitamaat Village, take the Kitimat
Village Road. MK Bay Marina is probably the best area to launch
a boat because there is a small breakwater present to help protect
your boat from any wind or rough seas.
Hospital
Bay
Hospital Bay is located past Alcan on the west side of Kitimat Arm.
The free-launch facility at Hospital Bay is provided by Alcan so
please respect their property.
Kitimat
River
If you prefer angling on a river, Kitimat River is just excellent.
One area to try is just upstream from the Haisla Bridge that is
located as you drive towards Alcan. Situated near the campsite at
Radley Park, this fishing bar will give you the very best in trying
to catch a Coho during the August run. The area is very convenient
to get to with an easy trail leading from Radley Park.
Bear
Safety
If you prefer solitude, there are some remote areas on the Kitimat
River upstream towards Lakelse Lake. Remember when walking along
the Kitimat River to take the usual precautions for bears that reside
in the area.
Recreation
Besides the world-class fishing that you'll find at Kitimat, there
are lots of other outdoor activities to do. Bird watching is also
very popular, especially along the Kitimat River estuary. For golfing,
Kitimat has a course located at the Hirsch Creek Golf and Winter
Club.
Forest
Service Roads
Hiking, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing all exist with some
great areas made accessible by the . A good area to try is by Onion
Lake Recreation Site located about 31 km (19 miles) north of Kitimat
towards Terrace on Hwy 37.
Lakelse
Lake
Another area to visit is Lakelse Lake Provincial Park. This park
contains some very nice large campsites and has a great area for
swimming Located 40 km (25 miles) north of Kitimat on Hwy 37; Lakelse
Lake is very family-oriented with lots of fun available for kids.
The lake is very clean and fishing is available.
Information
on Kitimat
Accommodation
Recreation
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