Northland Navigation loads a boat.

The coastal steamer carried both passengers and freight north to Bella Coola and beyond to Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlottes.

The ship departed Vancouver about 10-11 pm and arrived at Bella Coola about 30 hours later. The company subsisted on a provincial goverment subsidy, and when the SoCreds lost to the New Democrats in the 1970's, the subsidy ended. And then the ship service to Bella Coola ceased. After that, the only ways in were by air and by land.

The car hanging above the deck is ours. This is Island Prince, the smaller of the two Northland ships, and the car would only fit in the hold of the larger Northern Prince. It was lashed to the side of the ship on the way up.

This picture was taken in May, 1974.