It is now about 190 years since Captain George Vancouver anchored his vessel, the H.M.S. Discover, at the mouth of the Nimpkish River. While Captain Vancouver visited with the inhabitants of Cheslakee's village, the island, now known as Cormorant Island, lay uninhabited just a short distance away.
In 1846 the island was named for a coastal cruiser, the H.M.S. Cormorant, and later, about 1858, the Bay was named for the H.M.S. Alert which was then stationed on the North-West coast.
The period of 1865 to 1870 saw the beginning of active settlement on Cormorant Island and the nucleus of the formation of the village of Alert Bay. Two explorers and entrepreneurs named Spencer and Huson examined the possibilities of resource development at Suquash and the Nimpkish River before establishing on Cormorant Island in 1870, a small saltery, where local salmon was salted and mildcured before being sent to Victoria. At that time Spencer and Huson leased Cormorant Island from the government.
As their business grew, Spencer and Huson became aware of a need to establish a permanent work force on the Island. To this end the partners approached a Reverend James Hall, a missionary of the Church Missionary Society, who had just established a mission at Fort Rupert in 1877. They persuaded the Reverend to relocate to Alert Bay and in 1878 a mission house was built to school the native boys and girls.
By 1887 the settlement was beginning to show significant signs of progress. 1881 saw the construction of a store and a cannery while the Reverend Hall supervised the construction of "Christ Church".
To achieve several goals, such as the learning of new trades for the Indians and the provision of construction material, a saw mill was established between 1886 and 1887. The saw mill eventually produced lumber to be used in the construction of homes and a new school for boys.
Government recognition of the growing community came during 1890 with the relocation of the Indian Agency from Fort Rupert to Alert Bay. That same year saw the arrival of the first provincial police constable, Philip Woolacott in the community.
Education was of prime concern in those early days and in 1894, W.A. Corker was established as principal of a newly constructed residential school for boys. The school was situated on approximately 450 acres of land and was primarily established to teach the skills of carpentry, furniture making, boat building, animal husbandry, as well as regular academic school work, to native boys.
Water transportation has always been an important ingredient of Alert Bay's history. In 1896, the Union Steamship "Comox", made its first regular call while en route to Rivers Inlet lying to the north. Many other ships, representing a variety of purposes ranging from the transportation of goods, to the delivery of tourists, have visited the Island over the years. In more recent years, when the community was at its peak as centre of the region, regular access was provided by ferry from Kelsey Bay via Beaver Cove. Regular ferry service is now provided from Port McNeill with direct runs to the Bay interspersed by trips to neighbouring Malcolm Island.
1902 saw British Columbia Packers Association purchase the cannery from its founders and in 1909 St. George's Hospital was opened.
A giant step was taken during 1911-1912 when the Dominion Government established the first communications system to link Alert Bay, and other communities in the region, to the southern centres of Vancouver and Victoria. The system comprised a very crude telegraph service, but proved a useful tool to local industry. In 1912 the Dominion Government built a wireless station at the Bay. The station operated principally as as aid to navigation, although was used in other capacities from time to time.
By the early 1900's, Alert Bay was a well established and thriving community serving as the major centre to an area of abundant resources.
With the advent of the First World War came an increased demand for lumber. This demand sparked the first large scale logging operation in the region, however various industries were now beginning to locate on other parts of the North Island, especially in the vicinity of Beaver Cove.
Years passed, and the community continued to diversify its activities to include dairy farming, raising of poultry, growing of vegetables, etc. The Nimpkish Hotel became an established part of the community providing accommodation for the traveller and entertainment for the locals.
In 1946 the Village of Alert Bay became incorporated. At the same time the region was commencing a new era of prosperity which would see profitable growth in the fishing and logging industries. Alert Bay flourished as the supply centre for necessary life sustaining goods and provided the desired recreation and entertainment to the many people employed in fishing and logging. A community hall was built, electricity came to the community, a taxi service was established, a bus service operated on a limited scale, and the volunteer firemen of Alert Bay received shipment of their new fire engine.
Air transportation now began to serve an important role in the development of the community. By 1948 the first elements of an air transportation service had been established to serve the development of the area's natural resources. Until recently only float planes could operate from the island. During 1972, a landing strip for wheeled aircraft was constructed. The runway, which was paved during 1979 is approximately 2700 feet long.
The present countenance of the Alert Bay community reflects much of its past history. Visitors to the area will be fascinated by the mixing and contrasting of the cultures, the native art forms represented by their carvings, paintings and metal drafting. Artifacts and events of the past, not represented by the buildings of the village or the reservation, can be viewed in the community's attractive museum. Above all, a casual stroll from one end of the community to the other, instills one with an appreciation for the efforts of the early pioneers who carved themselves a place to live and work and created the roots of the village which now exists on the temperate south shore of Cormorant Island.
