Powell River

Powell River anchors the qathet region at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast, built around a pulp and paper mill that was once among the largest in the world, its original townsite now a National Historic District.

The Powell River townsite, built by the Powell River Company to house mill workers in the early 1900s, forms one of the largest National Historic Districts in Canada, its Craftsman style homes and civic buildings still lived in and remarkably intact.

Willingdon Beach and Powell Lake give residents both saltwater and freshwater recreation within minutes of downtown, and the Sunshine Coast Trail, one of Canada's longest hiking routes, draws hikers into the surrounding forest.

Two separate ferry routes, to Comox on Vancouver Island and to Saltery Bay and onward to Earls Cove, keep Powell River connected despite its remote feel, and the sunken ships and artificial reefs offshore have made it a noted scuba diving destination, all at some of coastal BC's most affordable prices.