OUR VILLAGE

Situated beside to stunning waters of Masset Inlet • Gaw Káahlii and beside one of seven main Haida Village sites around the Yakoun river • Yaagun Gándlee, maintained by Haida people since time immemorial, the current version of Port Clements • ‘Wáan Kún is often referred to simply as ‘Port’ by Haida Gwaiians. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the beautiful scenery, abundant ecological wealth, and slow, quiet village life.

LOCAL HISTORY 

Historically Port Clements was an area favourited by the Haida as a camping spot and was accessed regularly for fishing. Near Grouse Creek, numerous Haida stone utensils, bowls, and chisels were found which have since been donated to a museum. The west entrance point of Yakoun Bay was named in 1878 by Dr. G.M. Dawson for the Haida village, Sahldungkun, located on the point. The point is thought to have been the Yah-koon, “straight-point” of the Haida’s of early years – and from which the river subsequently took its name. There was still one Haida house in seasonal use when the pioneers came to the region in 1908, and a good-sized clearing with the ruins of several other lodges easily seen. On the west side of the point rocks had been cleared from the beach to make a broad canoe approach. Extended across the point mentioned above was Sahldungkun Village, occupied by an Eagle Crest tribe of the same family as those who had originally occupied the Rose Spit village. They had separated from the main branch owing to some internal differences and, gradually moving along the shoreline, had chosen this site. Later they moved to the village of Ka-Yung, a little south of Old Masset.

The Islands were first introduced to Europeans by Spaniard Juan Perez, hoping to claim land South of Alaska for Spain.  It was Captain George Dixon who named the Charlotte Islands after his Queen and Ship. From that first sailing ship in 1774 until the early 1800’s trade in otter pelts, fish, and seals were brisk.  There were few, if any maps of this area and the waters were uncharted.  Each trader felt free to name and re-name places ignoring for the most part the traditional Haida names.

Eli Tingley first arrived at what is now Port Clements in 1907 with a vision for the town site as it started to grow.  Originally named Queenstown, the town was re-named to Port Clements in 1914. Masset Inlet has been a busy area of Haida Gwaii ever since.  With all the logging camps in the vicinity, Port Clements soon became a centre of supplies, services, and transportation for this industry.

The early years of World War 1 were hard on the economy of Port Clements.  The Barton Mill closed and men were left stranded without pay.  Eli Tingley and his friends had formed a small company and bought machinery from Sewell which they floated on a raft and setup a mill on the North side of the new Wharf.  Markets were difficult and the company had to reorganize but nothing had improved.

The depression of the thirties created more financial problems, and the veterans hall was sold and turned into a store.  It is standing today and operates as the local grocery store known as “Bayview Market”. 

The Second World War brought prosperity once again.  When MacMillan Bloedel took over extensive logging leases on Haida Gwaii, Spruce was in high demand once again.  Houses and a much larger school were built and students from Grades 1-10 attended.  The first paved road arrived in the summer of 1967 and a street dance was held in front of the store then owned by Ernie Chapman. The Village of Port Clements was officially incorporated in 1975.

We would like to thank Mrs. Wendy Quinn for her submission of the settler history on Port Clements along with permission from Mrs. Kathleen “Betty” Dalzell with excerpts taken from her published books “The Beloved Islands” and “The Queen Charlotte Islands Book 2: Of Places and Names”. Please note that the spelling of Haida place name orthographies in these submissions may have been updated since these excerpts were written.