North Coast Regional District

The North Coast Regional District (until 2016 known as the Skeena–Queen Charlotte Regional District) is a quasi-municipal administrative area in British Columbia. It is located on British Columbia's west coast and includes Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands), the largest of which are Graham Island and Moresby Island. Its administrative offices are in the City of Prince Rupert.

North Coast Skeena–Queen Charlotte Regional District
Regional district
North Coast Regional District
Canadian National train entering Prince Rupert
Logo
Prince Rupert Daajing Giids Masset Port Edward Port Clements Tlell Sandspit Skidegate Metlakatla Lax Kw'alaams Major communities
Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Administrative office location	Prince Rupert
Government [1]
• Type	Regional district
• Body	Board of Directors
• Chair	Barry Pages (Masset)
• Vice Chair	Des Nobels (A)
• Electoral Areas	A – Dodge Cove C D – Rural Graham Island E – Sandspit
Area
• Land	19,775.41 km2 (7,635.33 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Total	18,181
• Density	0.919/km2 (2.38/sq mi)
Website	www.ncrdbc.com

Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the North Coast Regional District, previously the Skeena–Queen Charlotte Regional District, had a population of 18,181 living in 7,661 of its 9,082 total private dwellings, a change of 0.3% from its 2016 population of 18,133. With a land area of 19,710.3 km² (7,610.2 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.9/km² (2.4/sq mi) in 2021.^[3]

Panethnic groups in the North Coast Regional District (1996−2021)

Panethnic group	2021[2]		2016[4]		2011[5]		2006[6]		2001[7]		1996[8]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European[a]	8,275	45.98%	8,215	45.91%	9,085	48.98%	10,105	51.58%	12,175	56.46%	14,400	58.28%
Indigenous	7,670	42.62%	8,035	44.9%	7,980	43.02%	7,985	40.76%	7,700	35.71%	8,120	32.86%
Southeast Asian[b]	860	4.78%	700	3.91%	580	3.13%	410	2.09%	635	2.94%	850	3.44%
South Asian	660	3.67%	420	2.35%	410	2.21%	540	2.76%	550	2.55%	620	2.51%
East Asian[c]	220	1.22%	355	1.98%	345	1.86%	405	2.07%	370	1.72%	505	2.04%
Middle Eastern[d]	115	0.64%	20	0.11%	0	0%	10	0.05%	0	0%	15	0.06%
African	65	0.36%	75	0.42%	90	0.49%	75	0.38%	45	0.21%	35	0.14%
Latin American	35	0.19%	25	0.14%	0	0%	0	0%	45	0.21%	70	0.28%
Other[e]	95	0.53%	60	0.34%	35	0.19%	40	0.2%	65	0.3%	75	0.3%
Total responses	17,995	98.98%	17,895	98.69%	18,550	98.75%	19,590	99.62%	21,565	99.41%	24,710	99.66%
Total population	18,181	100%	18,133	100%	18,784	100%	19,664	100%	21,693	100%	24,795	100%

• Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Electoral areas

• Area A – Skeena North: 29
  • Dodge Cove (unincorporated community): 29 (down from 52 in 2011)^[9]
  • Crippen Cove
  • Metlakatla
  • Lax Kw'alaams
• Area C – Skeena South: 147
  • Porcher Island
    • Oona River (unincorporated community): 147 (up from 37 in 2011)^[10]
    • Humpback Bay
    • Hunts Inlet
  • Prince Rupert
  • Port Edward
  • Hartley Bay
• Area D – Haida Gwaii North: 524
  • Rural Graham Island: 524 (down from 607 in 2006)^[11]
    • Tlell
    • Tow Hill
    • Lawn Hill
    • Miller Creek
  • Daajing Giids (formerly Queen Charlotte)^[12]
  • Skidegate
  • Old Massett
  • Port Clements
• Area E – Haida Gwaii South: 317
  • pop 2011 was 317, down from 402 in 2006^[13]
    • Sandspit (unincorporated community): 297 (down from 387 in 2006)^[14]

Municipalities

• City of Prince Rupert: 12,220
• Village of Daajing Giids: 948
• Village of Masset: 940
• District of Port Edward: 557
• Village of Port Clements: 440

Indian reserves

In addition to 7,700 aboriginal persons listed in the regional district's community profile at Statistics Canada,^[15] there are four separate Indian reserve communities within the regional district whose populations are not included within the regional district's figures, and which are governed separately by their respective band governments. These Indian reserves are:

• Old Massett (Masset Indian Reserve No. 1);
• Skidegate (Skidegate Indian Reserve No. 1);
• Metlakatla; and
• Lax Kw'alaams (Port Simpson Indian Reserve No. 1).

Past naming

The Regional District had historically been called the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District, referring to its location on the Skeena River and the Queen Charlotte archipelago. Once the Queen Charlottes were renamed Haidi Gwaii to reflect their Indigenous heritage, discussions began about renaming the Regional District to reflect the update. In September 2016, letters patent were granted renaming it to the North Coast Regional District ^[16]

Transportation

The North Coast Regional District is served by Via Rail at Kwinitsa station, on the Canadian National Railway mainline in Kwinitsa on the north side of the Skeena River across from Yellowhead highway 16. The station is located between the Khyex River and the Kasiks River. The station is served by Via Rail's Jasper – Prince Rupert train as a flag stop.^[17]

Notes

1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
2. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
3. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
4. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
5. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.