Prince Rupert’s Airport is located on Digby Island, approximately a 10-minute ride from the Cow Bay Marina ride via our water taxis. We will help arrange for the airport shuttle to pick you up or drop you off at the airport dock depending on your direction of travel.

Note: advance notice is recommended so we can contact the airport shuttle prior to your pick-up or drop-off.

Dodge Cove is a small community located directly across from Prince Rupert on Digby Island. We operate a ferry service that runs to Dodge Cove throughout the week. We can also arrange private charters to Dodge Cove, approximately a 15-minute ride from the Cow Bay Marina via our water taxis.

DP World Container Port, formally known as Maher Terminals is one of the most efficient container ports in North America. Due to its close proximity to the Asian Market it can transport products from Asia to the interior of North America faster than any other port on the Pacific West Coast. Currently in its second phase of expansion, throughput capacity is expected to rise from 1.35 to 1.8 million TEUs per year by 2023, followed by the development of an additional terminal at the South Kaien Island site with a potential capacity of 2.5 million TEUs per year.

Gingolx, (Kincolith) a Nisga'a Village located in B.C.’s Nass River Valley, is one of four Nisga'a villages that make up the Nisga'a Nation.

Located approximately 45 km south of Prince Rupert on Dolphin Island, Kitkatla is a Tsimshian community accessible by boat and float plane. Via our water taxis from the Cow Bay Marine the trip is approximately a 1.5 –2-hour journey. The Gitxaała, are known as one of the most ancient societies on the B.C. coast, and the village has been continuously inhabited since time immemorial.

Hartley Bay, a small first nations community located at the mouth of the Douglas Channel approximately 145 KM south of Prince Rupert, is accessible by our water taxis departing from both Prince Rupert and Kitimat. The journey takes approximately 3.5 hours from Prince Rupert and 1.5 –2 hours from Kitimat.

Located 75 km south of Kitimat and accessible only by water taxi or helicopter, Kemano is the site of Rio Tinto’s hydroelectric power station, originally built to provide energy for the Alcan Aluminum Smelter.

Located 72 miles north of Prince Rupert, and a 4-hour-ride via our water taxis, Ketchikan is a major and first port of entry into Alaska. The community depends on many facets of the marine industry such as shipping, fishing canneries and forestry.

The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, located two hours north of Prince Rupert, is the first estuary of its size to be protected on coastal British Columbia. From May to July, Prince Rupert Adventure Tours offers 7-hour grizzly bear tours to view the magnificent grizzly bears in their natural habitat. Book your tour online at www.adventuretours.net or call 1-800-201-8377.

Kitimat is a district municipality in Northern British Columbia with a population of approximately 10,000 people. In 1950 Kitimat was planned and built by the Aluminum Company of Canada, known today as Rio Tinto Alcan. West Coast Launch has vessels moored at the MK Bay Marina near the Kitimat village for servicing industry in the Kitimat area.

Located 10 km south of Kitimat, Kitamaat Village is home to the Haisla Nation. Over half of the 1700 Haisla people currently live in the village.

Lax Kw’alaams, also known as Port Simpson, is a Tsimshian community located north of Prince Rupert. Our water taxis can access Lax Kw’alaams directly by boat (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes). Established in 1834 by the Hudson Bay Trading Company as Fort Simpson, the village was the epicentre of commerce in the Pacific Northwest prior to Prince Rupert.

Lax Kw’alaams can be accessed via a 30-minute boat ride Northwest of Prince Rupert through Tuck Inlet, and a taxi ride from the Tuck Inlet dock to the community of Lax Kw’alaams. Note: arrangements must be made in advance for road taxi from Tuck Inlet Dock as there is no cell service at the dock.

A partnership between Shell, KOGAS, Mitsubishi and PetroChina, construction for a liquefied natural gas export facility in Kitimat, BC began in January of 2020. LNG Canada is a strong supporter of all of the local communities in North West BC. West Coast Launch provides marine transportation for the LNG Canada site as needed.

Established by the McLean family in 1909, McLean’s Shipyard is the longest standing family run business in Prince Rupert. Purchased by the Davis family of West Coast Launch in January 2020, the company has plans to convert the yard into an intermodal terminal capable of servicing large vessels and international markets.

One of the seven Tsimshian villages in B.C., Metlakatla is located Northwest of Prince Rupert in Metlakatla, or Venn Pass. The trip takes approximately 30 minutes via our water taxi from the Cow Bay Marina.

MK Bay Marina is located in Kitimat BC. West Coast Launch has multiple water taxis moored at the marina available in the Kitimat area for marine transportation services.

Founded by Scandinavian settlers in the early 1900’s, Oona River is a small community on the eastern side of Porcher Island, 42 km south of Prince Rupert. The homestead is approximately a 1-hour-and-15-minute ride via our water taxis from the Cow Bay Marina. Oona River is only accessible around hide tide due to the unique tidal nature of the boat basin.

Prince Rupert is a Port City in Northern British Columbia with a population of approximately 14,500. Prince Rupert has one of the deepest, ice-free harbours in the world and is one of the closest ports to the Asian Market. This makes Prince Rupert a very attractive port for importing and exporting goods. Some of the industries in Prince Rupert include a growing container terminal, a coal terminal, a grain terminal, a pellet facility and multiple log loading facilities. With recent expansion to Prince Rupert waterfront industry, the Port of Prince Rupert has the second largest annual throughput in all of Canada, behind only Vancouver. Prince Rupert is well known for its world class ocean fishing, it’s caring and loving community, and its magnificent ocean views.

Ridley Island, located south of Prince Rupert is home to the Prince Rupert Grain Terminal, Ridley Terminals Inc. coal facilities as well as AltaGas Ltd. and Ray-Mont Logistics. Established in 1985, Prince Rupert Grain is a modern facility with a capacity of 7 million tonnes of grain per year, and has the highest throughput of any grain cleaning facility in Canada. Established in 1984, Ridley Terminals Inc. can load metallurgical coal, thermal coal, and petroleum coke at a rate of 9,000 tonnes per hour. The Ridley Island Rail and Utility Corridor links all terminals directly to rail, road and marine access, and the proposed Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform will further increase supply chain efficiency. Currently under construction by the Prince Rupert Port Authority is the Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor, a road that will directly link the Fairview terminal to the Ridley Island Industrial Area, cutting down on industrial traffic through town while also expanding rail capacity.

Rio Tinto, an aluminum smelter located at the mouth of the Kitimat harbour produces high quality aluminum for customers around the world. The Kitimat Modernization Project updated the facility in 2014 to new productivity and efficiency outputs. West Coast Launch is contracted by Rio Tinto to provide marine transportation throughout the Kitimat and Kemano area.

Located at the end of the Portland Canal on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia, the small historic town is known for its mining and logging industry.

Road to Lax Kw’alaams (Port Simpson)

Tuck Inlet is located at the very end of the Prince Rupert Harbour to the Northwest. It takes approximately 30 minutes from our loading dock in the Cow Bay Marina to the Tuck Inlet Dock. Once at the Tuck Inlet Dock a taxi will pick you up and drive you to the community of Lax Kw’alaams.

Note: The taxi must be arranged in advance as there is no cell service at the Tuck Inlet Dock.

Pembina is aiming to be able to provide export services at its Prince Rupert LPG (liquid propane gas) terminal by the second half of 2020. Heavy interest in the facility preceded an announcement of an additional expansion at the Prince Rupert facility, which would increase propane export capacity to around 40,000 barrels per day.

Our head office is located in Prince Rupert’s historic Cow Bay district. Our vessels are moored in the Cow Bay Marina directly behind our office with gated access to provide convenient and secure boarding for passengers and freight.

The Westview Wood Pellet Terminal was opened by Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. in 2014. The facility is the first purpose-built wood pellet export facility in North America and currently has the capacity to ship 1.25 million tonnes annually for power generation throughout international markets. Wood pellets are used by industry as a renewable energy source while bringing down the carbon footprint of electrical generation.