Health & Education

Education

Northern Vancouver Island offers a range of educational opportunities primarily through School District 85 (Vancouver Island North) and North Island College.  School District 85 services the communities of Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Fort Rupert, Coal Harbour, Port Alice, Sointula, Alert Bay, Woss Lake, Quatsino and Holberg. North Island College provides various academic and trades programs (including in-community and online options). Some municipalities also have independent schools that are operated Privately and/or by the First Nation(s).

Grade K to 12 Education: SD85 School District 85 (Vancouver Island North)

Post secondary education: NIC (North Island College)

Locations

Alert Bay

• Grades K to 7
  • Alert Bay Elementary School

Port Hardy

• Grades K to 7
  • Eagle View Elementary School
  • Fort Rupert Elementary School
• Secondary Schools
  • Port Hardy Secondary School
  • Eke Me-Xi Learning Centre

Port McNeill

• Grades K to 7
  • Sunset Elementary School
• Secondary School
  • North Island Secondary School

Sointula

• Grades K to 7
  • A.J. Elliott Elementary School

Health

Health care in the Regional District of Mount Waddington (RDMW) is the responsibility of Island Health. Island Health is responsible for the delivery of health care services on Vancouver Island.

If you are not experiencing a medical emergency, you can call 8-1-1 for confidential health information and advice available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Alternatively, deaf and/or hearing-impaired can call 7-1-1 for TTY services or visit the HealthLinkBC website.

If in doubt about whether you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

Health Services

The Mount Waddington Regional Hospital District (MWRHD) shares the same jurisdiction, Board, and Administration as the RDMW. The MWRHD provides funding to the health authority hospitals and equipment (capital funding is cost-shared with the province). The MWRHD is funded through a combination of property taxes and cost-sharing with the province of BC. The district contributes 40% of capital funding for healthcare projects. The RDMW supports the MWRHD which provides community input to guide healthcare planning and expenditures. 

The region has three acute/urgent care centers with additional health centres and residential care beds across multiple sites in the region.  The RDMW covers a large rural area of over 21,000 square kilometers and encompasses the northern part of Vancouver Island and adjacent coastal areas.

Locations

Cormorant Island Health Centre (Alert Bay)

• Address: 49 School Road, Alert Bay, BC – V0N 0C3
• Contact: (250) 974-5585

Port Alice Health Centre

• Address: 1090 Marine Drive, Port Alice, BC – V0N 2N0
• Contact: (250) 284-3555

Port Hardy Hospital

• Address: 9120 Granville St, Port Hardy, BC – V0N 2P0
• Contact: (250) 902-6011

Port McNeill Hospital

• Address: 2750 Kingcome Place, Port McNeill, BC – V0N 2R0
• Contact: (250) 956-4461