If you didn’t know, I’m from the North Island. When we moved her when I was two, we spent a few years in Port Hardy. Then we moved to Coal Harbour. My dad was a air plane mechanic, and worked in this hangar. Fixing these exact planes. From the ages of six to twelve, this was my playground. Needless to say, I was a major tomboy and a great maicanincs assistant. 

This RCAF Museum (officially the Coal Harbour Museum) is a private historical collection located in an original World War II airplane hangar in Coal Harbour, BC. It commemorates the site's history as a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) seaplane base for Pacific patrols during the 1940s, as well as its later years as a major whaling station and logging hub. 

Location: 141 Harbour Rd, Coal Harbour, BC V0N 1K0. It is approximately 18 km (a 20-minute drive) from Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island.

Admission: Free (donations are typically welcomed).

Accessibility: The museum is inside a hangar with level access, but it features uneven flooring and tight aisles; it is considered partially accessible.

Vibe: Informal and "improvised." The museum is tucked inside a working hangar with few signs; visitors often enter through an unmarked door to the left of the front counter. 

Military Memorabilia: Artifacts from the RCAF base era, including historical photos, equipment, and a restored fire truck. I played on and pretended I was driving. 

Whaling History: A massive 6-meter (20 ft) blue whale jawbone, one of the largest ever found, marking the site's tenure as Canada's last operational whaling station (closed 1967). Of course, we would try to climb to the top. I only made it halfway.

An extensive "chainsaw room" featuring vintage forestry equipment, as well as antique cars (played in these too), old telephones, and engines rescued from the forest.

Historic Hangar: The museum itself is housed in the sole remaining Canso hangar from the WWII base. 

During World War II, Coal Harbour served as a critical reconnaissance station for seaplane patrols. Aircraft such as the Supermarine Stranraer and Canso-A (PBY Catalina) were based here to protect the coast. Several original base buildings still stand in the town today, including the general store, which originally served as the base's gymnasium.