Terrace is the largest city in northwestern British Columbia, sitting on a flat bench above the Skeena River about midway between the inland ranges and the Pacific port of Prince Rupert. Around 12,000 people live in the city itself, with another 25,000 in the wider Skeena valley. It's the regional hub for shopping, services, and transport — anything you can't find in the surrounding villages, you'll find in Terrace.
The city grew up around forestry and the Canadian National Railway. Most of the sawmills are gone now, replaced by a service economy oriented toward Kitimat's LNG industry, the mining sector inland, and an unusual concentration of First Nations administration — the Tsimshian, Nisga'a, Gitxsan, and Haisla all have communities within an easy drive. The result is a working town with strong Indigenous presence and surprisingly good cultural infrastructure for its size.
For travellers, Terrace is mostly a base camp. The Skeena River runs right through it; salmon and steelhead fishing draw anglers from all over the world. Kitselas Canyon, the Nisga'a lava beds, Lakelse Lake, and the spirit bear habitat around Princess Royal Island are all within reach. The drive in along the Skeena — by road or by VIA's Jasper–Prince Rupert train — is among the most spectacular in Canada.