Since time immemorial, rain has defined lifeon Kaien Island, now known as the townsite of Prince Rupert. As therainiest and cloudiest city in Canada, Prince Rupert is the perfectenvironment for rainbows--and the rainbow is an apt metaphor for thecity: a symbol of diversity and inclusion, a supernatural gatewaybetween worlds, and a universal sign of hope and calm after a storm.

Fromits original Ts'mysen inhabitants to the first European explorers andfur traders, the building of dozens of salmon canneries to theconstruction of the transcontinental railway, the global upheaval of twoWorld Wars to decades of industrial boom and bust, Kaien Island, andPrince Rupert, has always been a rich, multicultural trading hub thathas weathered countless storms.

By weaving together historical events illustrated by compelling archival photographs, The City of Rainbowsstrives to tell the story of Prince Rupert from a modern perspective,one that confronts the impact of colonization head-on and moves awayfrom a romanticized account of the development of a "pioneer" town.Balancing the histories of Indigenous Peoples, European and Asiansettlers, and recent immigrants, this book reveals powerful, intriguing,uncomfortable, and beautiful truths about an undoubtedly colourful city.