Bella Coola, British Columbia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bella Coola
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Bella Coola Consumers Co-op
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 Bella Coola
Location in British Columbia
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Central Coast |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,163 |
| Highways |  Hwy 20 |
Bella Coola is a small community in the Bella Coola Valley of British Columbia, Canada. When people say "Bella Coola," they usually mean the whole valley, which includes several smaller places like Hagensborg and Firvale. It's also where the main offices for the Central Coast Regional District are located.
In 2021, about 2,163 people lived in the Bella Coola Valley. This was a small increase from 2016.
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Geography of Bella Coola
The Bella Coola area is shaped by the long, narrow Bella Coola River valley. The river flows through the valley and then empties into a part of the ocean called North Bentinck Arm.
The main road here is Highway 20. It runs from the ocean all the way through the valley and then climbs up to a high area called the Chilcotin Plateau. Most people in Bella Coola live along this highway or very close to it.
The mountains around Bella Coola are famous for heliskiing. This is where skiers are taken by helicopter to remote mountain tops to ski down. Bella Coola has been called one of the best places in the world for heliskiing since 2017, and many skiing movies have been filmed here.
What's in a Name?
The name "Bella Coola" comes from a word in the Heiltsuk language that means "someone from Bella Coola" or "stranger." The local people, the Nuxalk, call their region "Nuxalk." They call the specific village site of Bella Coola "Q'umk'uts."
Over time, "Bella Coola" has been used to describe the whole valley. But more and more, people are using "Nuxalk Territory" to refer to the entire region, with "Bella Coola" meaning just the river valley.
Bella Coola's Climate
Bella Coola has a mild climate because it's close to the Pacific Ocean. This means it doesn't get too hot or too cold, especially in winter. Summers are warmer here than in some other coastal places further south.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Bella Coola was 41.2 degrees Celsius (about 106 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 30, 2009. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -28.9 degrees Celsius (about -20 degrees Fahrenheit) on January 15, 1950.
Getting Around Bella Coola
Road Travel
You can reach Bella Coola by Highway 20, which is mostly paved and connects to Williams Lake. This road is about 454 kilometers (282 miles) long. A special part of the highway, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) long, climbs steeply from the valley floor up to the Chilcotin plateau. This section was built by local residents in 1953.
Air Travel
Bella Coola has an airport called Bella Coola Airport, located in Hagensborg, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) from the main townsite. It has an asphalt runway. Pacific Coastal Airlines offers flights to Vancouver and Anahim Lake. You can also find private plane and helicopter services.
Ferry Service
BC Ferries provides boat service from Bella Coola. This ferry connects Bella Coola to Bella Bella and often to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. The ferry, called the Northern Sea Wolf, travels regularly to these places, especially more often in the summer.
History of Bella Coola
The Nuxalk people lived in the Bella Coola valley long before any written history. Their stories and the records of early European explorers confirm this.
In 1793, Alexander MacKenzie arrived from the east. He was the first person to cross North America north of Mexico.
For the next 100 years, not many non-Nuxalk people settled here permanently. The Hudson's Bay Company set up a fur trading post near the river's mouth. The trading paths used by the Nuxalk and their neighbors became important routes from the Pacific Ocean into central British Columbia, especially during the Cariboo Gold Rush in the 1860s. In the 1870s, the valley was even considered as a possible end point for the Canadian Pacific Railway, but Vancouver was chosen instead.
In 1894, a group of Norwegian settlers came to the valley. They were given land to clear and build homes. This land had often been used by Nuxalk communities not long before. However, a terrible smallpox outbreak in 1862 had greatly reduced the Nuxalk population, and many survivors had moved closer to the river's mouth. The Norwegian settlement was named Hagensborg, and it's still one of the main communities in the Bella Coola Valley today. Many Norwegians moved away, but others stayed and worked in forestry and fishing.
For a long time, the Nuxalk people and Norwegian settlers made up most of the community. In recent years, the number of people identifying as Norwegian has decreased. In 2001, most of the population identified as Aboriginal (Nuxalk), while a smaller number reported Norwegian heritage.
In the early 1980s, when a large paper mill closed in Ocean Falls, Bella Coola became the main administrative center for British Columbia's central coast. This meant that government offices, like the Central Coast Regional District, moved to Bella Coola.
Bella Coola's Economy
The economy of Bella Coola relies on several things:
- Fishing and processing local seafood.
- Forestry (working with trees and wood).
- Public service (jobs in government and education).
- Retail (shops and businesses).
- Tourism (people visiting the area).
There's also some farming, a farmers' market, and many local artists and craft makers, including famous Nuxalk artists. Bella Coola also has a fish hatchery. The only bank in Bella Coola is a branch of the Williams Lake & District Credit Union.
Local Representatives
Bella Coola Valley is part of the Central Coast Regional District. It has three elected representatives:
- Electoral Area C: Jayme Kennedy
- Electoral Area D: Lawrence Northeast
- Electoral Area E: Leslie Harestad
For provincial matters, Bella Coola Valley is in the North Coast-Haida Gwaii electoral district. The current representative is Jennifer Rice, from the New Democrat party.
For federal matters, Bella Coola Valley is in the Skeena—Bulkley Valley riding. The current representative is Taylor Bachrach, from the New Democratic party.
Notable People from Bella Coola
- Banchi Hanuse, a film maker
- Anna Höstman, a composer
Images for kids
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The wharf at Bella Coola
