Bella Coola Central Coast Regional District, British Columbia

Community - An unincorporated populated place, generally with a population of 50 or more, and having a recognized central area that might contain a post office, store and/or community hall, etc, intended for the use of the general public in the region. Head of North Bentinck Arm, W of S end Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Range 3 Coast Land District

Mapped Location

Bella Coola: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

 

Information

General information on Bella Coola

  • Feature Type: Place

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Bella Coola

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name Description
Bella Coola Official

 

Origin Notes and History of Bella Coola

References to Bella Coola that document the origin of its place name

Bella Coola (settlement) adopted in the 18th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924; form of name changed to Bella Coola (community) 15 December 1982.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Bella Coola Post Office opened 1 March 1895.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

"Apparently Sir Alexander Mackenzie travelled down the route traversed by the present summer trail, on his way to the Pacific in 1793. The chart attached to his narrative makes it clear that he struck the Pacific at Bella Coola, which he called Pascall's Village..." (R.P. Bishop, BCLS, 1913 BC Land Report p.333).

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Spanish for "Beautiful valley, but how did it get the name? Probably came from Indian expression "bella coola wind" referring to the cold wind from that direction in winter. (23 March 1932 letter from Rev. R.B. Beavis, Wisetown, Saskatchewan to Rev. J. Goodfellow; Beavis was in charge at Bella Bella for about 10 years after its founding by Rev.W.H. Pierce.)

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Provincial Archives of BC "Place Names File" compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions  |  Province of British Columbia

Parks Canada has installed a National Historic Site monument here: "Alexander Mackenzie of the North West Company, with nine companions, reached this place on July 21, 1793."

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Provincial Archives of BC "Place Names File" compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions  |  Province of British Columbia

 

Central Coast Regional District

Political Boundaries

Last updated: 2023-09-26