Bella Coola, British Columbia
Bella Coola is a settlement at the mouth of the Bella Coola River in the North Bentwick arm of the Burke Channel to the west of the province of British Columbia.
Location
The community of Bella Coola located in the valley of the Bella Coola River settlements Bella Coola, Lower Bella Coola, Hagensborg, Saloompt, Nusatsum, Firvale and Stuie are summarized; it is the capital of the Central Coast Regional District.
History
The valley of the Bella Coola River is a traditional settlement area of the Nuxalk, which are also known as Bella Coola.
In 1793 finished Alexander MacKenzie - coming from the east - here the first documented crossing of North America from east to west. Also, the establishment of a trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company in the valley of the river did not lead to settlement of the valley. Only when a native of Wisconsin group of Norwegian Lutherans settled in 1890 in the valley and the settlement Hagensborg founded, the population density increased in the valley. The previously decimated by a smallpox infection indigenous people settled near the trading post at the mouth.
Today, about 45 % of the population described as Nuxalk, whereas designate only about 10 % of the approximately 1,900 inhabitants in the entire Bella Coola Valley as norwegischstämmig. Bella Coola even live 947 inhabitants.
The valley is regularly flooded by its large-scale catchment in storage layers, the last major flood occurred in September 2011 ..
Economy
In addition to the tasks of the settlement as an administrative center of a 24559.5 km ² region play wood and fishing, especially salmon fishing a crucial role. Agriculture was only of minor importance due to the geographic and climatic conditions. The trade in agricultural and forestry products, however, is important.
Tourism, particularly through the opportunities for heli-skiing in the mountains of the Coast Mountains, is gaining in importance.
Traffic
The valley of the Bella Coola River is the non-continuous paved, 456 km long Highway 20 - known as the Chilcotin Highway and Alexander MacKenzie Highway - developed, leading to Williams Lake and Highway 97. Approx. 40 km of the highway that lead over the 1524 m high Heckman Pass and a steep, as "The Hill " designated departure, consist of a gravel road.
From about 11nbsp; kilometers north-west, in Hagensborg, airport ( IATA: QBC, ICAO: CYBD ), which has a 1,280 -meter-long airstrip, scheduled flights to Vancouver and Anahim Lake are offered.
During the summer months from June to September BC Ferries offers a service to Port Hardy on Northern Vancouver Iceland, year round trips to McLoughlin Bay, Shearwater, Klemtu and Ocean Falls are offered that enable a location for the ferry between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert.