Bella Bella, British Columbia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bella Bella

Bella Bella is an unincorporated community and First Nations reserve on the Central Coast British Columbia, Canada, on the west coast of Campbell Island.

With a population of 1,400, Bella Bella is the largest community to be found on the Central Coast north of Queen Charlotte Strait. It is home to the Heiltsuk First Nation.

Like many small communities on the coast, such as nearby Ocean Falls, Bella Bella has had a precarious and isolated existence. The closing of coastal cannery towns and decreased need for coastal shipping reduced the importance of Bella Bella's port.

However, the resumption of ferry services by BC Ferries and the introduction of an air link by Pacific Coastal Airlines have revived Bella Bella.

Services in Bella Bella include a bank, a large general store, a police station, a hospital and a pharmacy.

[edit] Geology

The 13 million year old mafic dike swarms in the Bella Bella area were formed by the Anahim hotspot when this part of North America was directly overhead. The dikes are believed to mark the first arrival of the hotspot, although it is now located in central British Columbia at Nazko Cone.