The British Columbia Coast , popularly referred to as the BC Coast or simply the Coast , is a geographic region of the Canadian province of British Columbia . As the entire western continental coastline of Canada along the Pacific Ocean is in the province, it is synonymous with being the West Coast of Canada .
30-632: Hagensborg , originally named Kristiania , is a small community in the Bella Coola Valley in British Columbia , Canada. Its census population in 2006 was 248. The Bella Coola Valley was inhabited by the Nuxálk people when European explorers arrived, first of them being Sir Alexander Mackenzie , who still to this day has a lasting presence in the community. Norwegian settlers from Minnesota and Wisconsin arrived in 1894, and under
60-555: A new light on Ice Age populations in North America as well as on the strong likelihood of this area having been the major migration route from (and perhaps to) Asia . The heavy indentation and mild climate of the British Columbia Coast have led to inevitable comparisons with the geography's predisposition to encouraging increased human settlement and movement as well as cultural foment and population growth in
90-501: A predominantly oceanic climate in the north along the coast and further inland into the foothills of the Pacific Ranges . Higher elevations feature a subpolar oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfc) with cool summers, cold winters, and constant rainfall that peaks during the winter months. The highest elevations feature a subarctic climate ( Köppen : Dfc). The British Columbia Coast is dominated by temperate rainforest . According to
120-454: A total cargo volume of 76.5 million metric tons. By the same metric, the Port of Vancouver is also the fifth largest commercial shipping port in North America. The Port of Prince Rupert possesses the deepest ice-free natural harbour in North America, and the 3rd deepest natural harbour in the world. Situated at 54° North, the harbour is the northwesternmost port in North America linked to
150-553: Is a relatively small but distinct region located in the Central Coast region of British Columbia , Canada, comprising the valley of the Bella Coola River and its tributaries. The region is served by BC Hwy 20 , which runs from Williams Lake to the town of Bella Coola at the head of North Bentinck Arm , from where there is seasonal ferry service to Vancouver Island and Prince Rupert . The entire valley, and
180-492: Is connected to the rest of B.C by various roads depending on the region. The populous Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland is linked to the rest of the province by Highway 1 (Fraser Canyon Highway), Highway 5 (Coquihalla Freeway), Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway) and Highway 99 (Sea to Sky Highway). The Lower Mainland is also connected to the U.S. by four highway border crossings with the Peace Arch on Interstate 5 being
210-510: Is dominated by a moderate oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb) with warm summers, cool winters, and constant rainfall that peaks during the winter months. These areas enjoy the mildest winter weather in all of Canada, as temperatures rarely fall below freezing. The southernmost region of the coast (surrounding the Salish Sea ) features a warm-summer Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. This gradually transitions to
240-643: Is in the riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley , served by NDP MP Taylor Bachrach . There is a post office in Hagensborg, with postal code V0T 1H0. Hagensborg is home to the headquarters of School District 49 Central Coast , which administers three local schools (each of which is the only provincial school serving those grades in the Valley), Sir Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School (grades 8-12), Nusatsum Elementary School (grades 5-7), and Bella Coola Elementary School (grades K-4). The Bella Coola Elementary School
270-549: Is located outside of Hagensborg in the nearby community of Bella Coola. There is also a nearby Seventh-Day Adventist School as well as a First Nations school outside the community. Hagensborg is located centrally with regard to the population distribution of the Bella Coola Valley. As such, it provides some services, such as the airport, ambulance station, cemetery, swimming pool (summer only), Royal Canadian Legion hall and some accommodation and retail that serve
300-400: Is no north–south highway linking the coastal communities of the province between Port Hardy and Kitimat . Instead, travellers utilize one of the coastal ferry lines operated by BC Ferries . The exceptions are Bella Coola is accessible by a long largely gravel Highway 20 from the B.C interior over a high pass; and the towns of Terrace , Prince Rupert and Kitimat which is assessed from
330-579: Is not incorporated as a municipality. Its local government representation is provided through the Central Coast Regional District (CCRD). CCRD Electoral Areas "C" and "D" each include part of Hagensborg. The eastern portion is part of Electoral Area "C", while the western portion is part of Electoral Area "D". Provincially, Hagensborg is in the North Coast riding, served by NDP MLA Jennifer Rice . Federally, Hagensborg
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#1732791631218360-737: The Coast Mountains , the other being the Boundary Ranges along the border with Alaska . British Columbia Coast While the exact boundaries are variously defined, the region is generally defined to include the 15 regional districts that have coastline along the Pacific Ocean or Salish Sea , or are part of the Lower Mainland , a subregion of the British Columbia Coast. Other boundaries may exclude parts of or even entire regional districts, such as those of
390-644: The North Bentinck Arm . In order to access the Bella Coola Valley via Highway 20, a portion of the called Heckman Pass (also known as "The Hill" or "The Precipice") must be traversed. This route is sitting at an elevation of 1487 metres and contains treacherous switchbacks and hairpin turns , shared by a single-lane gravel road. The Bella Coola Airport is located in Hagensborg, and is served by Pacific Coastal Airlines who makes daily flights in and out from Vancouver and Anahim Lake . Charter services by plane and helicopter are also available. Hagensborg
420-521: The ecoregion system used by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the BC Coast is part of five distinct ecoregions: Puget lowland forests , Central Pacific coastal forests , British Columbia mainland coastal forests , Haida Gwaii coastal forests , and Pacific Coastal Mountain icefields and tundra . According to the ecozone system used by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC),
450-723: The 15 regional districts of British Columbia defined as being in the Coast region: The fishery of the Pacific Northwest Coast is legendary, especially for its many salmon runs and the cultures that built on top of them throughout the region. Salmon runs have greatly diminished since pre-Contact years and the advent of commercial canning and, ultimately, depletion of stocks by high-seas fishing. Other commercial fisheries include halibut , herring and herring roe, sea urchin and other specialty sushis , hake , haddock , cod , crab and shellfish. The Coast Region of B.C
480-635: The Aegean, the Irish Sea/Hebrides and in the Danish Archipelago and adjoining Scandinavian coasts. The natural fecundity of the environment – rich in seafood , wild game , and greenery – combined with the ease of travel (by water) is seen in all cases (British Columbia, Denmark , Greece ) to have generated a dynamic and gifted civilization. And there are comparisons to be made between the artistic and political and social level of
510-674: The B.C. interior on Highway 16 . Haida Gwaii has an extension of Highway 16 on it, one of Haida Gwaii's few paved roads. The sheltered waterways of the British Columbia Coast form part of the Inside Passage , a coastal maritime route along which vessels navigate to avoid the rough waters and bad weather of the open North Pacific . As such, the maritime route is heavily trafficked by cruise ships , cargo ships , ferries , and other marine vessels. BC Ferries , an independently managed publicly-owned company , operates scheduled daily crossings between major population centres throughout
540-584: The BC Coast is part of four distinct ecozones: Pacific Coastal Mountains , Coastal Western Hemlock-Sitka Spruce Forests , Pacific and Nass Ranges , and Strait of Georgia/Puget Lowland . According to the British Columbia Ministry of Forests , which uses an ecosystem classification system independent of the WWF and ECCC , the BC Coast is part of two distinct biogeoclimatic zones: Coastal Western Hemlock and Coastal Douglas-fir . Below are
570-428: The British Columbia Coast. Dozens of smaller ferries ply lesser routes within and between these regions. The Alaska Marine Highway also operates nonstop ferry service through the British Columbia Coast along its Bellingham-Ketchikan route. The Port of Vancouver is the largest commercial shipping port in all of Canada and along the entire Pacific Ocean / Pacific coast of North America by metric tons , which handles
600-545: The Island. Although the Sunshine Coast is on the mainland it is connected to the highway network only by ferries. It has one route which is Highway 101 , a narrow curvy 2 lane road split in two by a ferry crossing. Texada Island , a large island off the Sunshine Coast and has its own network of highway standard roads although they are unnumbered. Owing to the challenging topography of the British Columbia Coast, there
630-602: The Pacific Northwest Peoples and those of pre-Conversion pagan Scandinavia, Ireland and Archaic-Era Greece. The British Columbia Coast stretches from the southern tip of Vancouver Island along the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the community of Stewart at the head of Portland Canal . The aerial distance between these two points is approximately 954 km (593 mi). However, due to its deeply incised coastline and over 40,000 islands of varying sizes,
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#1732791631218660-480: The aforementioned Lower Mainland . While the term British Columbia Coast has been recorded from the earliest period of non-native settlement in British Columbia, it has never been officially defined in legal terms. The term has historically been in popular usage for over a century to describe a region of the province that extends west from the Coast Mountains and North Cascades . This definition makes
690-528: The coast. The proximity of these mountains to the coast produce fjords that rival those of Norway in length and depth. Several large Islands fill the strait between Vancouver Island and the Mainland with Texada Island , Cortes Island and Salt Spring Island being the largest in size. Fjords of note include Burrard Inlet , Burke Channel , Howe Sound , Jervis Inlet , Desolation Sound , Dean Channel , Douglas Channel , and Portland Inlet . The BC Coast
720-673: The entire Valley. In addition, it is the primary service centre for the eastern end of the Bella Coola Valley, and thus is home to a full-service grocery store, gas station, bed and breakfast , and other commercial services. Hagensborg is home to the Norwegian Heritage House, a preserved house built prior to 1900 by Andrew Svisdahl , an early Norwegian settler in the area. The House has been outfitted as an interpretive centre. 52°23′N 126°34′W / 52.383°N 126.567°W / 52.383; -126.567 Bella Coola Valley The Bella Coola Valley
750-486: The guidance of the Reverend Christian Saugstad established a colony. The colony was named "Hagen's Borg" after Hagen B. Christensen, the first storekeeper in the area and postmaster from April 1, 1896 to October 14, 1910. ("borg" is Norwegian for a fortress or castle). Hagensborg is served by Highway 20 , which runs from Williams Lake to Bella Coola , at the mouth of the Bella Coola River on
780-733: The largest. Several freeways connect lower mainland communities together. The backbone of Vancouver Island's highway network is the Highway 19 which along with a portion of Highway 1 forms the Island Highway . The Island highway is a mix of 4-lane freeway, 4 lane arterial highway and 2 lane highway running roughly along the east shore of Vancouver Island. Access to the west coast of Vancouver Island can be accomplished by crossing mountain passes on Highway 4 to Tofino and Highway 28 to Gold River . Thousands of other roads ranging from small freeways near Victoria to logging roads exist all over
810-592: The regions surrounding North and South Bentinck Arm and Dean and Burke Channels , is the historical territory of the Nuxalk Nation , who claim sovereignty over it as unsurrendered to the Crown. The Bella Coola River, and so by default the Bella Coola Valley, forms the boundary between the Kitimat Ranges to the north and the Pacific Ranges to the south, which are two of the three major subdivisions of
840-465: The term British Columbia Coast largely synonymous with the 15 regional districts that have territory in this region. Among locals, the British Columbia Coast can further be divided into seven major subregions: Research from the 1990s has indicated that the Ice Age-era coastline of the British Columbia Coast was lower by about 100 m (330 ft). The effect of the sea level on the coastline
870-469: The total length of the British Columbia Coast is over 25,725 km (15,985 mi), or approximately 10% of the entire Canadian coastline. This coastal geography is shared with the neighbouring U.S. states of Alaska and Washington . The dominant landforms are the Insular Mountains of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii , and the Coast Mountains that stretch along the entire length of
900-469: Was such that Queen Charlotte Sound , which is between Haida Gwaii and the northern end of Vancouver Island, was a coastal plain, as were all the straits inland from it, except for those that were mountain valleys. Underwater archaeology has shown the presence of permanent human habitations and other activity at the 100 m (330 ft) contour, and the Ice Age existence of such a coastal plain has put
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