| Feature Type: | 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. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | NW side Denny Island opposite Bella Bella (community), Range 3 Coast Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 52°09'16"N, 128°07'13"W at the approximate population centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 103A/1 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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"Bellabella (Post Office, settlement, steamer landing & cannery)" adopted in the 1930 BC Gazetteer, situated on the NW side of Denny Island. Form of name changed to Bella Bella (Post Office & steamer landing) 14 June 1946 on 103SE, and re-confirmed as a Post Office 4 September 1952. Form of name changed to Bella Bella (community) 15 December 1982. Band Manager and RCMP advised February 1991 that "Old" Bella Bella is now the established name for the original community site on the northwest side of Denny Island, although nothing remains there now except a BC Fish Packers facility. Name changed to Old Bella Bella (community) 22 February 1991 on 103A/1. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Bella Bella Post Office was opened 1 September 1884. The post office operated for some years out of the BC Packers Cannery on Denny Island, but sometime after 1970 the Bella Bella Post Office was relocated eastward about 1 mile to the community of Shearwater. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |