HOLBERG (P.O.) was adopted in the 1930 B.C. Gazetteer. Holbert (Post Office) adopted 6 May 1947 on 102I/9, as labelled on BC map 2B, 1919, and as identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer. Re-approved 6 April 1950 on 92NW (102NE), and 6 November 1952 on 102I. Form of name changed to Holberg (community) 14 January 1983 on 102I/9.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

"The Cape Scott country was originally settled by a colony of Danes, brought there by Erasmus Hensen some twenty-odd years ago. They settled about Fisherman Bay, called after Nels P. Hensen, one of the original settlers who engaged in fishing, and the Lagoon, a big tidal inlet running up nearly 4 miles into the midst of the country. Over a mile of dyke was build and a large area was reclaimed for grass land. The Danes built good houses, good roads; they cleared and cultivated their land, and they put cattle on the reclaimed land, and formed a successful colony, but they had no market for their produce. Cape Scott lacks a good harbour. So little by little the settlement dwindled until there were only two or three of the old settlers left. The grass was good and the cattle were thriving, but there ws no way to ship out the beef. The CPR steamers no longer went to Cape Scott. Then Holberg was started (Holberg was a great Danish writer, it will be remembered) by a few of the Danes from Cape Scott, who still had faith in the ultimate success of the district. Holberg, at the end of the West Arm, is the safest port for all of this country up to Cape Scott. A good wharf is about to be built there, and a wagon-road is under construction to the cape. When the road is finished there will be opportunity to ship out the surplus stock of beef and vegtables. Mail is carried to Holberg every two weeks; to San Josef once every month by launch from Hardy Bay, and once from Winter Harbour. This also serves Cape Scott." (Extract from the report of H.H. Browne, dated 21 December 1912; published in Abstracts from Reports of British Columbia Land Surveyors, Vanc Is sec, pp 48-49.)

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Holberg Post Office was opened 1 June 1909, located in the general store at the head of "West Arm". Community discussions about a suitable name for the post office likely led to the settler's choice of "Holberg"; prior to that the settlement was only known as "West Arm" (June 2005 advice from Ruth Botell, North Island historian)

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Danish settlers who came here in 1895 named their settlement after Baron Ludvig Holbert (1684 - 1754), the distinguished Danish historian and dramatist. Holbert was the first writer to use Danish has a literary language.

Source: Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; 1001 British Columbia Place Names; Discovery Press, Vancouver 1969, 1970, 1973.