Hagensborg, originally named Kristiania, is a unincorporated community in the

Bella Coola Valley The Bella Coola Valley 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 ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada. Its census population in 2021 was 273.

History

Augsburg Church built in 1904 in Hagensborg The Bella Coola Valley was inhabited by the Nuxálk people when European explorers arrived, first of them being

Sir Alexander Mackenzie Sir Alexander Mackenzie ( – 12 March 1820) was a Scottish explorer and fur trader known for accomplishing the first crossing of North America north of Mexico by a European in 1793. The Mackenzie River and Mount Sir Alexander are named afte ...

, who still to this day has a lasting presence in the community. Norwegian settlers from

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

arrived in 1894, and under 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 A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

from April 1, 1896 to October 14, 1910. ("borg" is Norwegian for a fortress or castle).

Transportation

Hagensborg is served by Highway 20, which runs from Williams Lake to Bella Coola, at the mouth of the

Bella Coola River The Bella Coola River is a major river on the Pacific slope of the Coast Mountains in southern British Columbia. The town of Bella Coola is at its mouth on North Bentinck Arm. Bella Coola Indian Reserve No. 1 is the location of the main communi ...

on the

North Bentinck Arm North Bentinck Arm is a short inlet about in length in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is an arm of Burke Channel and is linked via that waterway and Labouchere Channel to Dean Channel, which is one of the largest inlets ...

. 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 A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal hai ...

, 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 Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

and Anahim Lake. Charter services by plane and helicopter are also available.

Government

Local

Hagensborg is not incorporated as a municipality. Its local government representation is provided through the

Central Coast Regional District Central Coast Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. It has a total land area of 24,559.5 km2 (9,482.5 sq mi). When it was created in 1968, it was known as the Ocean Falls Regional District, named for the the ...

(CCRD). CCRD Electoral Areas "C" and "D" each include parts of Hagensborg. The eastern portion is part of Electoral Area "C", while the western portion is part of Electoral Area "D". * Electoral Area C director: Jayme Kennedy (chair) * Electoral Area D director: Lawrence Northeast

Provincial

Hagensborg is located within the North Coast-Haida Gwaii electoral district of the

British Columbia Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia () is the deliberative assembly of the Legislature of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The other component of the Legislature is the lieutenant governor of British Columb ...

. The riding is represented by New Democratic MLA Tamara Davidson since 2024.

Federal

Hagensborg lies within the Canadian Parliamentary riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley, currently represented by

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

MP Ellis Ross since 2025.

Education

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 School District 49 Central Coast is a school district in British Columbia. It covers the remote areas of coastal British Columbia north of Vancouver Island and south of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Prince Rupert This includes the communities o ...

(grades K-4). The Bella Coola Elementary School is located outside of Hagensborg in the nearby community of Bella Coola. There is also a nearby

Seventh-Day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbat ...

School as well as a First Nations school outside the community.

Services and locations of note

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, post office, swimming pool (summer only),

Royal Canadian Legion The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian veterans' organization founded in 1925. Members include people who served in the military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial or municipal police, Royal Canadian Air, Army and Sea Cade ...

hall and some accommodation and retail that serve 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, liquor store, gas station,

bed and breakfast A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house. ''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...

, tourism services, 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.

References

External links

Hagensborg entry in the Columbia Gazetteer of North America
{{authority control Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Bella Coola Valley Populated places in the Central Coast Regional District Norwegian Canadian settlements Designated places in British Columbia