Sign In Subscribe Now Two serious incidents in three weeks at the controversial intersection of 10th Avenue and Dunbar Street have forced the City of Port Alberni into action A pedestrian was struck in the intersection Thursday afternoon (May 1) prompting response from two ambulances and several police cruisers At least one person was loaded on a stretcher into an ambulance and taken to West Coast General Hospital for assessment.  a cyclist was hit at 10th and Dunbar early in the morning and airlifted to a trauma centre Friday afternoon the city announced it will be closing both northbound and southbound left-hand turn lanes on 10th Avenue city crews will install temporary barriers to prevent motorists from turning onto Dunbar Street “It breaks our collective hearts to hear of yesterday’s accident at the intersection of 10th Avenue and Dunbar Street Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected,” said Sharie Minions “We take road safety very seriously and are deploying all possible resources to review the intersection in question and determine further more permanent measures to enhance safety in the area,” she said In 2018 another cyclist was hit and killed in the same intersection and a white "ghost bike" affixed to a post serves as a reminder to cyclists killed or injured by vehicles The intersection has also been the scene of more than one vehicle failing to make the turn and crashing into a house or fence Because of the infamous reputation of this particular intersection the city in 2021 engaged transportation engineering experts Urban Systems to review lighting geometry and traffic patterns at that intersection The city chose to get rid of the northbound left-turn lane on 10th Avenue and shorten the pedestrian crossing In 2024 the city created distinct bicycle lanes at the intersection improved lighting and created a more pedestrian-friendly crossing “While the recent enhancements were an important step in improving safety at the intersection it has become clear that further measures are needed to ensure the safety of all road users,” stated Mike Fox chief administrative officer for the City of Port Alberni.  City officials will look at a permanent solution once the citywide Transportation Master Plan is completed later this year Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines The MV Frances Barkley is back on the water The passenger and cargo vessel that connects Port Alberni with west coast communities such as Kildonan east and west Bamfield went in for a regular refit on Jan instead of a six-week stay she ended up sitting in drydock for 14 weeks Lady Rose Marine Services co-owner Greg Willmon said Every three years the ship has to go to Point Hope Maritime Ltd The crew left Port Alberni for Point Hope on Jan 2025 and expected the ship would be in drydock—pulled out of the water for maintenance—for six to eight weeks "It ended up being 14 weeks," Willmon said "Part of it was delays for parts availability They underestimated the amount of work they thought it would take." had to be manufactured by a company in Ontario especially for the vessel The bottom of the ship also received a new coat of paint the ship was back in the water undergoing sea trials with a Lloyds (insurance) inspector "As soon as we got underway we could tell everything was working great," said Willmon After an hour of trials the vessel was cleared for travel and the crew embarked on the voyage home They powered along the west coast and into the Alberni Inlet we had the tides going with us and the wind going with us in the Inlet." The ship even picked up half a knot in speed as a result of the work done while in drydock The Frances Barkley missed 12 sailings during the extended maintenance period While the ship was out of commission Lady Rose Marine had a four-wheel drive truck making regular light freight deliveries to Bamfield "We could carry up to three passengers so we offered a reduced level of service." The truck would take local residents who needed to get to and from medical or other appointments.  east and west Bamfield have been very understanding of us being out of commission for longer than expected," Willmon said To welcome people back to the Frances Barkley Lady Rose Marine is having a two-for-one sale until May 15 Call the office at 250-723-8313 for more information This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page At Char’s Landing in Port Alberni guests can rent the hall for their event and stay overnight in the onsite hostel all within a 1912-built former church in the heart of the city’s arts district Located directly across from Port Alberni’s city hall and steps from shops community and character in one welcoming space Owner-operator Charlene Patterson says the venue fills an important niche for visitors and locals alike. “It’s family-style, retro, with laundry on site and there’s a private suite too,” Patterson says. “It’s a home away from home The hall, decorated with works by local artists It’s a popular spot for everything from family celebrations to potlucks Thanks to a full bar license and complete event setup “They don’t have to do anything,” Patterson says “I help with all the setup – audio visuals Guests often find new friends at the regular Sunday Jazz Social or through casual conversations in the common spaces.“You’re never alone at Char’s,” Patterson says meet a new hiking buddy and start building memories right there.” who spent 12 years working on cruise ships before moving into tourism and hospitality full-time says she was drawn to Port Alberni’s close-knit community after retiring from a 35-year career in IT I bought this big old church and made it my home,” she says “What motivates me is the joy on people's faces — the ones who find a real home away from home here.” Char’s Landing hosts up to 100 concerts a year to ensure hostel guests can enjoy a restful night “There’s a fine balance here,” Patterson says “Community events and a good night’s sleep.” While concerts operate on a door-share basis to support artists the primary focus for 2025 is on promoting private hall rentals and hostel stays “The ones who choose to rent here are looking for something special For more information or to book, visit charslanding.com or contact Charlene Patterson at 250-730-1636 The City of Port Alberni will have to replace the ice chiller at the Alberni Valley Multiplex just six years after they spent thousands of dollars to install it And a replacement could cost as much as $600,000 The chiller suffered its second "catastrophic failure" in six years on April 13 and after an ammonia leak was detected the chiller was shut down and the Multiplex was closed The tube and shell chiller was installed in spring of 2019 and in November of 2019 suffered a serious ammonia leak The ice was lost in both rinks and multiple cracks on the exterior shell of the chiller were discovered This time the ice was again lost in both rinks and the Alberni Valley Bulldogs were forced to relocate to Nanaimo in the middle of their B.C told city council on April 28 that the chiller cannot be fixed She asked council to approve a plan to rent a plate and frame chiller for one year so the ice can be put back into the arena in time for West Coast Prep Camp in the summer and the following hockey season Thorpe laid out three options for a rented plate and frame chiller: rent one for a total cost of $485,000 (which would include an expansion after the first year); rent a chiller for up to a year and then buy a replacement for a cost of $735,000 to $835,000; or replace the chiller with a new one at a cost of $595,000 If the chiller were to be replaced with a new one the Multiplex would have to be closed for a few months Waiting for a new chiller to be built and then installed will delay the start of hockey season and would affect all the users who count on the ice rinks in the summer officials and family members come to the Alberni Valley for Prep Camp and many of those travel arrangements were made months ago It is already going to cost the city $45,000 to "hit the reset button," Thorpe said because they have to dispose of brine from both rinks Council agreed to spend $485,000 to rent a chiller and have it installed for a year Thorpe said staff members are still looking into warranty and insurance claims and that the replacement costs are "worst-case scenario" if they don't receive money from an insurance claim The fire grew to 80 hectares but BCWS is classifying the fire as being held meaning it is not expected to spread further.  Fraser-Fort George has rescinded the evacuation order and alert put in place due to the fire The regional district of Fraser Fort George issued an evacuation alert for properties north of Hixon.  The fire's behaviour has subsided since sunset last night and with windy conditions there is still risk Wildfire crews are continuing to battle the fire and protect infrastructure While BCWS says there is no risk to the highway at this time they are asking that those travelling on the highway do not stop to look at the fire The wildfire near Hixon is now estimated to be 70 hectares Friday evening Prince George Fire Centre lists the fire as out of control and says it measures 45 hectares and was human-caused.  When Victoria resident Charles Ross is up on stage at St From Chewbacca's roar to Han Solo's cynical charm Ross single-handedly re-enacts the original Star Wars trilogy over an hour but I'm able to make fun of my voice," Ross told Victoria News Since Ross premiered One Man Star Wars Trilogy in Toronto in 2001 he's been given legal approval from George Lucas including on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien And he's achieved success with the barest of bones production. It's just Ross on stage with no set or costumes: just him in his coveralls "Because it allows me to throw myself everywhere .. I sweat like crazy and I'm sort of like the blank canvas where I'm using my body my voice and people's imagination really to be all the things I need to be." who took UVic's Phoenix Theatre program back in the day began his relationship with Star Wars when he was an 11-year-old farm kid growing up in Prince George With no satellite dish and only a few movies to watch he ended up watching the first Star Wars over and over – and over – again all those hours spent watching became useful he's not just reciting the film word for word – he estimates the show is about 25 per cent improv he said the audience tends to be very interactive creating a strong performer-audience relationship "Sometimes you get people who just feel like they can randomly call out because the show is unorthodox It's not a fourth wall kind of production where the lights go down It kind of invites whatever kind of energy is coming at it." Performing his production around the globe he said the tale is experienced differently based on cultural context but his knowledge of the films is like having a "passport of reference" that unites him with people What he loves most about Star Wars is "just how simple the stories are." "You just imagine being Luke; you're just a kid who's on a farm who has adventure come to the front door and you can imagine having a power to affect the world to stop evil it's amazing to think that no matter what station you're in in life or how far away you are from a powerful position that you might actually have all the power that's necessary to affect social change and to change your life." Ross will perform One Man Star Wars Trilogy May 4 from 2-3:30 p.m. at St. Ann's Academy at 835 Humboldt St. Tickets are $25 via Eventbrite It’s important to take time to stop and smell the flowers such as the ones that have been blossoming at Nanaimo's Bowen Park every spring for 50 years The Nanaimo Rhododendron Society is holding a special event this weekend to invite community members to the park's Hailey Rhododendron Grove More than 350 rhododendron plants have burst into blossom each spring since 1975 when Ellen Hailey donated her collection of 350 rhododendron plants to the City of Nanaimo soon after the death of her husband Alfred The Haileys were founding members of the Vancouver chapter of the American Rhododendron Society in the 1950s The Nanaimo chapter of the society formed in 1992 became involved with the Hailey collection and in 1994 adopted the grove as a part of the city’s Partners in Parks program It helped that the parks director at the time was a member of the club The group set out to map the garden and to identify the plants as most were not tagged by the Haileys The club became less involved with the grove until 2019 when the link was revived and today a small dedicated group of volunteers work to remove the many invasive plants that compromise the collection The grove is in flower from late February until early July but the height of the bloom is from mid April to mid May Many of the rhodos in the grove are hybrids and some are thought to be one of a kind and some are between 60 to 70 years old.  Rhodo varieties have a broad size range “There are more than 1,000 varieties of rhodos that range in size some being able to hold in your hand to more than 50 feet tall,” said Deborah Francis who oversees work at the grove for the club Francis and Cadwaladr said blooming in the grove is a little behind where it would usually be at this time of year.  just given the cold snap of weather that we had,” Francis said “Some of the bud got frozen because we were developing bud at that point.” Members of the Nanaimo Rhododendron Society invite community members to explore the grove with them Saturday starting at the Bowen Park tennis court Rhodo society members are active in the community with events including work parties at the rhododendron grove and monthly meetings with guest presenters support charity, and maintain an active association with Vancouver Island University’s Milner Gardens and Woodland Yearly events include garden tours and social activities and the annual Truss Show and Plant Sale which will happen on May 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m This year’s sale will have rhododendrons and more with enough exciting new and returning vendors to fill up the hall “This year there’s going to be lots of rhododendrons for sale some of whom are really quite expert at rhododendrons,” Cadwaladr said Brownman Ali breaks all the rules when it comes to playing the trumpet The result is an electric jazz performance unrivalled from New York to Toronto Ali brings his Brownman Electryc Trio to Char's Landing in Port Alberni for a special performance on Saturday The appearance is part of a Vancouver Island tour that will see them play Campbell River Parksville and Victoria before heading to Vancouver for a series of shows Surrey's Colin Sankey on electric bass and Jordy McIntosh on drums round out the Brownman Electryc Trio when not leading the eight bands he actively writes for and tours with The current touring trumpet player for hip-hop icons Jay-Z Brownman was nominated for a 2024 JUNO award for “Jazz Album of the Year” after already winning Canada’s Black IMPACT Award (the first jazz musician in history to win this) He has been called “Canada’s preeminent jazz trumpet player” by the New York Village Voice “the new standard in electric jazz” by NPR and “one of the most exploratory voices in jazz trumpet today” by the Chicago Tribune he won the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) taking first place in the Jazz Category from a field of 17,000 submissions from 120 countries for his composition "Wisdom of Aurelius" Tickets are $25 each ($15 for musicians and artists) and still available online at https://brownmanelectryctrio.brownpapertickets.com/. For more information e-mail info@charslanding.com or call/text Charlene Patterson at 250-730-1636. Check out Brownman Electryc Trio's music online at www.Brownman.com About the Author: Alberni Valley News Staff Drag racing will return to Port Alberni after a six-year absence The Alberni Valley Drag Racing Association and City of Port Alberni have reached an agreement for the drag racers to hold an event on the Somass Lands from Aug It's been six years since we held an event," said Roger Haggerty "We're very thankful both the city and ACRD are working with us; they're helping us." The event will start with a car show hosted by Valley Street Rods on Friday An "Aussie-style" burnout contest will take place on the Somass Lands with space for participants to do doughnuts and figure eights Racing will take place Saturday and Sunday on a 330-foot drag strip "which is about what they run at Saratoga Speedway," he said Bracket racing will take place on each day and racers will likely get 10-12 runs per day Haggerty anticipates at least 150 cars from across the Island will race The course will run in a direction from the water toward the industrial road No members of the public will be permitted on the Somass Lands themselves due to liability "It's something that's better than nothing," he said There isn't too much work that needs to be done to make the area suitable for racing They may have to do a little bit of paving but it's fairly level.  The AVDRA will be conducting some test and tunes leading up to the August event The AVDRA's agreement with the city is for up to three years on the Somass Lands "If this goes good there's opportunity to hold more than one event." The AVDRA has an online fundraiser to help support this August's event as well as the group's plans to build a permanent drag strip somewhere in the Alberni Valley The organization has held fundraising car cruises in the past few years but donated the money to the West Coast General Hospital's emergency department expansion program as well as to the Tseshaht First Nation for a residential school survivor memorial The group is in discussions with the ACRD to find land suitable to build a permanent drag strip They are two or three years away from being able to afford such a project A drug poisoning overdose advisory has been issued for Port Alberni Island Health issued the advisory on Tuesday warning that drug poisonings are increasing in Port Alberni. This means people using unregulated substances face increased risk The health authority has several tips for safer drug use The town's overdose prevention site is located at 3699 Third Avenue (off of Bute Street) and is open daily from 8 a.m This site also offers drug-checking services Island Health also recommends carrying naloxone using one substance at a time or staggering use with a friend If using alone, people are encouraged to use the Lifeguard App, the Brave App or call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677 Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters Port Alberni's hockey rink has been shut down due to an ammonia leak in its ice plant refrigeration system This is the second time in six years that the chiller has suffered a "catastrophic failure," according to city officials a "technical issue" was discovered in the Alberni Valley Multiplex ice plant which is the refrigeration system responsible for creating and maintaining ice surfaces in the facility the city clarified that an ammonia leak had been detected in the system alerted Technical Safety BC and engaged Fraser Valley Refrigeration — its certified contracted technician — to assess the plant This is the second time an ammonia leak has been detected in the system only 20 weeks after the chiller had been installed and required the multiplex ice plant to be deactivated for several weeks while it was repaired A Technical Safety BC report found cracks in the chiller which most likely occurred during the manufacturing process Technicians with Fraser Valley Refrigeration have now started the process of isolating components of the plant and pumping brine out of the system and into secure holding tanks the holding tanks will be transported out of the Alberni Valley for safe disposal by a certified third party Ice in the Weyerhaeuser rink has been lost meaning the BC Hockey League's Alberni Valley Bulldogs will have to temporarily relocate to Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo for their upcoming playoff series All on-ice programs and services at the multiplex have been cancelled but dry floor recreation activities have resumed for scheduled users.  “While the exact cause of the issue is still undetermined it is clear that the chiller has suffered its second catastrophic failure in six years,” said Willa Thorpe “It is deeply disappointing to lose ice during the Bulldogs’ playoff run The city was proactive in replacing the multiplex’s aging chiller in 2019 and to be faced with this second shutdown so early in its service life is frustrating to say the least the public’s safety is our top priority and as such city staff acted swiftly and professionally to remove the chiller from service." The city says it will be working with Fraser Valley Refrigeration and Technical Safety BC to assess the plant and determine next steps In a press release sent to media and posted on the city's Facebook page city CAO Mike Fox apologized to the community for the inconvenience "We thank those affected for their patience and understanding as we work to develop a long-range strategy that will get ice back in the multiplex,” he said A group of men and boys participate in a wheelbarrow race on a grassy area during a city picnic on Aug The picnic took place at Smith's Landing on Sproat Lake named for farmer George Smith in post-colonial times is now the site of Sproat Lake Provincial Park The City of Port Alberni has officially signed an agreement for the development of the Somass Lands 2025 that the city has signed a master development agreement with Matthews West Developments Ltd for the 43-acre waterfront property and adjacent parking lot previously known as the Somass Division Sawmill The city had purchased the sawmill lands from Western Forest Products in 2021, after Western indefinitely curtailed forestry operations at the mill “This is a transformational step for the City of Port Alberni," said Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions on April 8 "We purchased the land in 2021 and have been working toward this day ever since Matthews West’s reputation in delivering large-scale community-focused developments makes them the perfect partners to execute and deliver this ambitious project.” City council's vision for the Somass Lands is a mixed-use development with park space as well as public access to Port Alberni’s waterfront the city says it will begin sharing investigative studies from remediation and site preparation work completed to date both parties will be able to secure the necessary provincial and federal permits for a development concept and Matthews West will lead a master planning process in consultation with the community “We look forward to the upcoming work on the site Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations on this exceptional development opportunity,” said John Matthews During a regular council meeting on Monday city CAO Mike Fox confirmed that the city is currently sharing documents from the site with Matthews West He said Matthews West has plans to take on additional geo-technical studies an environmental review and a structural study to determine if the buildings still standing on the site can be used. The next steps are establishing timelines and a "considerable" public input period “I know council and the public want to see this move as fast as possible but we also have to make sure we do our due diligence,” said Fox The city says it has established a "flexible" partnership with Matthews West enabling collaboration throughout the master planning process while providing Matthews West with the option to purchase the lands If Matthews West proceeds with the land purchase the sale price will be determined by multiple factors including reimbursement to the city for all costs incurred on the lands up to the closing date This will include compensation for lost tax revenues during municipal ownership and coverage of all remediation and pre-development expenses associated with the master planning process.  Part of the agreement states that a minimum of 20 percent of the lands will be dedicated as public space and retained under the city’s jurisdiction but we are very excited about the future of the Somass Lands," said Minions "We are confident that Matthews West will deliver a vibrant development that aligns with the priorities of the city and First Nations — fostering economic growth enhancing public waterfront access and engagement and attracting young families and investment to Port Alberni."  Minions encouraged members of the public to participate in the upcoming public engagement process Matthews West has been partnered with the Squamish First Nation on two master planned communities located within the Sea to Sky Corridor: Oceanfront Squamish and the Cheekeye “Those projects came because of the public input they received the community coming out to tell them what they wanted to see," said Minions "They really want to build a project that is Port Alberni at heart." Port Alberni students got to experience a mock tsunami during their annual Hike to High Ground Students from several classes at Tsuma-as Elementary School walked uphill from the school grounds to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Compton Road on Thursday The drill was meant to simulate a tsunami evacuation for Tsunami Preparedness Week as students "hiked" out of the tsunami inundation zone students took part in some emergency preparedness workshops with Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District Emergency Program staff Firefighters from all four Alberni Valley fire departments were in the parking lot to give students an up-close look at a firefighter's job since the fire department assists with evacuations during emergencies Bamfield and Huu-ay-aht First Nations residents also participated in a Hike to High Ground event out of their tsunami inundation zone on Wednesday Tsunami Preparedness Week, which takes place from April 13-19, is an annual B.C.-wide campaign that focuses on public education and raising awareness about the province's tsunami risk. For more emergency preparedness information, visit www.preparedbc.ca Although the community of Port Alberni is looking forward to the construction of a new pool the city and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District are exploring the opportunity to renovate the old pool April 14, city council granted permission for the ACRD to conduct a feasibility study on the Echo Aquatic Centre. Because the pool is currently owned by the city the ACRD needed their permission to proceed with the study This study will determine whether it will be economically feasible to renovate the existing pool The ACRD has already budgeted $75,000 to hire a consultant for this study Although Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions acknowledged that the community wants a new pool, she said residents are feeling the "sticker shock" after seeing how much a new pool might cost. A study undertaken last year estimated that a new pool will cost more than $70 million “I don’t know if it is a viable alternative to renovate the existing aquatic centre but I think it’s an extremely important part of the process to get real information so we can say yes or no as a Valley," said Minions The public will ultimately make the decision about the pool through referendum so having this information will be "critically important," she added The current Echo Aquatic Centre was built in 1967 and is nearing the end of its service life A cyclist was hit at the intersection of 10th Avenue and Dunbar Street early Thursday morning Port Alberni Fire Department reported around 7 a.m that they were at a scene involving a cyclist and a vehicle Paramedics with BC Emergency Health Services (EHS) received a call at 6:17 a.m One ground ambulance with primary care paramedics responded and transported a patient to West Coast General Hospital to meet an air ambulance "Paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to one patient in critical condition who was transported onto further care via air ambulance," Osoko said The RCMP's Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service team was on scene throughout the morning Traffic began moving again around lunchtime A cyclist was hit and killed at the same intersection in November 2018 A white "ghost bike" is affixed to a post at the intersection to remember Daniel Butt There is a second ghost bike affixed to a pole at the intersection of 10th Avenue and Redford Street The ghost or riderless bikes were placed by Cycle Alberni as memorials; they are part of a program that began in 2003 in St There are ghost bikes in more than 210 locations around the world The City of Port Alberni will be drafting a new policy to deal with the problem of alcohol within the city During a regular meeting of council on Monday Port Alberni council asked city staff to work with Island Health to draft a municipal alcohol policy The decision comes after a pair of meetings where medical health officer Dr Charmaine Enns warned council that alcohol consumption has been increasing in Port Alberni over the last 10 years Residents aged 15 and older consumed an average of 15.3 drinks a week in 2023 which is an "increasing trend," Enns told council during a committee of the whole meeting on Monday The health risks associated with alcohol are "not largely understood" by the drinking population but she warned that alcohol is a carcinogen and seven or more drinks a week presents an "increasingly high risk" of cancer the rate of alcohol hospitalizations in the Alberni-Clayoquot region (which includes both West Coast General Hospital and Tofino General Hospital) was 53 times higher than the rate of opioid hospitalizations “The normalization of alcohol has been so intense for so long and there’s been significant effort to make it an individual issue instead of a societal issue,” said Enns While some people might argue that alcohol presents an economic advantage for communities, Enns says the province is actually losing money when it comes to alcohol — the costs of healthcare lost productivity and criminal justice outweigh the revenue gained from alcohol sales Enns said there are many things municipal councils can do to enact alcohol control policies within their jurisdictions Councils can control the access and availability of alcohol through zoning which can determine hours of alcohol sales and geographical locations of businesses The District of Tofino adopted a municipal alcohol policy in 2018 A community alcohol strategy is "one step higher" in terms of comprehensive strategies to “de-normalize” alcohol consumption within a society Tofino is currently in the process of developing such a strategy Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions said it's important for the city to have a municipal alcohol policy that can be used when liquor licence or business licence applications come up “We all are very aware of the harm that exists when people are deep in an addiction to alcohol,” she said there’s so little awareness about the harm that comes from casual drinking.” Six of seven federal candidates in the Courtenay-Alberni riding took turns answering audience questions during an all candidates meeting Tuesday The forum took place at the RimRock Casino, hosted by the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Alberni Valley Transition Town Society. Although the meeting took place in Port Alberni, the Ucluelet and Tofino chambers of commerce and Teacher's Union partnered to sponsor a live stream of the event that can be viewed on YouTube Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Jolleen Dick explained this was done to make the meeting "more accessible" to residents across the riding An animated audience booed and cheered throughout the night as candidates rose to answer questions People in the audience could "vote" virtually to determine which questions should be asked of the candidates The questions were ultimately moderated by David Wiwchar of 93.3 The Peak and Mike Youds of the Alberni Valley Transition Town Society Multiple questions were submitted on the topics of Indigenous rights and reconciliation Liberal Party candidate Brian Cameron NDP candidate Gord Johns and Green Party candidate Chris Markevich said they supported the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the implementation of all calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that we need to be prepared to answer on a daily basis," said Markevich While Johns acknowledged that the Liberal government passed the UNDRIP Act in 2021 but Indigenous people in many places still don't have clean drinking water some don't have adequate housing...or they're homeless." People's Party of Canada (PPC) candidate Thomas Gamble meanwhile, railed against the United Nations calling it "a bunch of unelected bureaucrats" and stated that decades of "top-down" governance from the federal level have failed Indigenous communities He said the PPC supports repealing "federal dependency structures" so Indigenous communities can have "real independence." When asked whether they would support a law criminalizing residential school denialism (similar to the criminalization of Holocaust denialism), Cameron Johns and Markevich reiterated that what happened to First Nations people in Canada was a genocide and said they would support this law Christian Heritage Party candidate Jesse Musial and Animal Protection Party candidate Teresa Knight shied away from support for such a law while Gamble said a law like this would restrict freedom of expression for Canadians "Even our hate speech laws as they currently exist probably shouldn't exist," he said He also said there are "multiple sides to the story" when it comes to Canada's history of residential schools which drew a chorus of boos from the audience In response to the topic of attracting more doctors and nurses to the riding, Cameron emphasized the importance of breaking down inter-provincial trade barriers and "levelling the playing field" by making wages even across the country "That will help keep our doctors in our province so they're not going to other provinces to make a better wage," Cameron said Markevich and Johns said their parties are pushing for a guaranteed livable income and affordable housing which will help to recruit health-care workers to the riding Johns also said that the NDP has made a priority of increasing health care transfers to provinces which will help with the recruitment of doctors and nurses, and fast-tracking immigration processes for doctors immigrating to Canada.  because now we have American doctors who are going to want to hopefully come to Canada," Johns added Gamble and Musial emphasized the need for more diversity in the healthcare system and the ability for provinces to make their own healthcare decisions Musial added that doctors need to have freedom of conscience when it comes to participating in vaccine mandate or medical assistance in dying (MAiD) When asked about women's abortion rights and access to contraception Knight and Markevich all expressed their support for a woman's right to choose what she does with her body. Gamble says the discussion about abortion needs to be re-opened which also received some boos from the crowd emphasized that the Christian Heritage Party is Canada's only pro-life political party and said this is the "single-biggest issue" for his party One of the questions was submitted by a 13-year-old Courtenay-Alberni resident who explained they have trans friends and wanted to know how candidates will stand up for trans rights Johns and Markevich identified themselves as staunch advocates of the 2SLGBTQI+ community while Knight said she believes in "everybody being themselves." Musial said he believes in advocating for the "weak and vulnerable" in society but also personally believes that God created only two genders — male and female Gamble said it's a "complicated issue" but suggested that "gender ideology is being forced on kids." Other questions were asked about seniors' taxes CBC funding and the temporary foreign worker program Markevich drew one of the biggest rounds of applause of the night by stating that capitalism needs to be dismantled  "We are always chasing the most money and it doesn't matter what the cost is to human life to animal life or to the plant life around us," Markevich said Conservative Party candidate Kris McNichol declined to attend the event on Tuesday. It was the second time McNichol had declined to participate in an all-candidates meeting in the riding, after choosing not to take part in a Courtenay event on April 8 Several audience members submitted questions about McNichol's absence although moderators chose not to ask these questions out of fairness to a candidate who wasn't present to defend himself Markevich and Johns all expressed disappointment that the Conservative candidate wasn't present to answer questions Cameron said he found McNichol's absence "very rude" to the people of the riding incumbent Johns compared the all candidates meeting to a job interview.  "Do you want to send someone to Ottawa who doesn't show up no one's stopping me from fighting for you," he said McNichol did not respond to an Alberni Valley News inquiry about his absence but he sent out a press release explaining that he had been at a town hall meeting in Nanoose Bay on the same night This town hall meeting was scheduled after the all candidates meeting McNichol also posted a video on social media stating he has chosen not to attend "some" all candidates meetings in the riding "I believe listening to the community is more important right now than delivering rehearsed speeches," he said The federal election is set for April 28, 2025. Advance voting will take place on April 18, 19, 20 and 21. For more information about when and where to vote, visit www.elections.ca Port Alberni will see its first-ever Vaisakhi Parade this weekend The Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Port Alberni will be hosting the parade on Sunday and all members of the community are invited to attend the celebration or watch the parade go by Vaisakhi is a Sikh spring harvest celebration It also marks a significant day in the Sikh calendar: the creation of the Khalsa in 1699 which starts at the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple (4144 Eighth Avenue) traditional Sikh music and martial arts demonstrations Food stalls will provide free food to all attendees the parade will turn right on Roger Street right on Redford Street and finally right to Eighth Avenue The Guru Nanak Sikh Society gained permission from Port Alberni city council back in January to host the event Gord Johns of the NDP has won the Courtenay-Alberni seat for a fourth term The race between Johns and first-time candidate Kris McNichol of the Conservative Party was tight for much of the night with a few hundred votes separating them at times "I'm humbled," Johns said as he and his supporters celebrated in Parksville "For the people to put their trust in me is an incredibly humbling experience." Johns won the only NDP seat on Vancouver Island which in the 2021 election was mostly NDP orange The federal New Democrats had so few seats—about eight nationwide—that they have lost party status Leader Jagmeet Singh lost his seat in Burnaby Central and immediately stepped down as party leader Johns said he will take time Tuesday "to look at what happened in our riding before I even take a chance to look at what's happened nationally." "Of course it's very emotional right now," he said "It's bittersweet that Jagmeet has made his announcement to resign." The gap between Johns and McNichol widened late in the evening Johns had 22,680 votes compared to McNichol's 19,653 Johns had 31,220 votes compared to McNichol's 27,103 Liberal Party candidate Brian Cameron was in third with 17,727 votes Chris Markevich of the Green Party had 1,722 Thomas Gamble of the People's Party of Canada had 416 Teresa Knight of the Animal Protection Party had 186 and Jesse Musial of the Christian Heritage Party had 68 There are 107,691 eligible voters in the riding This was McNichol's first time running for office "It's the will of the people and if Courtenay-Alberni feels that this is what they want they voted for it and they'll get the same thing they have had for the last 10 years," he said McNichol held a gathering for his family and supporters at Parksville's Boston Pizza like I was going to do regardless," he said "The difference is I won't be going to Ottawa to represent Courtenay-Alberni I'm a worker; that's all I know and that's all I'll ever do." McNichol said he particularly feels bad for the young people in the riding who can't afford a home He expects since the Liberal Party only has a minority government there will be another election within two years  The Greens' Markevich said he feels "pretty good overall" with how the results have been "We certainly had our challenges being a small campaign with limited funds but I'm proud of our platform and I feel that the issues we talked about really resonated with voters," he said He said he is going to think about his electoral future once the final results are in "but don't be surprised if you see my name pop up again somewhere soon." The Green Party only grabbed one seat on Monday former Party leader Elizabeth May in Saanich-Gulf Islands The 2025 federal election is the first foray into politics for Teresa Knight from the Animal Protection Party She said the 174 votes she received so far in Courtenay-Alberni is "more votes than I expected and I'm glad to see it." "I'm really happy; anybody who voted for me is really giving animals a voice," she said saying he is a good representative for the riding Political pundits declared a Liberal Party win in the federal election with polls from the west still reporting The Liberals will likely not have a majority Liberal candidate Brian Cameron was happy to see support for the party grow in the riding "it's unfortunate I didn't didn't get the seat but I am happy with the the support that we've grown here from for the Liberal Party," he said "I am looking forward to continue that continuing that growth .. I believe in the last election there were just over 9,000 votes (9,222) and though there's still one poll to be counted We've nearly doubled our support here in this riding and I look forward to continuing that growth." The NDP's Singh finished a distant third in his Burnaby Central riding Singh was elected leader of the NDP nearly eight years ago He talked about the sacrifice holding public office means and he thanked his family for standing behind him for all those years He congratulated Prime Minister-elect Mark Carney on his party's win Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre was not guaranteed a seat in his hotly-contested Carleton riding Speaking to his supporters while he was sitting second in the polls Poilievre congratulated the Conservative Party for gaining their highest vote count since 1988 and winning about 25 more seats than the previous election "The Conservatives have achieved major breakthroughs tonight," he said "We gave voices to countless people across this country who have been left out and left behind for far too long." Follow live results with Black Press Media here You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Courtenay—Alberni 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 275 of 275 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 275 of 275 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election is projected to be re-elected in Courtenay—Alberni is in second place with 27,588 votes (34.58%) and Brian Cameron Johns has represented the riding since 2015 32,536 voters cast ballots at advance polls Looking for another riding? Here are the full results for the 2025 federal election. The Liberals have 169 races called in their favour They have 8,535,128 votes and 43.69 per cent of the popular vote The Conservatives have 144 races called in their favour They have 8,059,938 votes and 41.26 per cent of the popular vote The Bloc Québécois have 22 races called in their favour They have 1,232,095 votes and 6.31 per cent of the popular vote The New Democrats have seven races called in their favour They have 1,231,198 votes and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote The Greens have one race called in their favour They have 243,471 votes and 1.25 per cent of the popular vote There were three independents and four vacancies in the 338-seat Commons the Commons has grown by five ridings starting with this election This article was automatically generated using data provided by Canadian Press and will update as riding results become available Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account A Port Alberni artist will have her work exhibited at an upcoming show in the United States Painter Rose Kamma Morrison is an artist with vision loss. Four of her recent paintings have been selected for the Passionate Focus art exhibit in Chicago, IL, which starts May 1, 2025 at the Fairmont Hotel. An art auction will take place on the same day. This can be found online at one.bidpal.net/pf2025 as artists with vision loss submit their work and a jury of professionals selects the work to be included in the exhibit "It's quite prestigious," said Kamma Morrison "Storyteller and the Girl with the Red Ball," won the Judi Jasek Jurors' Choice Award (Second Place) in this year's show The piece is part of Kamma Morrison's Blindfold Series where she blindfolds herself before she begins painting "The Blindfold Series started about three years ago," she explained I wanted to see what it's like to paint with no vision at all I see what direction I can move the paint in I'm just starting to learn spatial awareness on the page Kamma Morrison removes the blindfold and sees what she can create The work is usually "very abstract," she says Kamma Morrison was diagnosed with Usher syndrome when she was 16 years old Usher syndrome is made up of two parts: hearing loss and vision loss "I was born with moderate-to-severe hearing loss," explained Kamma Morrison I started to notice that I couldn't see in the dark anymore It wasn't until I was in my 40s that I really started to notice the loss of my vision." Kamma Morrison's vision loss is caused by retinitis pigmentosa which makes cells in the retina break down over time which means it causes a slow loss of peripheral vision Kamma Morrison describes it as "like looking through a straw." in the "late stage" of retinitis pigmentosa Kamma Morrison has "severe" periphery loss and is considered legally blind "I never really let it define me or limit me," said Kamma Morrison I want to be able to educate people that people with vision loss can do whatever they want to do." Kamma Morrison says adaptations in technology have allowed her to continue her artwork despite her vision loss She uses her smartphone for reference photos and has specialized lighting tools to keep her art room well-lit "Being organized is really important," she said that's a nightmare to try and find it again." Kamma Morrison usually paints in alcohol ink which is a "really challenging medium," she says "I put the ink on a specialized piece of paper then blow with a straw to manipulate the ink," she explained I start creating shapes with isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips — household stuff It is a very difficult medium to control and requires a lot of patience." Kamma Morrison started out painting in a realism style she found her artwork becoming more abstract "I had to let go of how I used to paint," she said "It has definitely opened a whole new world for me when it comes to creating." Kamma Morrison says she finds that the Alberni Valley is a "blank canvas" for all sorts of creative inspiration Kamma Morrison can often be spotted at craft fairs in the Alberni Valley She can also be found on social media: Rose Kamma Morrison on Facebook and @rosetkmo on Instagram, where she often has art demos. Kamma Morrison is also partnered with the art agency ArtLifting Police in Port Alberni are struggling to keep up with "violent" crimes in the community Port Alberni RCMP Insp. Kim Bruce provided her first quarterly report to council on Monday going over the crime statistics from the first quarter of 2025 (January to March).  Bruce explained that Criminal Code offences in Port Alberni have gone up by 70 percent compared to the same quarter in 2024 The biggest increases have been assaults which jumped from 28 reports last year to 43 this year as well as sex offences (which went up from seven to 10) and drug offences (one to six) have gone down 14 percent and domestic violence has gone down 36 percent although Bruce warned the number is "still high" for the community (46 calls in the first quarter of 2025) Bruce also took a moment to compare Port Alberni's numbers to the provincial average The community's crime rate is more than double the provincial average Port Alberni's police force has remained static at 34 officers while the policing landscape in the community has become "increasingly dangerous are related to assault offences — many of which are tied to drug trafficking and substance abuse issues and the violence in this community can sometimes be gratuitous and quite serious,” said Bruce I would point to the prevalence of substance abuse.” On the same day that Bruce presented her quarterly report city finance manager Andrew McGifford also presented a report comparing Port Alberni's policing costs to the rest of the province. Port Alberni has the third-highest ratio of police officers to population in the province and the highest cost per capita for policing (in municipalities with a population of more than 15,000) the city is responsible for 90 percent of the policing budget Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions said that a change is needed when it comes to policing costs across the province The cost of policing services should not be based on population “I think we would all like to have more officers We end up making decisions that are budget focused rather than focused on what our community needs.” She also pointed out that rural areas in the Alberni Valley (Beaver Creek Cherry Creek and Sproat Lake) are only paying a "fraction" of the policing costs Councillor Debbie Haggard also pointed out that these numbers emphasize the need for an integrated crisis response team in Port Alberni which sees police officers partnered with mental-health professionals when responding to mental health related calls Bruce agreed that this program has been "excellent" when implemented in other communities “That’s keeping us out of the hospital and on the street where you need us,” said Bruce Councillor Cindy Solda pointed out that the number of thefts might be lower this quarter because people are not reporting these crimes are not reporting incidences of theft because they feel the RCMP can't do anything about these cases encouraged people to report shoplifting and thefts. She said that other calls in the city might take a "higher priority" and response times might be slow “We can only respond to the calls that are reported to us,” said Bruce We’re highly reliant on people giving us those reports in real time They may not generate the same priority of response She warned that the police response in Port Alberni is currently "reactionary," rather than proactive “The model that exists right now in Port Alberni is not sustainable in the long term,” said Bruce Port Alberni travellers are being asked to provide input on provincial plans for a new roundabout The Province of British Columbia says a roundabout will soon be constructed at the contentious intersection of Highway 4 and Beaver Creek Road. The project is expected to be tendered in late summer 2025 a roundabout is expected to make the intersection safer and more accessible improve sightlines and enhance access to the Clutesi Haven Marina boat ramp Members of the public can provide input, voice concerns or ask questions online at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation-projects/other-transportation-projects/highway-4-beaver-creek The deadline for public input is April 25 Honourable Mike Farnworth and House Leader Email: TT.Minister@gov.bc.ca Residents of Port Alberni and surrounding areas are invited to review online materials showcasing the new roundabout to be constructed at the Highway 4 and Beaver Creek Road intersection The materials will provide information about the benefits of the new roundabout Highway 4 is a critical route connecting Port Alberni to Highway 19 and popular Vancouver Island destinations The proposed roundabout will create a safer eliminate left turns to improve sightlines and enhance access to Clutesi Haven Marina The project is expected to be tendered in late summer 2025 To learn more, residents can view the online materials here: https://gov.bc.ca/highway4beavercreek allowing the public to voice concerns or ask questions from March 24 until April 25 View the Ministry's latest photos on Flickr Watch the Ministry's latest videos on YouTube Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma says new legislation will speed up approvals for infrastructure projects the Infrastructure Projects Act is meant to enable the provincial government to expand work already underway "to reduce redundancy but redundancy," Ma said in Victoria.  "We'll be able to prioritize and accelerate approval for projects that will need to support for people in their communities The environmental assessment office will be developing an expedited environmental assessment process so that designated provincially significant projects we go through a faster review while continuing to uphold high environmental standards." Ma said B.C.'s population has "exploded" by 188,000 people between June 2023 and June 2024 "For everyone 10,000 people that are added to the population we need an additional 18 hospital beds and 4,000 additional homes and we saw 188,000 people join us in a single 12-month period." the legislation will speed up approvals for priority provincial infrastructure projects It would also allow for an expedited environmental assessment process so designated projects can be reviewed "more quickly without compromising B.C.'s high environmental standards." The legislation would also allow the Infrastructure Ministry to work with school districts health authorities and post-secondary institutions to deliver some projects on their behalf.  Ma said the projects could be delivered by Crown corporations First Nations and the private sector.  "They would need to create significant economic social or environmental benefits for people in B.C. and are projects that contribute to the priorities of British Columbians The City of Port Alberni has adopted its 2025-2029 Five Year Financial Plan with the tax rate for the average single-family residential home set at 13.98 per cent this year This will equal a $354.08 tax increase for a $516,563 home Port Alberni city council first started discussing the budget back in October of 2024 says that the theme of this year's budget is capital and infrastructure The city is dealing with an "infrastructure deficit," as aging city assets need to be repaired and replaced Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions thanked residents of Port Alberni for providing their perspective and feedback on the budget  “As a council we faced some of the toughest budget decisions we've ever had to make and we did not make them lightly," she said "We recognize that many are feeling uneasy and overwhelmed by the challenges of today’s world council made every effort to critically assess the budget identifying cost-savings opportunities where possible." The financial plan must be adopted before May 15 each year in order to set tax rates complete filing and distribute tax notices Municipalities are required by the Community Charter to adopt a five-year financial plan City of Port Alberni councillors were joined by Hupacasath and Tseshaht leadership for the unveiling and placement of the new metal welcome sign on March 5 at the edge of the municipal boundary A beautiful new welcome sign has been erected at the entrance to the City of Port Alberni near the Walmart parking lot City of Port Alberni councillors were joined by Hupacasath and Tseshaht leadership for the unveiling and placement of the metal sign on March 5 the sign was a collaborative project between the city They describe it as another reminder of what can be accomplished when working as a team Plans for the new signage have been in the works for years The large wooden sign that once stood at the junction coming into Port Alberni in the east was removed several years ago It has been restored and is in storage with plans to install it somewhere inside city limits in the future the City of Port Alberni put out a call for ideas for a new welcome sign was selected as a basis for the signage.  “The inspiration for the design came from the tall evergreen trees and mountains that surround our beautiful town,” said Susan Roth.  Local First Nations were invited to expand on the concept by incorporating Indigenous elements in consultation with Hupacasath and Tseshaht historical connections and contemporary experiences of her people to their land.  “Starting with the wind to water elements connecting the feeling of the valley where the ocean inlet meets with the Tsuma-as (Somass) River,” Watts explained “Connecting the wind and water design is the thunderbird whale and salmon - all powerful animals for Nuu-chah-nulth And at the base of the sign you will see a bear with her cubs which represent the families in our valley and our most important gift Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions was not at the installation but posted on social media that she could not be more proud to see the sign completed.  “The Welcome to Port Alberni sign project has been on the books for almost as long as I’ve been on council,” she wrote The reason for the hold-up was the significant price tag – in the range of $150,000-300,000 is in line with what other communities have spent on their welcome signs the city turned to its citizens to help make the project a success Several local businesses and community members contributed to the project the project came in well under the average cost other island cities paid for their signs.  “As a result of the community kindness shown throughout the development and production of this sign the city is happy to report that the project came in at the estimated $40,000 with allocated funds coming from Reserves ($25,000) and Reconciliation ($15,000),” stated the municipality.  As part of the city’s path to reconciliation and to acknowledge the traditional lands of local First Nations the foundation of the sign is adorned with a formal land acknowledgement of the unceded traditional territories of Tseshaht [c̓išaaʔatḥ] and Hupačasath First Nations The beautiful new sign stands at the corner of Highway 4 and John Street The site was selected because that is where Port Alberni city limits start There will be no lighting directed at the sign the provincial ministry of highways determined that lighting would be too distracting for motorists with the construction of the Microtel set to begin on the property behind the new sign it is hoped the new sign will be more visible at night thanks to lighting from the new hotel Hupacasath and Huu-ay-aht First Nations partnered to construct the new hotel on the edge of Highway 4 The city thanked their past two councils who helped move this project forward.  and the many contractors and trades that donated their time equipment and skills,” stated the city.  The Ha-Shilth-Sa is published by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council Copyright 2025 Ha-Shilth-Sa. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Alberni Design | Login | App Alberni Valley residents will have at least two opportunities to hear what federal Courtenay-Alberni candidates have to say before they go to the polls on April 28 The Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce and Alberni Valley Transition Town (AVTT) are teaming up to present an all-candidates' meeting on Tuesday April 15 at the RimRock Casino from 6–8:30 p.m Host for the evening will be Michael Youds a retired journalist and active member of AVTT Youds has previously hosted panel discussions with AVTT including one discussing the Burde Street beaver pond land city development and the City of Port Alberni's upcoming renewal of its Official Community Plan Anyone with questions for the candidates are asked to submit them in advance by April 11 at 4 p.m. at https://forms.office.com/r/1EdupAYXJc Organizers warn that due to a time limit on the meeting For more information on the event, please go online to https://albernichamber.ca/2025-all-candidates-meeting Students at Alberni District Secondary School will have a chance to listen to candidates in a student-led all-candidates' meeting scheduled for April 23 The event will take place at the ADSS Theatre from 1:50 p.m Teacher Anne Ostwald has traditionally guided students through the process of hosting the panel and students at ADSS are known for not pulling any punches with their questions. For those who cannot attend the event will be livestreamed @AlberniSecondary on YouTube Six candidates have declared their intent to run for the federal seat in this riding Candidates have until April 7 to confirm their nomination to Elections Canada (a list of confirmed candidates will be available on the Elections Canada website on Wednesday Those who had declared publicly that they intend to run include incumbent MP Gord Johns (NDP) Thomas Gamble (People's Party of Canada) and Teresa Knight (Animal Protection Party of Canada) Jesse Musial (Christian Heritage Party of Canada) was a last-minute addition to the list before the April 7 deadline Many residents flocked to the Echo Centre for the Sunshine Club fundraiser in Port Alberni recently There was something for everyone: baked goods The refreshment centre was a great place for friends to catch up.  A firefighter suffered minor burns during a structure fire that destroyed a workshop on a Cherry Creek property north of Port Alberni on March 14 The call came in after noon that a building in the 6100-block of Strathcona Street was on fire and black smoke could be seen for several kilometres Emergency responders from Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Dept were quickly on scene and joined by fire crews from Port Alberni An ambulance from BC EHS was also dispatched The large shop had a 4x9-metre (14x30-foot) bay door and firefighters were putting water into the back of the shop where the fire started Cherry Creek Fire Chief Lucas Banton explained "The door came down—it had burned through the supports It started to flash out at the same time." A firefighter was nine metres or 30 feet away from the fire and trying to put his second glove on when he was hit by the door He described the unnamed firefighter's injury as minor; paramedics on scene provided treatment "We found out later the shed had a large (combustible) fuel load stored in it." The shed was full of cedar lumber for a future construction project The large shop had three bays and Banton said crews were able to stop the fire before it reached the third bay the rest of the shop and contents were destroyed Banton said firefighters responded immediately and were on scene within minutes "We got a line off right away and we started hitting it It just quicklyl built." The fire was knocked down by about 1:15 p.m. crews at the scene said much of the building has collapsed monitoring for hot spots and mopping up.  The day was a busy one for Port Alberni fire crews: one crew responded to the Cherry Creek fire as mutual aid Several first responder calls came in within the same couple of hours prompting that department to call in an extra crew Port Alberni's Visitor Information Centre will close for the month of March due to lack of funding The Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce made the announcement on Friday 28 after informing its membership by e-mail "The chamber's contract for visitor services with the City of Port Alberni concluded on Jan 2025 and no new agreement has been reached," chamber CEO Jolleen Dick said in a press release "Without a formal contract or secured financial support the chamber is unable to continue funding and operating the visitor centre independently." The AV News has reached out to the City of Port Alberni for comment The chamber of commerce will remain "fully operational," continuing to provide business services No staff have been laid off as a result of the closure Dick anticipates the visitor centre will reopen ahead of the summer season "pending financial solutions." The visitor centre building closure includes the public washroom facilities People looking for information about Port Alberni and the region will be directed to online resources including the chamber website at www.albernichamber.ca or www.portalbernivisitorcentre.ca Alberni Valley Tourism (www.albernivalleytourism.ca) and respective social media channels The visitor centre served more than 9,400 visitors in 2024 residents and people asking about moving to the community In addition to answering tourism inquiries the info centre has been called upon in recent years to respond during crises "The VIC (Visitor Info Centre) has been a trusted resource for updates on wildfires road closures and other emergencies affecting travel," she said "The Visitor Centre is more than just a tourism resource – it connects thousands of visitors to local businesses drives economic growth and provides essential updates during emergencies," said chamber president Chris Washington Dick said the chamber is "actively engaging with stakeholders it underscores the urgent need for a sustainable long-term funding solution to ensure visitor services remain available year-round." She urged local businesses to make sure their online information is up to date Sign up below for unlimited digital access for 30 days receive our daily news alerts & breaking news Amix Group of Campbell River has taken ownership of the former Alberni Pacific Division (APD) Sawmill on Port Alberni's waterfront The $7.3-million sale with Western Forest Products became official on Friday Amix purchased just over 18 hectares (45 acres) of the APD site and is also leasing two lots on the water side for a new marine terminal Western Forest Products had curtailed APD Sawmill in 2022 When efforts to find a way to operate were unsuccessful the curtailment was changed to "indefinite" in April 2024 and the remaining 60 employees were offered voluntary severance.  marine services president for Amix, said the company will not be operating the sawmill but many of the buildings and offices will be usable He said the marine side of the site will require renovations and additions like dock space Amix will be moving its entire operation from Campbell River to Port Alberni in the coming months and the company intends to create a maintenance facility for its large tugs "The rationale behind the purchase is to service our marine maintenance business," he added He said people won't immediately see changes to the site My comment to my staff is our intention is to move (with) safety and effectiveness and efficiency in mind." Amix's tugs and barges have worked in the Alberni Inlet for a number of years servicing APD or bringing logs to and from APD The City of Port Alberni will be raising its user fees for city-owned facilities for the first time in 10 years During a five-hour-long committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday members of Port Alberni city council spent some time going over the sixth draft of a bylaw that would increase fees and admission for city facilities The last time this bylaw was updated was in 2015 said that city staff used six comparative communities (Campbell River Oak Bay and Powell River) to set the rates for this year Councillor Charles Mealey was concerned to see the rates for seniors going up "exponentially," with a more than $200 annual increase for admissions to swimming “There are a lot of seniors out there who could never afford that rate,” she said. “They can’t afford their rent argued that the reason for the large increase is because fees have not been raised in 10 years “When the fees do get raised to an appropriate level the committee recommended making fees for seniors the same as the fees for children and youth This will result in an increase of less than $100 annually “It’s still a very significant increase,” said Mayor Sharie Minions “I think we got to this point by not increasing fees seniors are disproportionately being increased compared with the other groups.” the committee also recommending raising the age classification for "senior" from 55 to 65 “I think anyone who is younger than that and living on a [retirement] pension is in a better financial position than many in our community,” Minions said The committee also recommended removing a special exemption for the Echo Sunshine Club which would have given the club a "scaled" approach to new fees over four years This is because councillors did not want to give preference to any specific group the committee asked city staff to explore entering a lease agreement with the Sunshine Club similar to their lease agreement with the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs which gives the club a special rate to rent the Alberni Valley Multiplex “They are our largest renter and they contribute significant dollars to the city just like the Bulldogs do at the multiplex," explained Minions. "We would be challenged without the Sunshine Club renting this facility.” as council can only make recommendations at committee of the whole meetings The bylaw will be brought to a future regular meeting of council for consideration The City of Port Alberni finally has a new welcome sign a "Welcome to Port Alberni" sign was installed on city-owned land at the corner of Highway 4 and John Street adjacent to the Walmart parking lot.  "I can't wait to leave and drive back into Port Alberni just to see it," Councillor Cindy Solda laughed after the sign went up on Wednesday The discussion around a welcome sign dates back to 2020 when Port Alberni city council at the time decided to budget for the installation of a welcome sign at the city's entrance Although a "Welcome to the Alberni Valley" sign can be found near the bottom of The Hump on Highway 4 Solda explained that this sign was actually a project of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) and the late Cherry Creek director Glenn Wong "Port Alberni's always wanted a sign within the limits of Port Alberni," said Solda "Now you can see this is the City of Port Alberni you've got everything that tells you about our community The initial design for the sign came from Alberni Valley resident Susan Roth who submitted a conceptual drawing back in 2020 for a metal sign that included layered trees with shadowing a bear and simple words welcoming visitors and locals alike to Port Alberni Roth says she was inspired by the tall evergreen trees wildlife and mountains that surround the Alberni Valley “I feel honoured that my work was chosen as the foundational art for such an important project,” said Roth The City of Port Alberni reached out to local First Nations to incorporate Indigenous elements to the sign. Connie Watts — a mixed media artist interior designer and project manager — was selected in consultation with both Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations "We wanted to look at the idea of what it meant for us to welcome people into our culture our knowledge and our ways," explained Watts The sign includes images of a thunderbird and whale which are both "powerful" animals for Nuu-chah-nulth people said Watts. The sign also includes images of salmon and water playing with the relationship between salt water and fresh water with the salmon going up from the ocean and into the Tsuma-as (Somass) River," explained Watts the wind flows into the water. My grandmother often used to say if the wind's blowing up the valley Watts also added images of a bear and her cubs which represent the families in the Alberni Valley "It's that idea of our children being the most sacred thing to us and the strength for our people," said Watts.  and to acknowledge the traditional lands of local nations the foundation of the sign is adorned with a formal land acknowledgment of the unceded traditional territories of Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations.  Solda said it was expected to cost around $300,000 But with some design adjustments — and "a lot of donations," said Solda — the city was able to install it at a cost of $40,000 instead The metal sign was constructed by DBA Silencing and installed by city workers and contractors "A lot of people came together to bring this to fruition," said Solda At this time, the welcome sign doesn't include any lighting. But Solda suggested that this could change with the construction of a new Microtel in the area "That will change the whole area," she said another “Welcome to the Alberni Valley” sign in the city's history The wooden sign, designed by Kim Schroeder and carved by Elmar Schultes used to be located outside of the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce but was taken down when the chamber built a new visitor’s centre on the highway in 2011 The sign is currently being stored in the city's public works yard Council wants to eventually put it on display as a piece of public art That's a discussion to have at another time." Port Alberni city council has agreed to issue a development permit for the city's first new hotel since 1980 Hupacasath and Huu-ay-aht — have partnered to build a Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Port Alberni The hotel will be a four-storey building with 76 rooms located in front of the Walmart on Johnston Road Although the area is already zoned and subdivided for construction of the hotel, director of development services Scott Smith told council on Feb 10 that the building needs a development variance permit in order to increase its maximum height to 14.1 metres The side of the building closest to residential homes on John Street will only be nine metres tall which Smith says will “mitigate” the impact of shadows on neighbouring properties “So there will be no real shadow impact on nearby residents,” he said He expects there will be "minimal" traffic impacts in the area because the hotel will be located right next to a controlled light at Broughton Street And because the property is located on a provincial highway the Ministry of Transportation and Transit was required to sign off on the subdivision of the property “They’ve had no concerns whatsoever,” said Smith Letters were sent to neighbouring properties within 100 metres and the city received no responses 10 to issue the development variance permit and development permit for the hotel with Councillor Debbie Haggard noting that the community of Port Alberni is "very short" of hotels She said travellers will look for this sort of location when they are making travel plans it’s got shopping in case you need to pick up anything,” she said With people travelling to the communities of Ucluelet and Tofino I’m sure it’s going to be full from the start.” Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. 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