Alberni Valley

The sun sets behind the Somass River at Victoria Quay in Port Alberni. (Elena Rardon / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Port Alberni continues to shatter heat records—in October

Century-old records fall away as mid-Island city sees temperatures in upper 20s Celsius

 

Robbie Jai, left, unit chief for the Parksville Ambulance Station, presents Ed Francoeur, centre, and Tyler Ruel of Port Alberni with Vital Links awards for saving golfer Fred Fredrickson after he collapsed at Alberni Golf Course on Sept. 13, 2020. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Port Alberni golfers honoured with Vital Link awards for reviving man on course

Ed Francoeur, Tyler Ruel saved fellow golfer after he went into cardiac arrest in 2020

 

A hiker who suffered injuries while on Mount Arrowsmith’s Judge’s Route trail is rescued due to the combined efforts of Alberni Valley and Arrowsmith volunteer rescuers. (PHOTO COURTESY ALBERNI VALLEY RESCUE SQUAD)

Volunteers rescue hiker in medical distress from Mount Arrowsmith

Multiple agencies involved in complicated retrieval from Judges Route

 

Firefighters attend the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Ceremony in Ottawa. (PHOTO COURTESY PA FIRE DEPARTMENT)

Trio of Alberni Valley firefighters who died of job-related causes honoured in Ottawa

Canadian Firefighters Memorial took place on Sept. 11, 2022

Firefighters attend the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Ceremony in Ottawa. (PHOTO COURTESY PA FIRE DEPARTMENT)
A stream of water from the Harbour Chieftain fireboat can be seen as crews fight a fire aboard a 35-foot aluminum work vessel in the Alberni Harbour on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. (PHOTO COURTESY JOANNA STANGOWITZ)

Man forced to jump into Alberni Harbour after boat explodes

Black smoke, flames were visible for kilometres

A stream of water from the Harbour Chieftain fireboat can be seen as crews fight a fire aboard a 35-foot aluminum work vessel in the Alberni Harbour on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. (PHOTO COURTESY JOANNA STANGOWITZ)
Tom Wall and his daughter Emma have been riding in the Port Alberni Toy Run together since Emma was five years old. They will take Wall’s Spyder on the 2022 run, Sept. 17. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Longtime volunteer Tom Wall ‘lives and breathes’ Port Alberni Toy Run

Annual motorcycle event kicks off at noon Saturday, Sept. 17 at Little Qualicum Falls

Tom Wall and his daughter Emma have been riding in the Port Alberni Toy Run together since Emma was five years old. They will take Wall’s Spyder on the 2022 run, Sept. 17. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
First responders from BC EHS, Port Alberni Fire Department and Alberni Valley Rescue Squad retrieve a woman who had fallen around 30 metres at Stamp River Provincial Park on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (ALBERNI VALLEY RESCUE SQUAD PHOTO)

Tourist airlifted to hospital after falling 40 feet down embankment at Stamp River Provincial Park

Rope rescue teams from Port Alberni, Qualicum Beach extricate woman from bank by Stamp Falls

First responders from BC EHS, Port Alberni Fire Department and Alberni Valley Rescue Squad retrieve a woman who had fallen around 30 metres at Stamp River Provincial Park on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (ALBERNI VALLEY RESCUE SQUAD PHOTO)
First responders from BC EHS, Port Alberni Fire Department and Alberni Valley Rescue Squad retrieve a woman who had fallen around 30 metres at Stamp River Provincial Park on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (ALBERNI VALLEY RESCUE SQUAD PHOTO)

Tourist airlifted to hospital after falling 40 feet down embankment at Stamp River Provincial Park

Rope rescue teams from Port Alberni, Qualicum Beach extricate woman from bank by Stamp Falls

First responders from BC EHS, Port Alberni Fire Department and Alberni Valley Rescue Squad retrieve a woman who had fallen around 30 metres at Stamp River Provincial Park on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (ALBERNI VALLEY RESCUE SQUAD PHOTO)
Miroslava Gojdova, one of 10 exhibitors at the Rollin Art Centre’s ‘Summer–Seasonal Imagery’ show, with ‘Spirit Koi,’ an oil on canvas. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Emotions and nature’s magic meet on Port Alberni artist’s canvas

Miroslava Gojdova captures moments of inner beauty in her oil paintings

Miroslava Gojdova, one of 10 exhibitors at the Rollin Art Centre’s ‘Summer–Seasonal Imagery’ show, with ‘Spirit Koi,’ an oil on canvas. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
A pair of Port Alberni Salmon Derby participants drop their lines in Alberni Harbour during the annual Labour Day fishing derby. (SONJA DRINKWATER/ Special to the AV News)

Alberni’s Somass River sockeye return doubles its original forecast

With the sockeye run mostly past, anglers and advocates paying close attention to chinook run

A pair of Port Alberni Salmon Derby participants drop their lines in Alberni Harbour during the annual Labour Day fishing derby. (SONJA DRINKWATER/ Special to the AV News)
Alberni Valley Hill Climbers ATV Club is one of five to sign an access agreement with Mosaic Forest Management to access the backcountry. (AV HILL CLIMBERS CLUB PHOTO)

Vancouver Island ATV clubs reach back-country agreement with Mosaic

Forest management company grants access with certain restrictions; ATV clubs agree

  • Aug 2, 2022
Alberni Valley Hill Climbers ATV Club is one of five to sign an access agreement with Mosaic Forest Management to access the backcountry. (AV HILL CLIMBERS CLUB PHOTO)
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Crew OK as fishing vessel sinks after hitting rocks in Alberni Inlet

Gillnetter with roughly 500 litres of diesel onboard goes down near Hocking Point on Monday morning

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Alberni Valley ambassadors Dawna MacMillan, left, Ian Staton, Peter Kaegi and Bud Munsil are happy to be back around town wearing their yellow jackets and directing tourists to Port Alberni amenities. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador program returns to Cathedral Grove

Yellow jacketed volunteers are there to share info on Port Alberni, not for traffic control

Alberni Valley ambassadors Dawna MacMillan, left, Ian Staton, Peter Kaegi and Bud Munsil are happy to be back around town wearing their yellow jackets and directing tourists to Port Alberni amenities. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Bella Hall of Port Alberni receives her gold medal at the 2022 Bell Canadian Track and Field championships, June 25, 2022 in Langley, B.C. (PHOTO COURTESY ATHLETEPICS.CA)

Port Alberni’s Bella Hall wins national title in hammer throw

Hall threw personal best for 2022 in final throw, three metres more than nearest competition

Bella Hall of Port Alberni receives her gold medal at the 2022 Bell Canadian Track and Field championships, June 25, 2022 in Langley, B.C. (PHOTO COURTESY ATHLETEPICS.CA)
Longtime Port Alberni resident Jerry Fevens has been documenting the city and surrounding regional district one photo at a time for more than four decades. (PHOTO COURTESY JERRY FEVENS)

Port Alberni man capturing region’s history one photo at a time

Jerry Fevens can often be seen documenting construction projects around the city

Longtime Port Alberni resident Jerry Fevens has been documenting the city and surrounding regional district one photo at a time for more than four decades. (PHOTO COURTESY JERRY FEVENS)
Hupacasath First Nation council comprises Councillor Ricky-lee Watts, left, Elected Chief Councillor Brandy Lauder, Coun. Jolleen Dick and Coun. Warren Lauder. (2022) (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Hupacasath First Nation calls for city protocols after Indigenous Peoples Day snub

Both Hupacasath and Tseshaht First Nations lay claim to waterfront

Hupacasath First Nation council comprises Councillor Ricky-lee Watts, left, Elected Chief Councillor Brandy Lauder, Coun. Jolleen Dick and Coun. Warren Lauder. (2022) (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions, right, and other council members Ron Corbeil, left, city director of development services Scott Smith, councillors Cindy Solda, Ron Paulson, Deb Haggard and Helen Poon (missing: Dan Washington) gather on a foggy winter day to celebrate the city officially taking oer the Somass Sawmill lands. (SUBMITTED PHOTO) The areas noted in yellow are the five properties included in the sale of the Somass Sawmill to the City of Port Alberni. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Somass sawmill site a gem to be honed on the Port Alberni waterfront

Leaders see the land as a vital piece of the city’s future

Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions, right, and other council members Ron Corbeil, left, city director of development services Scott Smith, councillors Cindy Solda, Ron Paulson, Deb Haggard and Helen Poon (missing: Dan Washington) gather on a foggy winter day to celebrate the city officially taking oer the Somass Sawmill lands. (SUBMITTED PHOTO) The areas noted in yellow are the five properties included in the sale of the Somass Sawmill to the City of Port Alberni. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Family and friends reported James Vezina of Port Alberni missing on May 31, 2022. (FACEBOOK PHOTO)

UPDATE: Missing Port Alberni man found safe by search and rescue volunteers

Family and friends reported that James Vezina has been missing since May 31

Family and friends reported James Vezina of Port Alberni missing on May 31, 2022. (FACEBOOK PHOTO)
Cyndi Stevens, executive director of the Port Alberni Friendship Center, stands in front of the future site of Watyaqit Tiny Home Village in Port Alberni. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

‘Tiny homes’ secured for vulnerable population in Port Alberni

Temporary development will address homelessness crisis short term, says housing task force

Cyndi Stevens, executive director of the Port Alberni Friendship Center, stands in front of the future site of Watyaqit Tiny Home Village in Port Alberni. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
A search and rescue technician (SARTech) from 442 Squadron at 19 Wing Comox, right, helps an Arrowsmith SAR member secure an injured hiker for a medical evacuation on a logging road near Sarita Falls on May 22, 2022. (PHOTO COURTESY AVRS)

Hiker airlifted from Sarita Falls after nine-metre fall

AVRS, Arrowsmith SAR and 442 Sqn. worked together to rescue injured man

A search and rescue technician (SARTech) from 442 Squadron at 19 Wing Comox, right, helps an Arrowsmith SAR member secure an injured hiker for a medical evacuation on a logging road near Sarita Falls on May 22, 2022. (PHOTO COURTESY AVRS)