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About Port Alberni
Perhaps you don’t know much about Port Alberni and the Alberni Valley. Perhaps you are curious. You know that it must have something to do with Vancouver Island. Past that, perhaps not much. So I’m going to enlighten you!
Port Alberni is a small city located about a third of the way up Vancouver Island, that is, north of Victoria, the biggest city on the island and the provincial capital of British Columbia. It is located at the end of the longest inlet, or fjord, on Vancouver Island. This inlet empties onto the west side of Vancouver Island. So although it has an excellent deep-water port, its character in many ways is that of an interior town. The town is dominated by mountains on virtually all sides, and by a large broad valley that extends right up to the mountains of central Vancouver Island and Strathcona Provincial Park.
There are a number of local attractions. If you are interested in fishing for salmon, one species or another are running all summer and in to September. It is some of the best in the world. It’s not for nothing that Port Alberni bills itself as the Salmon fishing Capital of the World.
But there are attractions for other tastes too. The McLean Mill is an old steam-driven sawmill that cut the big timber during the days of the logging industry before chainsaws and skidders. It is a national historic site. And as an added attraction, the Alberni Valley Heritage Society has reconditioned an old steam locomotive. And now it offers trips from town to the mill site. And next summer it hopes to offer the steam ride all the way from Qualicum on the east side of the island past Cameron Lake and through Cathedral Grove.
West of Port Alberni lies Sproat Lake, one of the largest lakes on Vancouver Island. This lake is home to the largest water-bombers in the world – the Martin Mars. Although they are still in the community now, the timber company that owns them is selling them. So they may not stick around. There is a strong lobby to keep them in the valley by the local politicians. But it may not be enough. So come and see them now!
If mills, steam trains and water-bombers are not your cup of tea, there are over a hundred trails in the valley and the surrounding mountains. There are some wonderful views from the tops of them. Mount Arrowsmith, the tallest mountain on southern Vancouver Island, is only 40 minutes away. It is the most popular mountain on the island for climbing. And Robertson Creek Fish Hatchery supports the local sports fishing industry. Their busy time of year is in the fall when the fish return to spawn, the winter when they incubate the eggs and rear the young and the spring when they tag the fish and release them. There are a couple of well-known falls in the area. One is Stamp Falls in Stamp River Provincial Park. In addition to the falls, there is a fish ladder that allows salmon to bypass the falls on their way to the spawning grounds. October is the best time to see the annual migration. It is truly impressive. The other falls, Della Falls, is the highest falls in North America. Getting there is difficult. It requires a boat trip to the other end of one of the large lakes on Vancouver Island, and then a one day hike to the foot of the falls. To take in the grandeur of the falls, you need to hike up the other side of the valley.
There is much more to tell about Port Alberni and the Alberni Valley. I could talk about some of the, economy, the history, the First Nations and the traditions. But I will save all that for another entry.