We had a recent shock here in Port Alberni, quite unlike the one that occurred 50 years ago when the great tsunami entered our inlet destroying many homes and businesses, yet sparing all lives.
The shock this time didn’t originate off the coast of Alaska; instead, a different sort of jolt came from an article in MoneySense magazine.
The article used statistics — housing prices, income levels, unemployment ranks, inaccurate population numbers, etc. — to rank us as 201st for liveability in a list of of 201 cities. The study included communities outside of Port Alberni, some as far as three hours away, hence the population inaccuracies.
Since the article was published, many members of our community, from the guy at the local coffee shop right up to city officials, have been hit with countless emails, phone calls and conversations wondering how anyone could conjure up such nonsense.
The report is inaccurate. Yes, some of the statistics are valid; for example, we do have some of the most affordable housing in western Canada. And yes, our average property taxes are less than $1,250 per year, yet we have a new $60-million high school that ranks as one of the best, not only in B.C., but in Canada.
We have a modern, full-facility hospital, along with several care homes and a well-respected hospice. We have live music and theatre, a recently resurfaced track facility, an athletic hall for basketball and other indoor activities, a rugby centre, countless sports fields, a pool and two NHL-size arenas, one of which houses a Junior A community-owned hockey franchise, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Port Alberni, through an incredible volunteer base, has hosted the B.C. Summer Games, B.C. Winter Games, B.C. Special Olympics and B.C. Senior Games. Not long ago, we invited the world by hosting the U17 hockey challenge. We host many tournaments and other events.
We invite the writer from MoneySense, or anyone else, to come see what we offer. Excellent dining is available and includes seafood, Bavarian, Moroccan, sushi, sandwiches, smoothies — the list is almost endless. We have long-term businesses, including furniture stores, two in particular, that combined have more than a century in business, family operations still competing successfully against national chains.
Visitors can meet long-time residents who love this valley and who have never left, or those who have left, but have returned to their paradise.
We’re proud our new Centennial Pier, where people can take photos of orcas swimming by downtown Port Alberni. We have an abundance of wildlife, visible almost any time of the year.
We welcome the opportunity to share Port Alberni. We guarantee that when visitors have travelled our steam train to Canada’s only steam powered sawmill, when they have enjoyed an idyllic cruise along the Alberni Inlet on the MV Frances Barkley, or when they have swam the warm clear waters of nearby Sproat Lake, they are likely spend an extra day here looking at property in Port Alberni.
When we’re off work in Port Alberni, we’re home minutes later. We can be fishing, golfing, hiking, sailing, or simply enjoying a glass of locally produced wine within half an hour of leaving work.
We golf, hike, bike and jump on our ATVs all year long, including January. Plus, as Canada’s ultimate fishing town, we’re on the water with our traps and downriggers 365 days of the year, plus an extra day every four years. To those of us who live here, Port Alberni is at the top of the list for the culture, the lifestyle, the affordability, the environment and the opportunities.
- Bill Collette is executive director of the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce.