Elena Rardon

A gas station in Port Alberni offers Supreme gasoline at Regular price on Thursday, June 8, 2023 while it waits for a refill to arrive. (SUSAN QUINN / Alberni Valley News)

No danger to west coast’s supply chain despite Highway 4 closure, says Port Alberni’s mayor

Detour is bringing delivery of supplies to Alberni Valley as highway remains closed due to wildfire

A gas station in Port Alberni offers Supreme gasoline at Regular price on Thursday, June 8, 2023 while it waits for a refill to arrive. (SUSAN QUINN / Alberni Valley News)
Fire in the bluffs above Highway 4 and Cameron Lake. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)

Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District closes reception centre as alternate highway route opens

Detour available via Bamfield using forest-service and privately owned industrial roads

Fire in the bluffs above Highway 4 and Cameron Lake. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)
An aerial photo shows the forest fire burning on Cameron Bluffs along Highway 4 by Cameron Lake. The fire was first discovered late Saturday night, June 3, 2023. (COASTAL FIRE CENTRE PHOTO)

Highway 4 closes again east of Port Alberni as wildfire grows to 109 hectares

Cameron Bluffs fire east of Port Alberni estimated at 25 hectares

An aerial photo shows the forest fire burning on Cameron Bluffs along Highway 4 by Cameron Lake. The fire was first discovered late Saturday night, June 3, 2023. (COASTAL FIRE CENTRE PHOTO)
Penticton Vees captain Frank Djurasevic lifts the Fred Page Cup at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on May 17, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

BCHL: Penticton Vees are back-to-back Fred Page Cup champions

Vees completed a four-game sweep of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs

Penticton Vees captain Frank Djurasevic lifts the Fred Page Cup at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on May 17, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Ethan Bono battles with Penticton’s Thomas Pichette during Game 3 of the Fred Page Cup final on Tuesday, May 16. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

BCHL: Alberni Valley on brink of elimination after Game 3 loss against Penticton

Bulldogs will look to avoid elimination at home during Game 4

Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Ethan Bono battles with Penticton’s Thomas Pichette during Game 3 of the Fred Page Cup final on Tuesday, May 16. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
The Port Alberni Black Sheep are the 2023 Times Colonist Cup champions. (PHOTO COURTESY TANYA SHANNON)

Port Alberni Black Sheep claim TC Cup as Vancouver Island rugby champions

Rugby team headed into the playoffs second in the province after edging Nanaimo in cup nailbiter

The Port Alberni Black Sheep are the 2023 Times Colonist Cup champions. (PHOTO COURTESY TANYA SHANNON)
Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre meets with the San Group in Port Alberni. He is joined by MP Marc Dalton (far left) and MP Tracy Gray (second from left). (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Pierre Poilievre pitches value-added forestry practices during Alberni mill tour

Conservative leader criticizes Liberal government for not cancelling U.S. softwood lumber tariffs

Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre meets with the San Group in Port Alberni. He is joined by MP Marc Dalton (far left) and MP Tracy Gray (second from left). (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
A logging truck crash on Franklin River Road on the outskirts of Port Alberni has damaged the city’s main water line. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Port Alberni under emergency water restrictions after logging truck crash

Incident severed city’s main water supply line; restrictions in place ‘until further notice’

A logging truck crash on Franklin River Road on the outskirts of Port Alberni has damaged the city’s main water line. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Tseshaht First Nation dancers perform during the Doing it for our Ancestors announcement on Feb. 21, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

Probe into former Alberni residential school resets the death toll at 67

Roughly 10 percent of the 100 hectares of Tseshaht territory to be surveyed has been scanned

Tseshaht First Nation dancers perform during the Doing it for our Ancestors announcement on Feb. 21, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
A photo of Coulson Aviation’s Boeing 737 Tanker 139, now named “Phoenix.” (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Pilots walk way after B.C. plane goes down while fighting Australian wildfires

Coulson Aviation 737 FireLiner involved in accident while responding to a fire

A photo of Coulson Aviation’s Boeing 737 Tanker 139, now named “Phoenix.” (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
P.A. Squash & Fitness, located on Third Avenue in Port Alberni. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Port Alberni bar slapped with $19,000 in liquor branch fines

Bar was over capacity, owners took too long opening door for inspectors, report says

P.A. Squash & Fitness, located on Third Avenue in Port Alberni. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Jagmeet Singh and Gord Johns meet with a roundtable of experts on seniors health care at at a community centre in Qualicum on Tuesday, Jan. 24. (PHOTO COURTESY RIEL MCGUIRE)

Jagmeet Singh talks health care during central Vancouver Island stop

Singh and Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns talked with experts in Qualicum Beach

Jagmeet Singh and Gord Johns meet with a roundtable of experts on seniors health care at at a community centre in Qualicum on Tuesday, Jan. 24. (PHOTO COURTESY RIEL MCGUIRE)
Courthouse in Nanaimo. (News Bulletin file)

B.C. judge says $80,000 toward home purchase was no gift of love

Port Alberni woman ordered to pay ex-boyfriend his share of house purchase

Courthouse in Nanaimo. (News Bulletin file)
School District 70-Pacific Rim’s head office is located in Port Alberni, B.C. (AV NEWS FILE PHOTO)

B.C. mother loses appeal over Indigenous smudging in school

Court rules events did not breach freedom of religion or ‘duty of state neutrality’

School District 70-Pacific Rim’s head office is located in Port Alberni, B.C. (AV NEWS FILE PHOTO)
Our Home on 8th, the Port Alberni Shelter that opened in March 2019, has 27 extra ‘extreme weather’ spaces for people who need a place to get out of the cold. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Port Alberni’s shelter is ‘out of control’, neighbours say

Ninth Avenue residents say fence would curb illicit activity behind shelter

Our Home on 8th, the Port Alberni Shelter that opened in March 2019, has 27 extra ‘extreme weather’ spaces for people who need a place to get out of the cold. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Larry Spencer, right, has been involved in the logging industry for 45 years. He attended a rally Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021 in Port Alberni backing loggers and their stance against the B.C. government’s recent two-year deferral of old-growth logging. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

New B.C. council aims to build resiliency in forestry communities

Council will include voices of forestry workers

Larry Spencer, right, has been involved in the logging industry for 45 years. He attended a rally Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021 in Port Alberni backing loggers and their stance against the B.C. government’s recent two-year deferral of old-growth logging. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Port Alberni’s Richard Spencer (front) takes off from the starting line at Rumble on the Runway in Port McNeill on July 17, 2022. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Island drag racers looking to establish new permanent track in Port Alberni

Alberni drag racing association working with other associations on Vancouver Island

Port Alberni’s Richard Spencer (front) takes off from the starting line at Rumble on the Runway in Port McNeill on July 17, 2022. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
A locked gate prevents access to a logging road on Mosaic Forests land in 2017. (ELENA RARDON/ Alberni Valley News)

Vancouver Island pilot project hopes to increase public use of forest lands

Mosaic Forest Management partners with user groups on access plans

A locked gate prevents access to a logging road on Mosaic Forests land in 2017. (ELENA RARDON/ Alberni Valley News)
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 wildfire burns near Great Central Lake in Port Alberni. (PHOTO COURTESY BC WILDFIRE)

Wildfire burns near Great Central Lake in Port Alberni

Fire is currently 6.4 hectares in size

A wildfire burns near Great Central Lake in Port Alberni. (PHOTO COURTESY BC WILDFIRE)