Author Archives: David Wiwchar

While most provincial parks have been opened, Cathedral Grove remains closed. 8-foot high fencing blocks the parking lots on both sides of Highway 4, prohibiting any access to the popular park. Accord...

It's a good news / bad news salmon forecast this year. The Somass River sockeye run remains closed with only 169,000, down from a high of 2 million fish just 5 years ago. Local DFO fisheries manager M...

City Council has reduced restrictions on cannabis production facilities, eliminating the 300 metre buffer between growers. While cultivation can only happen on industrial and commercial lands, because...

A new funding opportunity from the provincial government has the city and the local arts council excited. With 100% funding up to $4 million from the BC Government, the Alberni Arts Council is plannin...

More bad news for the Alberni Valley economy with the cancellation of this year's sockeye salmon fishery. According to the West Coast Vancouver Island Salmon Bulletin, fewer than 200,000 sockeye are e...

Sproat Lake residents are protesting a proposed bus service from the city, saying it would only be used by criminals and homeless people to expand their reach out to the rural area. More than 250 peop...

The City of Port Alberni's economic development department is moving money around to support small businesses as the economy begins to emerge from the pandemic. Economic Development Manager Pat Deakin...

One of Port Alberni's most violent offenders - David Daniel Bird - was sentenced to 4-years jail on Friday. The 40-year old pled guilty to kidnapping David Williams in December 2018, tying him up and ...

Local politicians have directed regional district staff to start work on expanding bus service to Sproat Lake. Members of the Alberni Valley and Bamfield Services Committee met yesterday to hear the m...

Port Alberni is now home to another large fish processing ship. Independant Seafoods Canada who owns the Raw Spirit bought an even larger ship in Denmark, and unveiled it yesterday. The 185-foot Sunde...