Wawmeesh G. Hamilton

Haahuupayak Elementary School board president Martin Watts, left, and school principal Gio Mussato anticipate changes in the wind for their independent school as the public SD70 faces school closures, reconfiguration.

Independent schools brace for change

Alberni independent schools are waiting for the fallout from School District 70’s Grade reconfiguration and school closure talks

Haahuupayak Elementary School board president Martin Watts, left, and school principal Gio Mussato anticipate changes in the wind for their independent school as the public SD70 faces school closures, reconfiguration.
Alberni District Secondary agriculture student Makenna Cyr, centre, and her classmates are eager to start digging a garden plot at the school in their new Sustainable Resources 12 class, but they are looking for donations of tools and materials to carry on.

Students dig agriculture in new high school class

Alberni District Secondary School students in Port Alberni are learning the A-B-Cs of agriculture in a new Grade 12 course.

Alberni District Secondary agriculture student Makenna Cyr, centre, and her classmates are eager to start digging a garden plot at the school in their new Sustainable Resources 12 class, but they are looking for donations of tools and materials to carry on.
ADSS Grade 11 leadership student Mackenzie Wutke leads AW Neill Grade 7 students through an exercise as part of an anti-bullying workshop.

Alberni students lead fight against bullying

A special Red Cross program is allowing Alberni high school students to teach younger students what bullying is and how it impacts others.

ADSS Grade 11 leadership student Mackenzie Wutke leads AW Neill Grade 7 students through an exercise as part of an anti-bullying workshop.

Offsite digital backup saves firm’s files from fire

A unique offsite service that regularly backs up files on an engineering firm’s server preserved all data up to the night of the fire.

Councillors give nod to Roger Creek crossing referendum

Port Alberni residents are going to get to vote on a non-binding referendum about a Roger Creek crossing in this year’s election.

Jericho Road Church youth pastor Harold Lefty Williams, left, presents  Melody Burton with a $550 cheque for the ADSS Breakfast Club. The church handed out $13,000 in various denominations to various Valley community groups. The money was raised at the Unity Celebrity Basketball Game.

Hoops help KidsSport, others in Alberni

The numbers have been crunched and the Celebrity Hoops Basketball Game has doled out more than $13,000 to Valley community groups

Jericho Road Church youth pastor Harold Lefty Williams, left, presents  Melody Burton with a $550 cheque for the ADSS Breakfast Club. The church handed out $13,000 in various denominations to various Valley community groups. The money was raised at the Unity Celebrity Basketball Game.
Parents and students examine school closure and reconfiguration options at a public forum on Feb. 4. The most popular option involves closing three schools all at once.

‘Get it over with’, public tells SD70 officials over school closures

Close schools early and get it over with. That’s the common theme heard at the school closure re-configuration meetings hosted by SD70

Parents and students examine school closure and reconfiguration options at a public forum on Feb. 4. The most popular option involves closing three schools all at once.

Alberni city council approves own pay hike

Port Alberni city council has voted 5-2 in favour of increasing their stipends. The mayor will now make $38,450; councillors: $17,041.

Port Alberni's Safeway is one of 15 in B.C. and Alberta that have been sold to The Overwaitea Foods Group.

Alberni Safeway bought by Overwaitea Food Group

The Overwaitea Food Group has purchased 15 stores in B.C. and Alberta and the deal includes the Safeway store in Port Alberni.

Port Alberni's Safeway is one of 15 in B.C. and Alberta that have been sold to The Overwaitea Foods Group.

Sjoholm, Bread of Life part ways

Cindy Sjoholm has been removed as executive director of the Bread of Life. BOL board of directors are mum about why.

Allison McBride is a fourth-year criminology students at Vancouver Island University who is working on a four-month internship at the Port Alberni RCMP station. Fellow fourth-year student Taylor Galeazzi is joining her.

Partners in crimefighting: interns develop skills with Alberni RCMP

Police internships beneficial to RCMP for recruitment, VIU students for career choice

Allison McBride is a fourth-year criminology students at Vancouver Island University who is working on a four-month internship at the Port Alberni RCMP station. Fellow fourth-year student Taylor Galeazzi is joining her.
Port Alberni RCMP are looking for a male suspect who robbed the Johnston Road Chevron Town Pantry with a machete on the evening of Feb. 5.

Suspect sought in Alberni gas station robbery

Port Alberni RCMP are hunting for a man who robbed the Johnston Road Chevron Station with a machete on Feb. 5.

Port Alberni RCMP are looking for a male suspect who robbed the Johnston Road Chevron Town Pantry with a machete on the evening of Feb. 5.
A municipal referendum proposal is being advanced that asks residents if they support a new crossing over Roger Creek at 10th Avenue, and if so are they willing to pay for it.

Referendum would decide Roger Creek crossing: Chopra

A referendum on whether or not Alberni Valley residents would pay for a new Roger Creek crossing would settle the matter once and for all.

A municipal referendum proposal is being advanced that asks residents if they support a new crossing over Roger Creek at 10th Avenue, and if so are they willing to pay for it.
EJ Dunn’s Isaac McDonald, wearing red, and AW Neill’s Owen Spencer duel at a recent middle school tournament. The two are competing in this weekend’s Alberni Invitational at the AV Multiplex.

Wrestlers descend into Alberni for invitational

The 35th Annual Alberni Invitational Wrestling Tournament kicks off this weekend at the AV Multiplex.

EJ Dunn’s Isaac McDonald, wearing red, and AW Neill’s Owen Spencer duel at a recent middle school tournament. The two are competing in this weekend’s Alberni Invitational at the AV Multiplex.
School District 70 director of instruction Jack Hitchings, left, answers questions about school closure and grade reconfiguration scenarios at a public meeting on Tuesday night. There is no status quo scenario; some combination of schools have to close, officials said.

‘Do nothing’ not an option: SD70’s Pinkerton

Options for closing and reconfiguring Alberni schools include closing three elementary schools. Eighth Ave slated for district office/VAST

School District 70 director of instruction Jack Hitchings, left, answers questions about school closure and grade reconfiguration scenarios at a public meeting on Tuesday night. There is no status quo scenario; some combination of schools have to close, officials said.

IHN virus outbreak forces fish kill at Robertson Creek Hatchery

A virus outbreak has killed 60,000 steelhead at Robertson Creek Hatchery and prompted the involvement of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Photographer Laurence Subra-Bieusseas was born in France, immigrated to Canada via Calgary, and says Port Alberni is home.

Coffee with…Alberni becomes home for French photographer

How does a photographer from France end up in Port Alberni by way of Calgary?

Photographer Laurence Subra-Bieusseas was born in France, immigrated to Canada via Calgary, and says Port Alberni is home.
EJ Dunn wrestler Aron Badovinac, top, squares off against Daniel Spencer from AW Neill. The pair were competing in EJ Dunn versus AE Neill Dual Meet.   EJ Dunn won by a score of 70 – 62 points and claimed the Alberni Valley Dual Meet Championship.

Dunn wins middle school wrestling meet

EJ Dunn won the middle school dual meet with AW Neill in Port Alberni on Jan 22.

EJ Dunn wrestler Aron Badovinac, top, squares off against Daniel Spencer from AW Neill. The pair were competing in EJ Dunn versus AE Neill Dual Meet.   EJ Dunn won by a score of 70 – 62 points and claimed the Alberni Valley Dual Meet Championship.
Seva Dhaliwal, Maddison Nicholson and Elia Nicholson-Nave with Kuu-us van. Kuu-us will be delivering its outreach program indoors starting Feb. 1.

Kuu-us outreach program moves indoors

A special program that helps the Alberni Valley’s less fortunate on weekends is heading indoors until spring.

Seva Dhaliwal, Maddison Nicholson and Elia Nicholson-Nave with Kuu-us van. Kuu-us will be delivering its outreach program indoors starting Feb. 1.

Alberni council pay raise ‘a money grab’ : Taxpayers’ Federation

Alberni city council's attempt at a pay raise is a money grab and councillors can run for office in a larger city if they want more money