Port Alberni’s first clock tower was at the Dominion Government Building (post office) on Third Avenue at Angus Street. Built in 1914, the clock tower was visible to anyone in the commercial area, and people used it as their timepiece in place of a watch.
(The building and clock tower were featured in the Sept. 16, 2020 Look Back column in the Alberni Valley News.)
Inside the post office was another unique clockpiece, albeit much smaller than the tower and made by the Pequegnat Clock Company after 1916.
The Canadian Time Wall Clock was advertised as having an eight-day time movement and finished in golden or weathered oak. The price tag was $8.00.
When the government building was demolished in 1963, the Canadian Time Wall Clock was preserved and is on display in the Household section of the Alberni Valley Museum. Its identifying number is COLLECTION 1966.19.1.
While the Alberni Valley Museum is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, there are 24,000 photographs available to view as part of their digital archives. These photos can be found at https://portalberni.pastperfectonline.com/ and are searchable by topic, keyword and photo number.