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100 YEARS: Rail service to Port Alberni kickstarted an eventful era

When the E&N Railway decided to bring rail service to the Alberni Valley in 1911, it prompted the region's economic growth.
Susan Quinn
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Members of the Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society and volunteers with the Alberni Pacific Railway re-enact a historical photo from the centennial of the first passenger train to arrive in Port Alberni. A special commemorative event was held Dec. 4

When the E&N Railway decided to bring rail service to the Alberni Valley in 1911, it prompted the region's economic growth. The event just missed the centenary of the incorporation of Port Alberni, which occurred  March 12, 1912.

In December 2011 the Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society re-enacted the first passenger train to come into Port Alberni's train station with a commemorative event. Members of the public dressed in period costume for the event, and several IHS members re-created an historical photo of some of the crew that served on the 1911 train.