For Jessica McGregor, it didn't take long to find a home in the community of Port Alberni.
McGregor, her husband Michael and their two daughters moved to Port Alberni in 2020, after Michael was hired to work for the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. Previously, the family had been living in the Campbell River and Comox Valley areas. It was partially real estate that drew the McGregors to the Alberni Valley, where they purchased an acreage in the Beaver Creek area.
"We were looking for an acreage, and there are not a lot of places to find acreage on the Island," explained Jessica McGregor. "Or at least not affordable. We also liked Port Alberni because of the location — we know people all over the Island, and it's so central."
McGregor gained a job working as an account executive at the local radio station 93.3 The Peak. It was through this job that she started getting more involved with the community of Port Alberni and its various community events.
"It's a social job," McGregor explained. "My job is to meet people, and I found Port Alberni to be a very warm and welcoming community."
But in 2023, McGregor had a health scare when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. After a year of treatment, she was able to return to work "with a very different outlook on life," she said.
"It made me realize that we never know how long we're here," she said. "I wanted to be the best person I could be, for my family and my community. I was ready to take on the world."
McGregor's first priority after her return was the Port Alberni Salmon Festival. The long-running festival had been cancelled in 2020 after the declaration of COVID-19, and was never quite able to return to full force thanks to a dwindling lack of volunteers. Although the Alberni Valley Tyee Club was able to organize a Labour Day Salmon Derby, many community members missed the full festival experience.
The McGregors had never attended the Salmon Festival themselves, but the event's reputation is well-known around Vancouver Island.
"We'd heard about it from so many people," explained McGregor.
With the help of some former committee members, McGregor reactivated the Salmon Festival Committee and partnered with some other local groups and businesses to put on the festival in 2024.
"It was a lot," McGregor recalled with a laugh. "More than I ever anticipated. But I had an amazing team working with me."
McGregor says a lot of her vision for the event came from the B.C. Seafood Festival, which takes place in the Comox Valley each year. She hinted that the 2025 Salmon Festival will have more of an emphasis on food, which will be welcome news for the people who missed the festival's annual salmon dinner.
"Last year, we kind of threw everything together last minute," McGregor admitted. "We were learning everything as we went along. This year, it's already going a lot smoother because we have more time, people and resources. It's only going to get better and better."
For her efforts in bringing back the Salmon Festival, McGregor received the "Community Builder" award at the 2024 Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. It was a total surprise for McGregor.
"I was up against some tough competition," she said. "But it meant a lot. [Salmon Festival] was a lot of work and stress, but it was very rewarding. It turned out to be a successful event."
The year of 2024 was a busy one for McGregor, as she also opened her store Western Coast Clothing. McGregor used her marketing background and social media know-how to build a brand, and the store came to life through a partnership with her friend Ashley Smith, of Duncan.
"I've always had a love for fashion, and especially the western clothing industry," McGregor explained. "But I found a lack of shops in that department on Vancouver Island. Western Coast Clothing is a modern western boutique for women. Really, we sell anything that would look good with a pair of cowboy boots."
McGregor and Smith started out selling their wares at various craft fairs and markets around Vancouver Island, but McGregor found an opportunity to open a storefront in Port Alberni with The Cove Beauty Collective. Located at 4439 Margaret St., The Cove is a collection of independent businesses operating under one roof.
"It's a wonderful group of ladies working there," McGregor said. "It's a group of small businesses that are all about looking good and feeling good."
In The Cove, someone else can run the checkout — so McGregor is able to sell her products while also keeping her job at The Peak.
When she's not working, McGregor is spending time with her family and her farm. McGregor's hobby farm out in Beaver Creek is currently made up of two horses and a miniature horse, as well as chickens, ducks and goats.
With so much going on in her life, McGregor jokes she's still working to figure out time management.
"Luckily, my business model at Western Coast Clothing is built so that I can do it in between all my other work," she laughed. "I've always had some kind of side business going on. It's been a challenge of figuring that schedule out."
McGregor says she gets a lot of help — from her family, from her co-workers and from the community of Port Alberni.
"I have a whole team around me," she said. "I love Port Alberni, and I feel very lucky and grateful that life landed us here. I love the views and the adventures. This is our home."
