We’ve heard Port Alberni is the Worst Place to Live. We’ve heard it’s the Heart of Vancouver Island. We’ve heard all the complaints about what’s wrong, and the counter arguments about what is right.
Now, the Alberni Valley Community Foundation is trying to find a way to collate all that information into one place: a Vital Signs report to take the collective pulse of the city.
The first order of business is asking members of the public to fill out a survey covering 10 areas such as housing, the gap between rich and poor, belonging and leadership, health, safety and learning.
Critics may say this is ‘just another survey, why should I fill it out’, but we disagree.
Here is a chance for us all to have a say on what we really think about the Alberni Valley; what is acceptable, what is not; what is working well and what needs work.
The result will be a compilation of data from various sources, all pulled into one location, and available for a multitude of groups to use.
Community foundations typically use the results to help them gauge where best to focus their charitable giving. In the AVCF’s case, they also wanted a community-based project to honour their 20th anniversary.
The report will be released in October. It is hoped the report will be a good discussion piece on what our city really looks like.
Take the survey throughout the month of May at www.albernifoundation.ca (click on the Vital Signs link) or pick up a hard copy at the library at Echo Centre, 4255 Wallace St.
— Alberni Valley News