Included with our June 12 print edition of the Alberni Valley News, and appearing on our website in the coming days, is our fifth annual Progress edition.
Our first one hit the streets around the same time Centennial Pier opened, when Port Alberni celebrated its centennial. At the time, we only had one Tim Hortons, although the opening of the second was just around the corner. Now we have three.
When we look back to that first edition and think about all the changes that have taken place in our community, we think about how Port Alberni people are quick to reach out and help their neighbours. Business people are lending a hand to other business people so everyone can achieve success.
Charitable organizations and the people who run them have helped Port Alberni to earn the moniker ‘community with a heart’. It is this willingness to help each other that led us to this year’s Progress edition theme: Working Together.
In the past year nearly a dozen businesses have opened and at least half a dozen more have changed ownership as people retire and new people move into the city. Both show a confidence in Port Alberni’s business potential. Both show both progress and, with the addition of some businesses and succession plans, progressiveness.
While use of the airport has been controversial, it cannot go unsaid that Coulson Aviation is operating a multi-million-dollar global business in the Alberni Valley. They are just one example of a business that has chosen to operate in Port Alberni when numerous other options exist.
Progress isn’t exclusive to business. Port Alberni is hosting three Holland America cruise ship stops this year and community members have come together to ensure there are activities for visitors to enjoy.
The Alberni Valley Museum hosted an exclusive exhibit, Echoes in the Ice: Finding Franklin’s Ship, which will only be seen in one other British Columbian city this year besides ours. Portal Players Dramatic Society is preparing to host MainStage, Theatre BC’s provincial championships for amateur theatre.
All these items show that the Alberni Valley is moving forward. One could even say we’re making progress.
— Alberni Valley News