Elena Rardon

A passenger took this photo of the Cameron Bluffs fire on Tuesday (June 6) morning. (PHOTO COURTESY TONY SHUMUK)

Highway 4 closes again east of Port Alberni as wildfire grows to 109 hectares

Cameron Bluffs fire east of Port Alberni has been burning since June 3

A passenger took this photo of the Cameron Bluffs fire on Tuesday (June 6) morning. (PHOTO COURTESY TONY SHUMUK)
Penticton Vees captain Frank Djurasevic lifts the Fred Page Cup at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on May 17, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

BCHL: Penticton Vees are back-to-back Fred Page Cup champions

Vees completed a four-game sweep of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs

Penticton Vees captain Frank Djurasevic lifts the Fred Page Cup at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on May 17, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Ethan Bono battles with Penticton’s Thomas Pichette during Game 3 of the Fred Page Cup final on Tuesday, May 16. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

BCHL: Alberni Valley on brink of elimination after Game 3 loss against Penticton

Bulldogs will look to avoid elimination at home during Game 4

Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Ethan Bono battles with Penticton’s Thomas Pichette during Game 3 of the Fred Page Cup final on Tuesday, May 16. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Port Alberni Black Sheep team captain Ty Shannon accepts a finalist plaque at the BC Rugby Men’s Premier Reserve/Division 1 finals on Saturday, April 29. (PHOTO COURTESY SHELLY FEY)

Black Sheep rugby season ends with championship loss

Port Alberni Black Sheep fall to the UBC Old Boys Ravens

Port Alberni Black Sheep team captain Ty Shannon accepts a finalist plaque at the BC Rugby Men’s Premier Reserve/Division 1 finals on Saturday, April 29. (PHOTO COURTESY SHELLY FEY)
Alberni Valley Bulldogs defenceman Emanuelson Charbonneau fires a shot fast two Chilliwack players during Game 2 of the BCHL’s Coastal Conference finals on Saturday, April 29. Charbonneau had the game-winning goal on Saturday night. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

BCHL: Alberni Valley Bulldogs take 2-0 series lead against Chilliwack Chiefs

Playoffs now headed to Chilliwack for Games 3 and 4

Alberni Valley Bulldogs defenceman Emanuelson Charbonneau fires a shot fast two Chilliwack players during Game 2 of the BCHL’s Coastal Conference finals on Saturday, April 29. Charbonneau had the game-winning goal on Saturday night. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
The Port Alberni Black Sheep and Nanaimo Hornets battle it out in the BC Rugby semi-finals on April 22, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

Port Alberni Black Sheep headed to provincial rugby championship with win against Nanaimo

Black Sheep will be facing the UBC Old Boys Ravens in provincial final

The Port Alberni Black Sheep and Nanaimo Hornets battle it out in the BC Rugby semi-finals on April 22, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
Cody McClary of the Port Alberni Black Sheep tries to break through a wall of Meraloma players during a BC Rugby quarterfinal game on Saturday, April 15. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

Port Alberni Black Sheep headed to BC Rugby semifinals after win against Meraloma

The Black Sheep will face the Nanaimo Hornets in the next round

Cody McClary of the Port Alberni Black Sheep tries to break through a wall of Meraloma players during a BC Rugby quarterfinal game on Saturday, April 15. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
The Port Alberni Fire Department and RCMP respond to a fire at the former Somass sawmill site on Thursday, April 13, 2023. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Suspicious fire started on former Somass sawmill site

Port Alberni Fire Department extinguishes fire started on rubbish pile

The Port Alberni Fire Department and RCMP respond to a fire at the former Somass sawmill site on Thursday, April 13, 2023. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Victoria Grizzlies goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton makes a save on Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Dakota MacIntosh during Game 2 of the BCHL playoffs on April 1, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
Victoria Grizzlies goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton makes a save on Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Dakota MacIntosh during Game 2 of the BCHL playoffs on April 1, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
The Port Alberni Black Sheep are the 2023 Times Colonist Cup champions. (PHOTO COURTESY TANYA SHANNON)

Port Alberni Black Sheep claim TC Cup as Vancouver Island rugby champions

Rugby team headed into the playoffs second in the province after edging Nanaimo in cup nailbiter

The Port Alberni Black Sheep are the 2023 Times Colonist Cup champions. (PHOTO COURTESY TANYA SHANNON)
AV NEWS FILE PHOTO

Echo Pool in Port Alberni faces closures due to lack of lifeguards

Sunday closures expected to continue throughout the duration of the year

AV NEWS FILE PHOTO
Port Alberni city hall. (NEWS FILE PHOTO)

City of Port Alberni shaves proposed 2023 tax increase down to 7 percent

City will be funding a pair of projects under province’s Growing Communities Fund

Port Alberni city hall. (NEWS FILE PHOTO)
Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre introduces himself to Suki Sanghera, co-owner of the San Group. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

Pierre Poilievre pitches value-added forestry practices during San Group Alberni tour

Conservative leader criticizes Liberal gov’t for not cancelling U.S. softwood lumber tariffs

Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre introduces himself to Suki Sanghera, co-owner of the San Group. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
Crew members aboard the HMCS Ottawa frigate ready the Canadian Naval ship as it departs Port Alberni down the Alberni Inlet on March 9, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Navy ships visit Port Alberni waterfront

HMCS Ottawa and HMCS Winnipeg make a ‘maintenance’ stop in Port Alberni

Crew members aboard the HMCS Ottawa frigate ready the Canadian Naval ship as it departs Port Alberni down the Alberni Inlet on March 9, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
A logging truck crash on Franklin River Road on the outskirts of Port Alberni has damaged the city’s main water line. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Port Alberni under emergency water restrictions after logging truck crash

Incident severed city’s main water supply line; restrictions in place ‘until further notice’

A logging truck crash on Franklin River Road on the outskirts of Port Alberni has damaged the city’s main water line. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Emergency crews respond to a logging truck crash on Franklin River Road on March 9, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Port Alberni under water restrictions after logging truck crash

City under Stage 3 water restrictions ‘until further notice’

Emergency crews respond to a logging truck crash on Franklin River Road on March 9, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
The Bulldogs celebrate Nicholas Beneteau’s first period goal on Sunday, March 5 against the Cowichan Valley Capitals. With the goal, Beneteau claimed the the longest point streak in the BCHL this season at 18 games. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

BCHL: Alberni Valley Bulldogs sweep Caps in weekend series

Bulldogs forward David Sacco earns first BCHL hat trick

The Bulldogs celebrate Nicholas Beneteau’s first period goal on Sunday, March 5 against the Cowichan Valley Capitals. With the goal, Beneteau claimed the the longest point streak in the BCHL this season at 18 games. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
The Lavallee family: Shilo, Kristie and their daughters Desiree and Kailee. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Life-changing medical diagnosis hits Port Alberni family hard

Parents forced to change jobs to stay closer to home for five-year-old daughter

The Lavallee family: Shilo, Kristie and their daughters Desiree and Kailee. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
A young parade goer waves a Canadian flag at the floats passing by on Third Avenue in Port Alberni on July 1, 2022. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Port Alberni in danger of losing its Canada Day parade

No volunteers have stepped forward so Folkfest Society will dissolve

A young parade goer waves a Canadian flag at the floats passing by on Third Avenue in Port Alberni on July 1, 2022. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Tseshaht First Nation dancers perform during the Doing it for our Ancestors announcement on Feb. 21, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

Probe into former Alberni residential school resets the death toll at 67

Roughly 10 percent of the 100 hectares of Tseshaht territory to be surveyed has been scanned

Tseshaht First Nation dancers perform during the Doing it for our Ancestors announcement on Feb. 21, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)