Susie Quinn

A small wildfire is burning north of Lacy Lake Road northeast of Port Alberni, between the city and Cameron Lake. (BC WILDFIRE SCREENSHOT)

Ground crews, helicopter attack wildfire northeast of Port Alberni

Fire was discovered Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 16

A small wildfire is burning north of Lacy Lake Road northeast of Port Alberni, between the city and Cameron Lake. (BC WILDFIRE SCREENSHOT)
Vladvictoria/Pixabay.com

Two sent to hospital after car, motorcycle collide near Port Alberni

Incident snarled traffic west of Port Alberni on busy Sunday evening

Vladvictoria/Pixabay.com
RCMP-GRC crest

Port Alberni RCMP shoot dog after attack

Sproat Lake campers hear commotion, gunshot

RCMP-GRC crest
RCMP-GRC crest

Port Alberni RCMP shoot dog after attack

Sproat Lake campers hear commotion, gunshot

RCMP-GRC crest
An excavator works to remove debris from the former Somass sawmill site on Port Alberni’s waterfront. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
An excavator works to remove debris from the former Somass sawmill site on Port Alberni’s waterfront. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
A land-based airtanker from Conair Aerial Firefighting drops retardant on a wildfire on Arbutus Mountain behind Shoemaker Bay, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Airtankers attack wildfire behind old log sort near Port Alberni

Fire is listed as less than one hectare; ground crew works on containment

A land-based airtanker from Conair Aerial Firefighting drops retardant on a wildfire on Arbutus Mountain behind Shoemaker Bay, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns, left, tours with the mobile methadone van in Portugal. The van is part of the mobile low threshold methadone program run by Ares do Pinhal, a non-governmental organization for social inclusion, according to Johns. (PHOTO COURTESY GORD JOHNS)

Island MP visits Portugal in search of solutions to toxic substance crisis

Gord Johns foots the bill for trip, saying he ‘can’t wait’ for gov’t intervention

Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns, left, tours with the mobile methadone van in Portugal. The van is part of the mobile low threshold methadone program run by Ares do Pinhal, a non-governmental organization for social inclusion, according to Johns. (PHOTO COURTESY GORD JOHNS)
Members of the Port Cubs are busy on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 getting the right field foul line lined up with home plate at Rec Park in preparation for a senior men’s baseball game. Baseball hasn’t been played at Rec Park since 1960. (SUSIE QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Vancouver Island steps up to the plate to host 55+ baseball nationals

Baseball returns to Port Alberni’s historic Rec Park for national championships Aug. 4–7

Members of the Port Cubs are busy on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 getting the right field foul line lined up with home plate at Rec Park in preparation for a senior men’s baseball game. Baseball hasn’t been played at Rec Park since 1960. (SUSIE QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Naomi Nicholson and her husband Ed have transformed their Chims Guest House property to offer different tourist accommodations. (HEATHER WARREN PHOTO)

Highway 4 closure costs millions in tourism, business challenges

Businesses continue to feel impact of continued closures during rock scaling work

Naomi Nicholson and her husband Ed have transformed their Chims Guest House property to offer different tourist accommodations. (HEATHER WARREN PHOTO)
Flames shoot up from a fire in the bush at the end of Cherry Creek Road beside Alberni Storage on Tuesday, July 28, 2023. (PAFD SCREENSHOT)

Port Alberni Fire Dept. knocks down two bush fires in less than an hour

First blaze ignited in trees near entrance to West Coast General Hospital

Flames shoot up from a fire in the bush at the end of Cherry Creek Road beside Alberni Storage on Tuesday, July 28, 2023. (PAFD SCREENSHOT)
Rock scaling has begun on Highway 4 at Cameron Bluffs east of Port Alberni. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will start daily closures to advance remediation work at the scene of the Cameron Bluffs wildfire on July 17k, 2023, and continue until sometime in mid-August. (MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION PHOTO)

High winds force closure of Highway 4 east of Port Alberni

Drivers are being asked to check DriveBC for updates on weather conditions

Rock scaling has begun on Highway 4 at Cameron Bluffs east of Port Alberni. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will start daily closures to advance remediation work at the scene of the Cameron Bluffs wildfire on July 17k, 2023, and continue until sometime in mid-August. (MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION PHOTO)
Paraglider Jack Pincus, centre, from the Comox Valley and rescuers Dave Potter from Totem Tree Service, right, and a member of Alberni Valley Rescue Society are flown away from Mount Irwin by Ascent Helicopters after Pincus was rescued from the top of a 35-metre Douglas fir. (PHOTO COURTESY DAVE POTTER)

Alberni Search and Rescue calls on tree climber to help stuck paraglider

Comox Valley paraglider ‘unlucky’ on long weekend launch

Paraglider Jack Pincus, centre, from the Comox Valley and rescuers Dave Potter from Totem Tree Service, right, and a member of Alberni Valley Rescue Society are flown away from Mount Irwin by Ascent Helicopters after Pincus was rescued from the top of a 35-metre Douglas fir. (PHOTO COURTESY DAVE POTTER)
Amber Manthorne’s sister Shannon, left, and friends Nicole Malcomson and Cheryl Payne prepare for a moment of silence to mark the one-year anniversary of the Port Alberni woman’s disappearance. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Friends, family hold vigil on one-year anniversary of Amber Manthorne’s disappearance

Port Alberni woman hasn’t been heard from since July 7, 2022

Amber Manthorne’s sister Shannon, left, and friends Nicole Malcomson and Cheryl Payne prepare for a moment of silence to mark the one-year anniversary of the Port Alberni woman’s disappearance. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Thick, black smoke emanates from a fire at a barge full of hog fuel at Paper Excellence’s Catalyst Paper Mill in Port Alberni on Friday, July 7, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Multiple crews fight fire in barge full of hog fuel at Paper Excellence mill

Thick, black smoke from waterfront could be seen all over Port Alberni

Thick, black smoke emanates from a fire at a barge full of hog fuel at Paper Excellence’s Catalyst Paper Mill in Port Alberni on Friday, July 7, 2023. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
Amber Manthorne of Port Alberni has been missing since July 7, 2022. (FACEBOOK PHOTO)

Friends hold candlelight vigil to mark one year after Amber Manthorne disappeared

‘Amber’s Army’ to gather Friday, July 7 at Harbour Quay Marina

Amber Manthorne of Port Alberni has been missing since July 7, 2022. (FACEBOOK PHOTO)
The first piloted convoy for commercial vehicles leaves Lake Cowichan for Port Alberni along a detour route June 11, 2023 while Highway 4 was closed due to the Cameron Bluffs wildfire. (B.C. MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION PHOTO)

Piloted convoys discontinued on Highway 4 detour route

Highway 4 along Cameron Lake still single-lane-alternating past scene of wildfire

The first piloted convoy for commercial vehicles leaves Lake Cowichan for Port Alberni along a detour route June 11, 2023 while Highway 4 was closed due to the Cameron Bluffs wildfire. (B.C. MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION PHOTO)
An Ascent Helicopters rotor aircraft lifts off on Canada Day 2023 to assist Alberni Valley Rescue Society volunteers and Totem Tree Service with rescuing a paraglider stuck in a tree. (AVRS INSTAGRAM PHOTO)

Alberni Valley Rescue Society volunteers responding to paraglider stuck in tree

New helicopter hoist team works with Ascent Helicopters, Totem Tree arborists

An Ascent Helicopters rotor aircraft lifts off on Canada Day 2023 to assist Alberni Valley Rescue Society volunteers and Totem Tree Service with rescuing a paraglider stuck in a tree. (AVRS INSTAGRAM PHOTO)
Workers put finishing touches on protective barriers along a two-kilometre stretch of Highway 4 where the Cameron Bluffs wildfire reached the highway. The Vancouver island highway has been closed since June 6, 2023. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION)

Highway 4 reopens east of Port Alberni

Drivers told to expect long lineups, single-lane traffic around 2-km construction zone

Workers put finishing touches on protective barriers along a two-kilometre stretch of Highway 4 where the Cameron Bluffs wildfire reached the highway. The Vancouver island highway has been closed since June 6, 2023. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION)
Crews install mesh barriers along Cameron Bluffs on Highway 4 to protect the road from falling debris. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)

Preparations continue for Highway 4 re-opening east of Port Alberni

Cathedral Grove, other scenic stops will remain closed until Highway 4 is fully open

Crews install mesh barriers along Cameron Bluffs on Highway 4 to protect the road from falling debris. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)
A line of cars travels along the Highway 4 detour between Port Alberni and Lake Cowichan. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)

Businesses, workers in Port Alberni adjust to Highway 4 closure

Port Alberni cut off from the east side of Vancouver Island, detour causes problems

A line of cars travels along the Highway 4 detour between Port Alberni and Lake Cowichan. (PHOTO COURTESY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)