PORT ALBERNI – Central Park Gifted To Port Alberni’s Uptown By Local Residents:
Local residents Stacey and Franco Gaiga purchased a vacant lot in Port Alberni’s ‘Uptown’ and now have several local contractors at work developing a park come public plaza on site. The park will feature trees, benches, a large central fountain, flower beds and lighting throughout. By the time the park is completed later this year it will have cost the benefactors approximately $500,000. The generous contribution is in the middle of a business district reinventing itself and will help to bolster the Uptown as a destination for visitors and residents. Dozens of local businesses and residents are supporting the project in a variety of ways. In appreciation of the gift, Port Alberni’s City Council has agreed to cover maintenance costs at the park for a five-year period and provide a Permissive Tax Exemption on the property.
● ● ●
Chinook Salmon Carvings at Harbour Quay:
An eye-catching sculpture of two large Chinook salmon (flanking a long wooden bench) by Vancouver’s Jesse Toso was installed at Harbour Quay a couple of weeks ago and has already been the focal point for hundreds of pictures taken by visitors and residents. Each fish is 14 feet tall and commands a presence overlooking the Alberni Inlet. The sculpture was initiated by Port Alberni’s Ultimate Fishing Town group and supported by West Coast Aquatic and a log donation from Western Forest Products. The sculpture has been so successful that Jesse is working with local residents Malcom Menninga and Rob Cole as well as the Tseshaht First Nation and RocStar Contracting to do a marine-life themed carving contest during Port Alberni’s 44th Salmon Festival.
● ● ●
SteamPunk Café and Coffee House Adds Artemis Books:
Kevin Wright, the owner of SteamPunk Café and Coffee House recently renovated an adjacent space and worked with a partner to open Artemis Books alongside the café. The bookstore/café combo is attracting many creative individuals and offers a place for small groups to meet. The ceiling in the bookstore is a work of art unto itself. Kevin also worked with the Uptown Merchants to introduce music throughout the area. The café celebrates the role that steam has had in Port Alberni’s economy and consistently ranks at the top of a few social media travel and review sites. The most-traveled member of the TELUS Care-a-Van team called SteamPunk “the coolest coffee shop he has ever visited”.
● ● ●
West Coast Aquatic Stewardship Centre:
West Coast Aquatic is developing a Stewardship Centre dedicated primarily to the life cycle of salmon in the City’s Marine Building at Harbour Quay. The Centre is funded in part by the Island Coastal Economic Trust. The last two months have been invested in getting a former 2,500 square foot art gallery and framing shop down to the ‘bare bones’ in preparation for the installation of hands-on tanks, touch screen monitors, microscopes and more. The Society has a list of features for which donations would be gratefully accepted. For information please contact sheena@westcoastaquatic.ca
– For information on other investments being made and upcoming events, please email, call or text Pat Deakin: patrick_deakin@portalberni.ca or 250.720.9117.
