Susie Quinn

Reverend Brenda Nestegaard Paul prepares to record a worship session at Trinity Anglican/ Lutheran Church in Port Alberni. Nestegaard Paul has been creative in keeping her congregation connected through COVID-19. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Island faith leaders voice opposition to churches defying COVID-19 restrictions

‘The church is not just a building,’ says Vancouver Island pastor

Reverend Brenda Nestegaard Paul prepares to record a worship session at Trinity Anglican/ Lutheran Church in Port Alberni. Nestegaard Paul has been creative in keeping her congregation connected through COVID-19. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Firefighters respond to a fire at the Paper Excellence mill on Stamp Avenue on Jan. 4. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Paper machine catches fire at Vancouver Island mill

No one was hurt in fire, says company’s general manager

Firefighters respond to a fire at the Paper Excellence mill on Stamp Avenue on Jan. 4. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Riley and Samuel, Jennifer Carroll’s sons, help deliver popcorn to a medical department that was involved in a transplant in a previous year. Operation Popcorn is BC Transplant’s way of saying thank you to medical staff for their role in ilfesaving transplants. (FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER CARROLL)

One family’s decision gives three people the ultimate gift on Christmas Day

Jennifer Carroll of Port Alberni has a special reason to reflect on the spirit of giving

Riley and Samuel, Jennifer Carroll’s sons, help deliver popcorn to a medical department that was involved in a transplant in a previous year. Operation Popcorn is BC Transplant’s way of saying thank you to medical staff for their role in ilfesaving transplants. (FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER CARROLL)
Alberni District Secondary School is located on Roger Street in Port Alberni. (GOOGLE)

Person from Alberni high school tests positive for COVID-19

No information released on whether person is student or teacher

Alberni District Secondary School is located on Roger Street in Port Alberni. (GOOGLE)
Our Home on 8th, the Port Alberni Shelter that opened in March 2019, has 27 extra ‘extreme weather’ spaces for people who need a place to get out of the cold. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

BC VOTES 2020: Mid-Island candidate plans occupation of shelter to protest homelessness

Graham Hughes says homeless situation a ‘crisis’ in Port Alberni

Our Home on 8th, the Port Alberni Shelter that opened in March 2019, has 27 extra ‘extreme weather’ spaces for people who need a place to get out of the cold. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
The bus involved in a crash on Bamfield Road on Friday, Sept. 13 is towed away from the scene. PHOTO COURTESY CTV NEWS VANCOUVER ISLAND

Province announces $30M plan for deadly Vancouver Island logging road

Gov’t announcement comes as first anniversary of UVic student deaths approaches

The bus involved in a crash on Bamfield Road on Friday, Sept. 13 is towed away from the scene. PHOTO COURTESY CTV NEWS VANCOUVER ISLAND
Rob Shick of Port Alberni, the National Hockey League’s senior officiating manager, takes a photo just before entering the NHL ‘bubble’, where practices and games will be held under special COVID-19 rules for a shortened 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (PHOTO COURTESY ROB SHICK)

NHL’s Rob Shick goes ‘inside the bubble’ for pro hockey’s restart

B.C.-born senior officiating manager heads to camp in Toronto, missing his B.C. golf classic

Rob Shick of Port Alberni, the National Hockey League’s senior officiating manager, takes a photo just before entering the NHL ‘bubble’, where practices and games will be held under special COVID-19 rules for a shortened 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (PHOTO COURTESY ROB SHICK)
A screen shot of the tsunami.gov website shows the areas of coastal Alaska under tsunami advisories or warnings following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake late July 21, 2020. Coastal British Columbia is not under threat of tsunami. (SCREENSHOT)

UPDATE: No tsunami threat to coastal B.C. after earthquakes near Vancouver Island, Alaska

Earthquake occurred 75 miles south of Chignik, Alaska

A screen shot of the tsunami.gov website shows the areas of coastal Alaska under tsunami advisories or warnings following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake late July 21, 2020. Coastal British Columbia is not under threat of tsunami. (SCREENSHOT)
Lieutenant Ron Suits was a firefighter with Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department for four and a half years until he died while working a fire on July 16, 2020. (PHOTO COURTESY SPROAT LAKE VFD)

Vancouver Island firefighters mourn one of their own

Volunteer firefighter Lt. Ron Suits remembered as one who loved to help others

Lieutenant Ron Suits was a firefighter with Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department for four and a half years until he died while working a fire on July 16, 2020. (PHOTO COURTESY SPROAT LAKE VFD)
Sarah Foord, 38, formerly of Port Alberni, B.C., was reported missing on July 10, 2020 to Fort St John RCMP. Her disappearance is regarded as suspicious and the RCMP’s North District Major Crime Unit has taken over the case. (BC RCMP PHOTO)

RCMP continue search for woman with Vancouver Island ties

Major Crimes Unit takes over case of woman missing from Fort St John

Sarah Foord, 38, formerly of Port Alberni, B.C., was reported missing on July 10, 2020 to Fort St John RCMP. Her disappearance is regarded as suspicious and the RCMP’s North District Major Crime Unit has taken over the case. (BC RCMP PHOTO)
Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lucas Banton pours water on a barn fire on McCoy Lake Road on July 16, 2020. Crews from four fire departments in the Alberni Valley worked through the night to extinguish the fire, which caught in a hay barn at Tooth Acres, owned by retired dentist Dr. Fritz Zens. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Vancouver Island firefighter dies at scene of barn blaze

The volunteer firefighter suffered a medical emergency after arriving to assist

Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lucas Banton pours water on a barn fire on McCoy Lake Road on July 16, 2020. Crews from four fire departments in the Alberni Valley worked through the night to extinguish the fire, which caught in a hay barn at Tooth Acres, owned by retired dentist Dr. Fritz Zens. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
All four Alberni Valley fire departments responded to a barn fire on McCoy Lake Road on Thursday, July 16. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Fire destroys barn at Vancouver Island hobby farm

Fire started while farmers at the farm west of Port Alberni were cutting hay

All four Alberni Valley fire departments responded to a barn fire on McCoy Lake Road on Thursday, July 16. (SUSAN QUINN / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Jim Boorman of Qualicum Beach, left, caught the $15,000 winning fish at Salmon Festival with friends Trent and Harlen Morse. ELENA RARDON PHOTO

Port Alberni will have a salmon derby on Labour Day after all

Alberni Valley Tyee Club reveals ‘socially distanced’ derby only for Labour Day 2020

Jim Boorman of Qualicum Beach, left, caught the $15,000 winning fish at Salmon Festival with friends Trent and Harlen Morse. ELENA RARDON PHOTO
Cattle graze in a field at Arrowvale Farm and Campground on Hector Road near Port Alberni, B.C. (MIKE YOUDS/ Special to the News)

Island region one of three granted small-scale slaughter licensing status

Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District farmers can now apply for abattoir licence

Cattle graze in a field at Arrowvale Farm and Campground on Hector Road near Port Alberni, B.C. (MIKE YOUDS/ Special to the News)
Coulson Aviation rolls out the Coulson-Unical CU-47, an aerial firefighting conversion similar to Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook, in early March at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport. (PHOTO COURTESY COULSON AVIATION)

PROGRESS 2020: Coulson Aviation keeps growing

Port Alberni is the hub of administration for the global aviation company

Coulson Aviation rolls out the Coulson-Unical CU-47, an aerial firefighting conversion similar to Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook, in early March at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport. (PHOTO COURTESY COULSON AVIATION)
Former Conservation officer Bryce Casavant takes a cub to a rehabilitation organization on Vancouver Island. (Youtube screenshot)

Former BC conservation officer feels vindicated after appeals court nullifies dismissal

Bryce Casavant was fired after refusing orders to euthanize two bear cubs in 2015.

Former Conservation officer Bryce Casavant takes a cub to a rehabilitation organization on Vancouver Island. (Youtube screenshot)
Raw logs are loaded onto a logging ship from a log sort down the Alberni Inlet in March 2019. SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News

Steelworkers, Mosaic strike deal they hope can kickstart idled Vancouver Island logging operations

Union, forest firm reach tentative deal to unionize shipping facilities, add regional flexibility

Raw logs are loaded onto a logging ship from a log sort down the Alberni Inlet in March 2019. SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News
The charred remnants of the San Group building on Nuupts’ ikapis Way. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Fire crews battle industrial fire at San Group construction site in Port Alberni

Four fire depts. called out to help extinguish blaze at remanufacturing plant

The charred remnants of the San Group building on Nuupts’ ikapis Way. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Some youth are choosing to draw their thoughts on their pandemic postcards. People who don’t want to download a postcard can also e-mail their thoughts to Literacy Alberni and they will be printed on a card for the project. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Vancouver Island pandemic postcard project asks people to share COVID-19 experiences

Postcards will be donated to museum for posterity

Some youth are choosing to draw their thoughts on their pandemic postcards. People who don’t want to download a postcard can also e-mail their thoughts to Literacy Alberni and they will be printed on a card for the project. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
The flagship Qualicum Foods store in Qualicum Beach is now one of 13 in the Quality Foods grocery store chain. (PHOTO COURTESY QUALITY FOODS)

Quality Foods closes for Easter to thank grocery workers

Delivery orders nearly break online system for Island grocery store

The flagship Qualicum Foods store in Qualicum Beach is now one of 13 in the Quality Foods grocery store chain. (PHOTO COURTESY QUALITY FOODS)