Communities across Vancouver Island are having conversations about how to address inappropriately discarded needles. The challenge is a shared one, and the City would like to provide you with some resources to help you respond to these concerns.
Everyone who uses a needle to inject should dispose of their needles safely. However, that’s not always the case, and sometimes they are discarded in back alleys, ditches, parks, and other public spaces.
The Parks, Recreation and Heritage Department has been experiencing technical issues with their phone system. We are working to fix the problem, however this will require a temporary disconnection of the phone and computer systems on Friday, April 28, 2017 from 8:00am until 5:00pm. This means the phone and email systems at Echo Centre will not be in service and City staff at that facility will not be able to process program registrations, bookings and other specific recreation services.
With the support of Island Health, the City of Port Alberni is launching a new series of indoor fitness programs this fall to help residents stay active during the cold and wet winter months.
The City is receiving a total of $11,578 through the Community Wellness Grant Program to deliver registered and drop-in fitness programs, including a new indoor walking program, at the Alberni Valley Multiplex. The new programs will also include activities such as chair yoga, gentle cardio and aerobics, all taught by certified instructors.
The City of Port Alberni today is announcing changes to its preschool program offerings to better align these services with the City’s core recreation programs.
For over two decades, the City has been providing licensed preschool programming through Discovery Preschool at Hilton Centre. The fee-for-service program provides children, ages 3 to 5, with 2.5 hour sessions up to five days a week.
Effective June 30, 2017 the City will no longer be running Discovery Preschool, opting instead to provide regular children’s recreation programs out of the same facility.
Today, the City is announcing that Rob Gaudreault will serve as Port Alberni’s new parks operations supervisor, effective May 8, 2017.
Gaudreault has served as the building and plumbing inspector with the City for the past two years and with the Alberni-Clayoquot-Regional District for the previous five years, prior to which he was a carpenter with the City’s Parks, Recreation and Heritage Department. This varied background includes extensive project management experience involving construction and service administration.
City of Port Alberni offices will be closed on Friday, April 14, 2017 and Monday, April 17, 2017 for the Good Friday and Easter Monday holidays. The next City Council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 24, 2017 in Council Chambers at City Hall.
Garbage and Recycling Collections
The City of Port Alberni is inviting businesses and individuals to help clean up litter, both big and small, by participating in the annual Community Cleanup.
Scheduled for the week of April 30th through May 6th, the event is an opportunity for individuals, groups, associations and organizations to join forces and clean up a park, lane way or other public space in their neighbourhood.
For a second year, the City of Port Alberni and Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot (CFAC) is providing a façade improvement program to assist property and business owners with revitalizing their storefronts.
Matching grants – up to a maximum of $5,000 – are available for eligible project costs for commercial buildings across the city. Corner buildings with two street-facing facades are eligible for up to $7,500 in matching grants with an additional $1,000 for buildings located in three priority areas: upper 3rd Avenue, lower Argyle Street and lower Johnston Road.
The City of Port Alberni will be conducting work on the waterline near the intersection of Strathcona Street and McBride Street on Thursday, March 30, 2017 starting at 8:30 am.
The work is being undertaken to provide a new water connection to an adjacent development. Water supply in the area will be shut down for up to 8 hours and residents in the 5500 – 5700 block of Strathcona, 3900 block of McBride and the 3900 block of Dunsmuir will have no water until the connection is restored.
Theresa Kingston, Director of Community Services announced today that she will retire at the end of June, after 40 years of distinguished service with the City of Port Alberni.
Kingston has held various leadership positions during her tenure, serving as the head of Parks, Recreation and Heritage since 2015, following 13 years as the Manager of Human Resources and Community Development, and later as the Director of Corporate Services.
