My name is Amy, I am an administrator at Royal LePage Port Alberni. I immigrated to Vancouver from Ireland over 9 years ago and have lived all over the lower mainland; Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Maple Ridge, Vancouver etc. But no place has felt like home other than Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. From the moment I entered Cathedral Grove, which is an 800 year-old Douglas Fir ecosystem and then over the beautiful picturesque Port Alberni summit, when you think it can’t get better! Port Alberni greets you with its 360-degree mountain views of the town. I just thought I am home! As I am used to gridlock traffic jams from Vancouver, sitting in traffic jams for hours upon hours daily, stressed out. I thought to myself; why had I not moved to Port Alberni years ago. Port Alberni is in the heart of Vancouver Island and will definitely steal your heart.
It is a small town with a population of approximately 15,000. Now the people of Port Alberni are one of the reasons why I moved here. The community has a massive heart and an impressive history of volunteering. 99% of the people greet you with a friendly hello and smile. I think there is something in the water here as the people look younger than they actually are; maybe the secret is the relaxed Island life that keeps everyone looking youthful along with the clean air and purest water.
Port Alberni has the most affordable real estate on Vancouver Island. You can buy a family home with mountain or water views from $300,000, the same family home in Kits in Vancouver would cost you millions! This means that your mortgage payments are a lot lower in Port Alberni and you get more value and sq. Ft. for your money.
Port Alberni is centrally located and to the west, you will find, Tofino, Ucluelet, Pacific Rim National Reserve, Barkley Sound and Clayoquot Sound. Just 30 minutes east are Qualicum and Parksville, which are quaint ocean side communities. Victoria is a 3-hour drive south. There are so many adventures, so many road trips! Especially when you are new to Port Alberni, every day is a new adventure.
Port Alberni opened a brand-new state of the art hospital in 2001. Many people sit in the tranquil inner garden health square and take in the bright and beautiful plants under the glass skydome.
The new High School in Port Alberni, which is called ADSS opened in 2012 and cost over $58 million dollars. It is easily one of the premium High Schools on Vancouver Island, if not Canada! There are over 30 sports clubs in Port Alberni covering all types of sports and recreational activities from hockey to martial arts. Port Alberni has a wide variety of sports for everyone in their community to stay active and enjoy. Not to forget the festivals and events that are held like the Salmon Derby, Five Acre Shaker, Fall Fair, Thunder in the Valley, just to name a few. Your calendar will be full of many fun festivals and events.
Port Alberni is my favorite places to hike, there is so much natural beauty and all on my doorstep! From the mountains to the lakes. It is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever hiked and lived. The trails are all unique and have their own stories to tell. When you are out in the middle of nowhere and it's just you and the land, you can feel the energy from the 800-year-old Douglas Firs vibrate through your bones, grounding you to the land. Another thing to note in Port Alberni; the summers are hot, temperatures can reach 35 degrees and the winters are cold and wet, but I don’t mind because Arrowsmith mountain is covered in snow and I’m ready to snowboard and drink some delicious hot chocolate.
You can see why Port Alberni stole my heart, from the tranquil, peaceful stress-free drive to Port Alberni to the beautiful hiking trails. The affordable homes, if you are considering moving to Canada, BC or Vancouver Island I would recommend purchasing your home in Port Alberni, especially if you are from Europe the rate of exchange CAD$300,000 converts to EUR 192,604, you wouldn’t be able to purchase a home in Dublin, Ireland for that! If you are looking for a healthy balanced lifestyle, then Welcome to Port Alberni.