Category Archives: history

The old reservoir

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Katherine

I decided to do a bit of research after driving by this location on Powerhouse Road and wondering if was at one time a water reservoir. It was an above ground, open reservoir that held 500,000 gallons of water. The … Continue reading →

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Browns River – fish bypass

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Katherine

I don’t normally see concrete boxes at the side of waterfalls, but that’s exactly what I saw when I visited Browns River Falls. As far as I can find out, this is part of a fish by pass that was … Continue reading →

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Browns River – confluence with the Puntledge

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Katherine

Having previously visited the north side of Browns River by hiking the BC Hydro trail from Piercy Road, I decided to head down between the Browns and the Puntledge to see the confluence of the two rivers. Not surprisingly, as … Continue reading →

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The mysterious pipeline

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Katherine

I was hiking around trying to find the trails to Browns River Falls when I came across this section of pipeline running roughly between the Browns and Puntledge Rivers.  Being an inquisitive type, I did some searching on the Internet … Continue reading →

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E&N – Port Alberni Subdvision – French Creek

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Katherine

The E&N bridge over French Creek is on the Port Alberni Subdivision, just off Highway 4A in Coombs. The 39.0 Port Alberni Subdivision is a branch line off the mainline Victoria Subdivision in Parksville. Looking downstream on French Creek The … Continue reading →

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Bridges – Coombs Highway 4A

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Katherine

I don’t think that this view of the bridge in Coombs has changed much since it was built in 1948. The railings along the pedestrian portion are probably quite new, and what used to be called the Alberni Highway is … Continue reading →

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E&N – the state of the rail

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Katherine

I’ve read the reports regarding the condition of the E&N rail line and bridges, listened to the press releases about the high likelihood that repairs to the bridges will start in the fall of 2014, and I’ve actually checked out … Continue reading →

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Island signs – Railway Street and Village Way

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Katherine

You’ll find the intersection of Railway Street and Village Way in Qualicum – running alongside the E&N line and quite near the train station.

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The J&L Drive In

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Katherine

The J&L drive in brings back great memories of car hops on roller skates, food on a tray in the window, and sitting in the back seat munching on a burger. This is a true Port Alberni treasure…

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The Beaufort Gang

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Katherine

The Beaufort Gang has terrorized and delighted passengers on the Alberni Pacific Railway since the steam train began its regular run to McLean Mill National Historic Site. I was onboard when the Alberni Valley’s meanest and orneriest pack of train-robbing,back-shooting … Continue reading →

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