Elena Rardon

Daniel DelBianco gives a thumbs up from his hospital bed after a round of surgery. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

B.C. man advocates for epileptic seizure treatment not available in Canada

Daniel DelBianco diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy

Daniel DelBianco gives a thumbs up from his hospital bed after a round of surgery. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Sam Gentleman kiteboards at China Creek Marina just outside of Port Alberni. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

B.C. teen kiteboarder chasing the wind around the world

Exclusive scholarship puts Sam Gentleman in World Class Kiteboard Academy for Grade 12 year

Sam Gentleman kiteboards at China Creek Marina just outside of Port Alberni. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Linden Zoet, 7, and Dallas Fraser, 9, have fun at the Sproat Lake Water Sports Association on July 19, 2023. Sproat Lake has been named B.C.’s best lake in a CBC competition. (SONJA DRINKWATER / Special to the AV News)

‘Vote Sproat!’: Vancouver Island lake basking in vote declaring it best in B.C.

Sproat Lake, west of Port Alberni, edges Shuswap Lake in CBC competition

Linden Zoet, 7, and Dallas Fraser, 9, have fun at the Sproat Lake Water Sports Association on July 19, 2023. Sproat Lake has been named B.C.’s best lake in a CBC competition. (SONJA DRINKWATER / Special to the AV News)
The Cameron Bluffs wildfire along Highway 4 is currently “being held.” (PHOTO COURTESY BC MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)

Wildfire held, but Port Alberni highway connection to stay closed at least a week

Cameron Bluffs wildfire ‘being held’ at 254 hectares but traffic won’t return until safety assured

The Cameron Bluffs wildfire along Highway 4 is currently “being held.” (PHOTO COURTESY BC MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE)
Penticton Vees captain Frank Djurasevic lifts the Fred Page Cup at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on May 17, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

BCHL: Penticton Vees are back-to-back Fred Page Cup champions

Vees completed a four-game sweep of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs

Penticton Vees captain Frank Djurasevic lifts the Fred Page Cup at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on May 17, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Tseshaht First Nation dancers perform during the Doing it for our Ancestors announcement on Feb. 21, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)

Probe into former Alberni residential school resets the death toll at 67

Roughly 10 percent of the 100 hectares of Tseshaht territory to be surveyed has been scanned

Tseshaht First Nation dancers perform during the Doing it for our Ancestors announcement on Feb. 21, 2023. (ELENA RARDON / Alberni Valley News)
A photo of Coulson Aviation’s Boeing 737 Tanker 139, now named “Phoenix.” (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Pilots walk way after B.C. plane goes down while fighting Australian wildfires

Coulson Aviation 737 FireLiner involved in accident while responding to a fire

A photo of Coulson Aviation’s Boeing 737 Tanker 139, now named “Phoenix.” (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Courthouse in Nanaimo. (News Bulletin file)

B.C. judge says $80,000 toward home purchase was no gift of love

Port Alberni woman ordered to pay ex-boyfriend his share of house purchase

Courthouse in Nanaimo. (News Bulletin file)
School District 70-Pacific Rim’s head office is located in Port Alberni, B.C. (AV NEWS FILE PHOTO)

B.C. mother loses appeal over Indigenous smudging in school

Court rules events did not breach freedom of religion or ‘duty of state neutrality’

School District 70-Pacific Rim’s head office is located in Port Alberni, B.C. (AV NEWS FILE PHOTO)
Larry Spencer, right, has been involved in the logging industry for 45 years. He attended a rally Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021 in Port Alberni backing loggers and their stance against the B.C. government’s recent two-year deferral of old-growth logging. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

New B.C. council aims to build resiliency in forestry communities

Council will include voices of forestry workers

Larry Spencer, right, has been involved in the logging industry for 45 years. He attended a rally Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021 in Port Alberni backing loggers and their stance against the B.C. government’s recent two-year deferral of old-growth logging. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
The artwork on the Wolf Tower was designed by Tseshaht artist Willard Gallic Jr. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

100 years later, First Nations wolf ritual shakes off its chains on B.C. waterfront

Dawn to dusk Tseshaht celebration took place in Port Alberni to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day

The artwork on the Wolf Tower was designed by Tseshaht artist Willard Gallic Jr. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Dontay’s father, Patrick Lucas, speaks with the media outside of the Port Alberni RCMP detachment on Monday, May 9. Lucas was accompanied by his sister and mother. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Mother, stepfather charged in death of 6-year-old Port Alberni boy

Rykel Frank and Mitchell Frank face 1st-degree murder charges in 2018 death of Dontay-Patrick Lucas

Dontay’s father, Patrick Lucas, speaks with the media outside of the Port Alberni RCMP detachment on Monday, May 9. Lucas was accompanied by his sister and mother. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
The Hawaii Mars sits on Sproat Lake back in 2013. (SONJA DRINKWATER / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Iconic B.C. Martin Mars waterbomber put up for sale

Coulson Aviation looks for new home for Hawaii Mars, inactive in firefighting since 2015

The Hawaii Mars sits on Sproat Lake back in 2013. (SONJA DRINKWATER / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Members of Tseshaht First Nation are joined by School District 70 representatives for a song before the unveiling of Tsuma-as Elementary School’s new name on Sept. 29. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

B.C. school renamed from racist figure in reconciliation ceremony

Tsuma-as is the new name for Port Alberni school formerly known as AW Neill

Members of Tseshaht First Nation are joined by School District 70 representatives for a song before the unveiling of Tsuma-as Elementary School’s new name on Sept. 29. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
A totem pole, called n’aasn’aas?aqsa, is unveiled at Victoria Quay on Saturday, Sept. 18. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

First Nations language pole unveiled in Port Alberni

The FNEF/ United Nations totem pole, called n’aasn’aas?aqsa, has found its home

A totem pole, called n’aasn’aas?aqsa, is unveiled at Victoria Quay on Saturday, Sept. 18. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Students make a “tiny home” sign with their hands as part of the Tiny Home Challenge at John Paul II Catholic School. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Vancouver Island school gets visit from Netflix show hosts for tiny home competition

Pilot Tiny Home elective was offered for Grades 4-7

Students make a “tiny home” sign with their hands as part of the Tiny Home Challenge at John Paul II Catholic School. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
A coroner’s inquest will be taking place at the Capitol Theatre in Port Alberni for the next week. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Teen B.C. mom who died following police custody recalled as ‘friend to many’

Police sent Jocelyn George to hospital after intoxication had gone ‘beyond the realm’ of normal detox

A coroner’s inquest will be taking place at the Capitol Theatre in Port Alberni for the next week. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner Andrea Inness walks beside an enormous western red cedar stump in a BCTS-issued cutblock in the Nahmint Valley. (PHOTO COURTESY TJ WATT)

Watchdog: logging practices put Vancouver Island old growth, biodiversity at risk

Forest Practices Board has issues with BC Timber Sales practices in Nahmint Valley near Port Alberni

Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner Andrea Inness walks beside an enormous western red cedar stump in a BCTS-issued cutblock in the Nahmint Valley. (PHOTO COURTESY TJ WATT)
Former Conservation officer Bryce Casavant takes a cub to a rehabilitation organization on Vancouver Island. (Youtube screenshot)

B.C. union takes ex-conservation officer who refused to kill 2 bears back to court

Bryce Casavant ‘absolutely gutted’ over BCGEU’s decision to go back to court

Former Conservation officer Bryce Casavant takes a cub to a rehabilitation organization on Vancouver Island. (Youtube screenshot)
Berni the olive ridley sea turtle was released into warmer waters off the coast of California. (PHOTO COURTESY MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE)

Tropical sea turtle found off Vancouver Island released to warmer waters

‘Berni Stranders’ is only the fourth olive ridley sea turtle recorded in B.C. waters

Berni the olive ridley sea turtle was released into warmer waters off the coast of California. (PHOTO COURTESY MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE)