Elena Rardon

Port Alberni

Multimedia Journalist at Alberni Valley News

multimedia journalist with @AlberniNews. she/her. american-canadian. views expressed are my own.

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Articles

Pride Week runs gamut from trivia, yoga and dance to drag storytime

1 week ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Elena Rardon

Port Alberni's 2SLGBTQIA+ community is gearing up for a week of fun activities. The Alberni Valley Pride Society has planned a week of entertainment for this year's Pride Week, which runs from Sunday, June 1 to Saturday, June 7. Events kick off with a car wash by donation on Sunday, June 1 at the 7-Eleven on Redford Street and 10th Avenue between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, June 2 is all about fitness, as Alberni Fitness will host a queer-inspired spin class with entry by donation.
Sheep to shawl: visitors get behind-the-scenes look at Island's fibre arts

1 week ago | pqbnews.com | Elena Rardon

Visitors at Arrowvale Campground and Collins Farm in Port Alberni got a behind-the-scenes look last weekend at how clothing is made. The farm, in partnership with the Alberni Valley Fibre Guild, hosted a “Sheep to Shawl” event on Saturday, May 10, where visitors could follow the wool from the sheep’s back through the process of skirting, cleaning, carding, spinning, weaving and finally knitting it into a wearable item.
Blindfold sights: Vancouver Island artist explores blindness through painting

1 month ago | pqbnews.com | Elena Rardon

A Port Alberni artist will have her work exhibited at an upcoming show in the United States. Painter Rose Kamma Morrison is an artist with vision loss. Four of her recent paintings have been selected for the Passionate Focus art exhibit in Chicago, IL, which starts May 1, 2025 at the Fairmont Hotel. An art auction will take place on the same day. This can be found online at one.bidpal.net/pf2025.
Regional district pitches renovation of Port Alberni's pool

1 month ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Elena Rardon

Although the community of Port Alberni is looking forward to the construction of a new pool, the city and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District are exploring the opportunity to renovate the old pool, instead. During a regular council meeting on Monday, April 14, city council granted permission for the ACRD to conduct a feasibility study on the Echo Aquatic Centre. Because the pool is currently owned by the city, the ACRD needed their permission to proceed with the study.
Port Alberni is 'a violent community,' says officer in charge

1 month ago | nanaimobulletin.com | Elena Rardon

Police in Port Alberni are struggling to keep up with "violent" crimes in the community, says the city's new officer in charge. Port Alberni RCMP Insp. Kim Bruce provided her first quarterly report to council on Monday, April 14, going over the crime statistics from the first quarter of 2025 (January to March). Bruce explained that Criminal Code offences in Port Alberni have gone up by 70 percent compared to the same quarter in 2024.
Courtenay-Alberni candidates tackle audience questions at Port Alberni all candidates meeting

1 month ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Elena Rardon

Six of seven federal candidates in the Courtenay-Alberni riding took turns answering audience questions during an all candidates meeting Tuesday, April 15 in Port Alberni. The forum took place at the RimRock Casino, hosted by the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Alberni Valley Transition Town Society.
Port Alberni's Portal Players tackle tough subject in David Harrower's 'Blackbird'

1 month ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Elena Rardon

While the Portal Players Dramatic Society always aims to provide laughter to the community of Port Alberni, their latest production will be less lighthearted. Blackbird, a play written by David Harrower, opens at the Capitol Theatre on Friday, April 25. It explores the uneasy reunion between a woman and the man who sexually abused her when she was a child.
First-ever Vaisakhi parade in Port Alberni draws a crowd

1 month ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Elena Rardon

Port Alberni's first-ever Vaisakhi parade drew a crowd last weekend, with hundreds of people taking to the streets to celebrate the birth of Khalsa. Parade participants walked down the streets of Port Alberni on Sunday, April 13, singing hymns and stopping along the way to watch Gatka performers demonstrate martial arts techniques. The parade started and ended at the the Guru Nanak Sikh Society gurdwara in Port Alberni, where free food was offered to participants and visitors.
Victoria runner takes first place at McLean Mill 10K in Port Alberni

1 month ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Elena Rardon

Hundreds of runners braved the rain in Port Alberni for the McLean Mill 10K. The race, which took place on Sunday, April 6, 2025, marked the seventh of eight races in the Vancouver Island Race Series. A total of 412 runners crossed the finish line, which was slightly down from last year's record-setting number of 459. Organizer Sasha Visona partially attributed this to the rainy weather on Sunday. Despite this, the event was "fantastic," she said.
Vancouver Island group stitches '100-mile diet' concept into '100-km wardrobe'

1 month ago | pqbnews.com | Elena Rardon

A fibre guild in Port Alberni is hoping to raise awareness of the local textile economy through a "100 Kilometre Wardrobe." The project encourages people in the Alberni Valley and across Vancouver Island to get involved with making their own clothing items, using goods that are produced within 100 kilometres of their home.