Alberni Valley Wonders

Here in the Alberni Valley we’re renowned for our Seven Wonders:

1. Bears on the Boardwalk – One of the best places to view bears is at the Victoria Quay where, at low tide, you can safely watch black bears having their salmon dinner.
2. McLean Mill National Historic Site – A National Historic Site with the only steam-operated mill in Canada with mill and old-time logging demonstrations.
3. Log Train Trail – Originally used for transporting logs, this 25km trail is now popular with hikers, cyclists and horseback riders.
4. Cathedral Grove – Explore this rare ancient Douglas Fir ecosystem featuring enormous examples of British Columbia’s rainforest trees.
5. M.V. Francis Barkley – A working packet freighter that travels either to Bamfield or Ucluelet. A great day trip!
6. Martin Mars Water Bombers – No visit to the Alberni Valley would be complete without seeing these icons of aviation, historically built as troop carriers in the 2nd World War and then retrofitted as fire-fighting aircraft. The Bombers are open for viewing during the summer months, along with the Coulson Flying Tankers Visitors Centre.
7. Nuu-Chah-Nulth Whaling Canoe Sculpture – This was originally housed in the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria and is an impressive life-sized sculpture of a whaling canoe on display at the Victoria Quay. Whaling was a very important part of the tribal culture of the natives of west coast Vancouver Island.