Alberni Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alberni Valley |
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 Alberni Valley
Location in British Columbia
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| Population centers | Port Alberni |
The Alberni Valley is a wide, beautiful valley on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It sits at the very end of the Alberni Inlet, which is a long arm of the ocean. This valley is home to the city of Port Alberni and lovely places like Sproat Lake.
Many local groups and businesses use "Alberni Valley" in their names. For example, there are newspapers called the Alberni Valley Times and Alberni Valley News. There's also a local hockey team, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. A Canadian pioneer named Joe Drinkwater lived here a long time ago, in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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Exploring the Geography of Alberni Valley
The Alberni Valley is surrounded by amazing natural features. It has tall mountains, many lakes, and important rivers.
What Mountains are in Alberni Valley?
- Mount Arrowsmith is the biggest mountain on southern Vancouver Island. It's a great place to explore high up in the mountains. These areas are home to rare plants and animals. The most famous is the Vancouver Island marmot, Canada's rarest mammal. Even though it's in a special UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it's not officially a park yet. People are working to make it one.
- Beaufort Range is another mountain range. It's located north of Port Alberni.
Discovering the Lakes of Alberni Valley
The valley is dotted with many lakes, big and small.
- Great Central Lake is a very large lake in the Alberni Valley. It covers 51 square kilometers and is very deep, reaching 294 meters. It's called "Great Central" because it's a big lake in the middle of Vancouver Island.
- Kennedy Lake is the largest lake on all of Vancouver Island. It's located near Ucluelet on the west coast. The Clayoquot and Kennedy Rivers flow into it.
- Sproat Lake is named after Gilbert Malcolm Sproat. It's famous for being the home of the last Martin Mars Waterbombers. These are huge planes used to fight forest fires.
Rivers and Waterways of Alberni Valley
Many rivers and creeks flow through the valley.
- Stamp Falls and Stamp River are well-known spots.
- The Somass River is an important river in the area.
- Alberni Inlet is a long, narrow arm of the ocean. It stretches about 40 kilometers (25 miles) inland from the Pacific Ocean at Barkley Sound. It ends right at Port Alberni.
- Barkley Sound is a large bay where the Alberni Inlet meets the Pacific Ocean.
- Della Falls is a stunning waterfall in Strathcona Provincial Park. Many people believe it is the tallest waterfall in Canada.
First Nations Culture in Alberni Valley
The cultures of the First Nations people are a very important part of the Alberni Valley. The Tseshaht and the Hupacasath are two of the main tribes here. They are both part of the larger Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.
