City of Port Alberni receives funding to transform the Harbour Quay Clock Tower into the Wolf Tower

Government of Canada investment will help Port Alberni revitalize its public spaces and enhance local Indigenous tourism

PORT ALBERNI, BC, June 21, 2022 /CNW/ - Shared public spaces are the heart of communities across Canada. They bring together people of all ages and abilities, supporting businesses and stimulating local economies. Port Alberni, like so many places throughout British Columbia, is ready to welcome back residents and visitors to its vibrant city.

Upgrading exisiting infrastructure and building new public assets will help local governments and First Nations provide better access to recreational programs and facilities, strengthen community engagement, and boost economic vitality.

Wolf Tower, Photo: Alicia Puusepp (CNW Group/Pacific Economic Development Canada)

Today, in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced an investment of $379,353 through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) for the City of Port Alberni.

This funding allowed the City of Port Alberni, in partnership with the Tseshaht First Nation and Island Coastal Economic Trust, to transform the aging Harbour Quay Clock Tower into the Wolf Tower. Project activities included refurbishing the tower to improve safety, replacing the clocks with Indigenous art, painting the tower in traditional Tseshaht First Nation colours, and installing Indigenous storyboards.

This inspirational project, being unveiled today, is an important part of the City of Port Alberni's commitment to reconciliation and will enhance local Indigenous tourism in the Alberni Valley.

The CCRF was launched in June 2021. It is providing $500 million over two years for Canada's regional development agencies (RDAs) to invest in projects that build and improve community infrastructure. The Government of Canada is committed to rejuvenating public spaces to make them safer, greener and more accessible. This will stimulate local economies, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for Canadians.

Quotes

"Across British Columbia, investments in community infrastructure through the CCRF are bringing people safely back together. The Wolf Tower partnership between the City of Port Alberni, Tseshaht First Nation and Island Coastal Economic Trust is especially important because it shares with locals and tourists alike the Indigenous history of the region."
          -    The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

"The funding from PacifCan has been instrumental in transforming the Clock Tower at Harbour Quay into a safe, accessible and iconic landmark in our community. The newly named Wolf Tower showcases Tseshaht sculptures celebrating Tlookwaana (Wolf ritual) and acknowledges a wrongdoing of 160 years ago when Tseshaht were forced off their winter village of Tlukwatku-is. On behalf of the City of Port Alberni, I thank PacifiCan, Tseshaht First Nation and the Island Coastal Economic Trust for their respective contributions to this project which is a step towards reconciliation as well as a celebration of Tseshaht art and culture." 
          -    Sharie Minions, Mayor, City of Port Alberni

Quick Facts

• CCRF funding supports two major streams of activity so that communities can:
• adapt community spaces and assets so that they may be used safely in accordance with local public-health guidelines, and/or
• build or improve community spaces to encourage Canadians to re-engage in and explore their communities and regions.
• Eligible recipients include not-for-profit organizations; rural, municipal or regional governments; Indigenous groups and communities; and public sector bodies that provide municipal-type infrastructure. 
• Priority may be given to projects that encourage the participation of underrepresented groups and take into consideration the unique challenges of rural and remote communities.

Associated Links:

• Pacific Economic Development Canada
• Canada Community Revitalization Fund
• City of Port Alberni

Stay connected

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Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378
TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

SOURCE Pacific Economic Development Canada

Contacts : Haley Hodgson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Economic Development, [e-mail]; Ben Letts, Communications Manager, Pacific Economic Development Canada, [e-mail]