Alberni Valley
The Alberni Valley is located on Vancouver Island. It is home to Port Alberni, Sproat Lake and other outlining areas. The term is largely used as a synonym for Greater Port Alberni and adjoining communities but is used in a larger regional sense as well. Various local organizations and companies use the term "Alberni Valley" in their name, e.g. the Alberni Valley Times and Alberni Valley News newspapers the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Alberni Valley Bulldogs minor hockey team.
Geography
Mount Arrowsmith is the largest mountain on southern Vancouver Island. It has some of the most accessible alpine and sub-alpine areas for Victoria and other large towns on the Island. These zones contain several rare and endangered species of plants and animals, the most notable of which is the Vancouver Island Marmot, which has the dubious distinction of being Canada's rarest mammal. Although the mountain is contained within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve it is not part of a park. Efforts are currently underway to confer official park status on the alpine areas of the Arrowsmith massif and surrounding areas.
