| Feature Type: | Community - An unincorporated populated place, generally with a population of 50 or more, and having a recognized central area that might contain a post office, store and/or community hall, etc, intended for the use of the general public in the region. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | In City of Port Alberni, head of Alberni Inlet Barkley Sound, Alberni Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 49°14'59"N, 124°48'04"W at the approximate population centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 92F/7 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Adopted as Alberni (City) 13 August 1945 on C.3609, as labelled on BC map 2A, 1913. Amalgamated with Port Alberni (City) October 1967, the re-incorporated entity to be called City of Port Alberni. "Alberni" retained as a distinct area within the expanded City of Port Alberni municipal boundary. Form of name changed to Alberni (Community) 3 November 1980. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Alberni Post Office opened 1 May 1885; closed 1 July 1891 (location not cited). Meanwhile, Sayward Alberni Post Office had opened 1 July 1886; name changed to Alberni Post Office 1 July 1891; amalgamated as a Sub Post Office of Port Alberni Postal Station 12 March 1962. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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...takes its name from the canal which was named in 1791 by Lieutenant Francisco Eliza after Dom Pedro Alberni. Alberni was in command of the soldiers taking part in the Spanish expedition under Eliza sent by the Viceroy of Mexico to occupy the coast, 1790. A sawmill was established at the head of Alberni Canal in 1860. Captain Richards, HMS Hecate, called the locality Alberni the following year. Post Office opened 1 July 1886 under the name Sayward Alberni; name changed to Alberni Post Office 1 July 1891 (17th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 1922). Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |