It all began with a painting...
While taking one of my many trips from Seattle, Washington to Courtenay, British Columbia, I took the ferry Queen of Alberni. As is the custom to name Canadian ships after cities and towns in Canada, I assumed this ferry was named for the Port Alberni. a small city on Vancouver Island that is known as the home of Mars Bombers, tankers used for fighting forest fires.
Like many U.S. Citizens, I had always taken for granted the freedoms of being able to travel freely through North America and, though familiar with stories of the South Pacific during WWII as told to me by my father, I never really gave it much thought. Added to that lack of interest was the fact that most American education about WWI and WWII did not mention the involvement with the Canadians, leaving instead the heroism of the John Wayne type of American war stories.
So it was during one crossing in 2000 that I paced the decks of Queen of Alberni and noticed a painting that was hanging on the wall. It was the painting you see at the left by Pat Burstall.
Under the painting is an inscription which struck me with a new found gratitude that I had only felt occasionally in my life yet soon forgot in the haste of daily living. Here was a tiny warship, a young crew, taking great risks for their country and the freedoms that we all enjoy. And many of them lost their lives in the process.
It was at that moment that I decided to create The Alberni Project to make sure that the lives of all these brave Canadians would be remembered. I quit my high stress job in Seattle, sold my SUV and left my home to the mercy of the winds. Applying for immigration to Canada I arrived with a few boxes and anticipation for a new chapter in my life.
Since that time The Alberni Project has grown from a simple personal research project to learn more about this one ship to a much larger tribute to the men of HMCS ALBERNI. It now involves collecting stories, photos, interviews and other information shared by family members, the men themselves and other historical sources lest we forget the service these men gave to our great nation and to the world. The Alberni Project is now a group of people focused on preserving these events and encouraging others, particularly the younger generation to learn more about our past no matter what our views of war are.
Plans are being formulated to construct a traveling exhibit of HMCS ALBERNI which will be available for outlying areas of Canada which normally have no heritage/museum resources available due to their secluded locations. Future plans may include the laying of a bronze plaque at the sight of the Alberni wreck and assistance in creating documentaries about this short time of Canadian history.
And all this because of
one painting,
one ship
and 59 lives.
Painting courtesy of Pat Burstall
