It all began with a painting...

By Lewis Bartholomew

While taking one of my many trips from Seattle, Washington to Courtenay, British Columbia, I took the ferry Queen of Alberni.  The trip across the water was pleasant enough. Not much to do on the voyage except to read, or think, or sleep.  Or, as in my case, mull over the possibilities of my leaving my hectic life in Seattle and move to the quiet atmosphere of Vancouver Island to be with a Canadian whom I had grown fond of.  But my life in the US was comfortable and familiar and my career was stable. So I used the time sailing from one shore to the other thinking. and thinking.

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.

So when I got back to Seattle, I set out to learn more about these men, who they were and where they came from...how old they were...I could find nothing in those early days of the internet and its primitive search engines.

So 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. 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.

Recently a portable exhibit and memorial was assembled with the loan of materials from various local businesses for Remembrance Day.  As funds become available the goal is to purchase our own exhibit materials to showcase our artifacts, interactive displays and video centre. Long term goals are to lay a plaque at the site of the wreck of Alberni and to construct a permanent memorial to the men of HMCS Alberni.

And all this because of

one painting,

one ship

and 59 lives.

- Lewis Bartholomew