Restore Dry Creek Estuary

Nurture our City and Community – Honour and Revitalize the Past

Pull the slider for before and after on Google Maps

This page is dedicated to an idea from the City of Port Alberni’s purchase of the Somass Mill site in 2021. The City presented a compelling idea to redevelop and transform the land. We support this direction.

We have a bigger vision to restore Dry Creek (aka Owatchet Creek). See our Brochure. You can also find printed brochures attached to the fence facing the property near Tyee Landing!

Expression of Interest Submitted!

Today (Oct 20, 2022) we submitted our Letter of Expression of Interest to the City of Port Alberni. You can read the letter and supporting documents here.

Want updates on our progress or want to join us? Sign up here

Thank you coming on September 24th! (summary)

Three Step Walkthrough of the Plan

Aha! Moment –> Restoring the City –> Developing

How do we get to this? Click the image to find out!

Dec 2021 Presentation to City Council

Starts at 53:35 in the video.

Download the Powerpoint presentation.

Participate in the OCP today!

The City is doing its FINAL SURVEY – Let them know you want to Restore Dry Creek! If you live in the Alberni Valley you might not be able to participate online, but you can send your thoughts/comments directly to the planner Marianne Wade: marianne_wade@portalberni.ca

Our main focus right now is to have this vision included in the new Port Alberni Official Community Plan. Go to www.letsconnectpa.ca and please include this idea in your suggestions.

For Salmon

For Reconciliation

For History

For Climate Change

For Economic Development

For All

Scroll through the images below to see what the finished product could look like.

What if this was the view from new housing on Tyee Landing?
What if this was the view at high tide from new housing on 3rd Avenue?
What if this was the view from Smitty’s Restaurant?

The above images are from the Nanaimo Estuary, where the City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo Port Authority and Snuneymuxw First Nation worked together to restore old industrial waterfront to a natural state. Enriching both the sea, the shore, and the economy as a whole.

To quote one of our members: “the potential fish habitat value of the restored estuary is significant, in particular for juvenile Chinook and Coho which like to hang out in the protected and food-rich waters that estuaries provide. The continued existence of the breakwater also makes sense and it could be either modified or replaced to create a more natural feature.“

A Model to continue following: False Creek

Did you know that the Harbour Quay was designed by the same person that designed Granville Island? The ideas here are the same. False Creek has gone through this transformation, including natural restoration, parkland, commercial space and and a mix of affordable and market housing. That’s what can happen here.

The foundation is restoring the natural setting.

We will post more pictures, ideas and other resources in the coming weeks and months. Want updates on our progress? Sign up Here.

Gallery of Historic Images

Showing the causeway built for the railway. There is water visible in the marshy parts in the middle ground of the picture. Picture is likely taken near the foot of Redford Hill. AVM Notes: Lupsi – Cupsi Point. Railway tracks. The Alberni Inlet in the background. 1912
A panorama (includes the previous two images) of the entire lower 3rd Ave shoreline from Redford to Owatchet Creek the left most picture is not available online.
This picture, taken from what would today be somewhere on the Catalyst paper property, shows the original railway "wye" (y shaped track to the left) that was built up along the shore of Lupsi Cupsi point on the northern side of the bay and estuary. We can see that the actual level of the land is below the railway. It may have even still flooded at this time at high tide. On the left of the picture we can see the marsh of the estuary stretching back to where the land starts to rise, likely around present day 3rd Avenue. There is marsh and water throughout the area left of the locomotive and train. There are also large logs visible in the foreground and on the left side likely marking the winter high tide mark.
This picture, taken from what would today be somewhere on the Catalyst paper property, shows the original railway “wye” (y shaped track to the left) that was built up along the shore of Lupsi Cupsi point on the northern side of the bay and estuary. We can see that the actual level of the land is below the railway. It may have even still flooded at this time at high tide. On the left of the picture we can see the marsh of the estuary stretching back to where the land starts to rise, likely around present day 3rd Avenue. There is marsh and water throughout the area left of the locomotive and train. There are also large logs visible in the foreground and on the left side likely marking the winter high tide mark.
Panorama of the shoreline near the Somass (now Thunderbird building) showing the shoreline of the fisherman's harbour after the railway was biult. This is outside the scope of our project, but gives an idea of what the shoreline might have looked like in the Dry Creek area.
Panorama of the shoreline near the Somass (now Thunderbird building) showing the shoreline of the fisherman’s harbour after the railway was biult. This is outside the scope of our project, but gives an idea of what the shoreline might have looked like in the Dry Creek area.
A closeup from the nautical map of the Owatchet Creek Bay and Estuary pre-1933. We can see the path of the railway through the marsh. The marsh shoreline reaches all the way to 3rd avenue on the north side. There is a small mill connected to the railway with a dock into the harboured in the middle of the marsh to the left (west) of the railway. To the right east) of the railway, land has been filled for the train roundhouse on the north bank of the creek. The marsh continues to the foot of Athol Street. There is are two small groves of trees at the foot of Dunbar (visible in the next picture). The mouth of the creek is roughly in line with Strathern.
A closeup from the nautical map of the Owatchet Creek Bay and Estuary pre-1933. We can see the path of the railway through the marsh. The marsh shoreline reaches all the way to 3rd avenue on the north side. There is a small mill connected to the railway with a dock into the harboured in the middle of the marsh to the left (west) of the railway. To the right east) of the railway, land has been filled for the train roundhouse on the north bank of the creek. The marsh continues to the foot of Athol Street. There is are two small groves of trees at the foot of Dunbar (visible in the next picture). The mouth of the creek is roughly in line with Strathern.
From the bottom of 1st Avenue and Athol Street. 1933. This would have been just before the construction of the Somass Mill began. We can see the railway turns to the north across Owatchet creek in line with the first/second avenue block of buildings. On the left beyond the tracks we see marsh or grass, the shrubs and trees, perhaps marking the course of the creek. There are also two groves of large trees in the centre of the picture. In the background on the left there is a mill already operating essentially in the middle of the bay marsh.
A Gallery of Historic images for Dry Creek Estuary and Lower 3rd and 4th Avenues

Dedicated to a resilient, low carbon society.