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People uprooted from Port Alberni (212) View on map

Port Alberni was established by Anderson & Co. as a sawmill site in 1860. A small community of about 200 people lived near the sawmill. In 1866, the Anderson mill closed due to supply shortages, but the community continued developing, supported by other mills operating in the area.

Japanese Canadians were employed by several mills including the McLean Mill, Great Central Sawmill, Sproat Lake Lumber Company, Bloedel, Stewart & Welch, and Alberni Pacific Lumber Company. Many of the mills had village-like clusters of residential buildings, company bunkhouses, or small cabins where the families would stay. In 1929, the McLean Mill/Banbridge School was built and served as a community centre, and half of the students were Japanese Canadians. When Japanese Canadians were forcibly uprooted, the school was closed.
This person will be included on the monument panels in a future addition.