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I hope this email finds you well, I understand that these are challenging times for all of us in the Alberni Valley as we are currently facing the impacts of the ongoing Highway 4 closure between Cathedral Grove and Koen Rd due to the wildfire.
First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the front-line workers, local and regional leadership, volunteers, and the unsung heroes who are tirelessly working behind the scenes to address this situation. Your dedication and commitment are truly commendable. Another huge big thank you goes out to the truck drivers who are making the trek to continue bringing food, fuel, and supplies to our community and the West Coast! ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo – thank you!!
I also want to take a moment to recognize the exceptional efforts of our Visitor Centre team. On the first day of the closure, they went above and beyond their responsibilities, assisting over 300 visitors in person and supporting more than 50 people over the phone. They extended their working hours, providing accurate information and guidance to travelers regarding the designated detour and the situation at hand.
Everyone's dedication to making it work the past few days exemplifies the spirit of our community - the community with a heart.
As we continue to navigate this closure together, I want to assure you that the Chamber of Commerce is here to support and advocate for our businesses and community stakeholders. We understand that this situation may have introduced various challenges for you, and we are eager to assist in any way we can.
If you are currently facing difficulties related to the supply chain or any other issues, we ask that you please reach out to us. Are your staff able to get to work or are they working remotely? Please respond to this email with your name, contact information, and details of the challenges you are experiencing. By doing so, we can better understand the impact on our business community and work towards finding suitable solutions.
In these trying times, let us stand together working towards our shared recovery. We will continue to provide updates and resources as they become available.
We encourage you to rely on the sources below for updates. We also added alternative travel options for info as well.
Anyone can come into our Visitor Centre between 9-5 pm Monday to Friday, and between 10-3 Saturday and Sunday as we have transitioned to our tentative summer hours. We have maps and info for those who need to travel for essential purposes.
Our final request is to help us remind everyone to buy only what you need. Supplies are coming and will continue to come via the detour.
Thank you for your continued resilience, and please do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we can do to assist you.
Warm regards,
Jolleen Dick
CEO, Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce
jolleen@albernichamber.ca
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