Before road networks reached the region in the 1950s, the Alberni Inlet served as a lifeline for communities between Port Alberni and the coast, transporting people, goods, and resources.

Travelling the Alberni Inlet highlights the enduring importance of 20th-century maritime transportation from the age of steamships to the present day. Central to the exhibit is a focus on the vessels, including the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Princess Maquinna and the 1958-built MV Frances Barkley, the latter of which continues to serve remote communities along the inlet to this day.

And that’s not all…

Also on view: Under 60 Tons, a documentary-style photo memoir by Reave Dennison that captures life aboard Pacific Northwest tugboats. Shot over nine years on 35mm film and hand-processed, these images reveal the grit, solitude, and raw beauty of coastal work.

Both exhibits run until November 2, 2025.