| Many of Port Alberni's experiences during the Great Depression were similar to those of other westem Canadian communities: the collapse of its major resource industry; subsequent unemployment and business closures; and the near bankruptcy of the city. A combination of factors, however, made Port Alberni's experiences unique. The expansion of industrial activity subsequent to the negotiation of a new trade agreement between Canada and Britain combined with the city's situation as the western terminus of the highway and railroad to make Port Alberni the locus of thousands of migrants who searched across Canada for work. The city benefited from symbiotic developments among population growth, industrial expansion and commercial maturation at the same time as it suffered financial and social problems associated with the influx of people. In spite of the short duration of widespread unemployment, industrial and commercial bankruptcies, and financial strains on Port Alberni's treasury, city leaders never recovered their confidence but remained resentful of transients and wary of growth even when conditions improved. |
