By David Wiwchar

racist epithets and symbols erased

Alberni residents combat hate

Jan 22, 2026 | 9:53 AM

Ignorance and racism was on display again yesterday in Port Alberni after vandals attacked a Residential School memorial.

Both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people voiced their disappointment and disgust yesterday after a painting on the Orange Bridge was defaced with racist slurs for the third time – the second time within a week.

Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts said while he was initially angry and upset at the continued vandalism, he was filled with a sense of optimism after seeing so many people come out to help repaint the monument.

“There’s still a lot of love for our community and a lot of people who care,” he said. “We’ve got to remind ourselves that people that do things like this are just a small minority not just here in the Valley but across the world they’re still a minority and just a small minority.”

Watts says the vandalism proves that more work needs to be done on educating people about First Nations history.

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“Many of our people, in particular survivors, have always said it’s about education and creating a new generation of Canadian, British Columbian and Port Albernian that are free from hate and racism,” he said. “Unfortunately there’s a lot of adults who we’re never going to change their mind, no matter what we say or do. We don’t want to give these people a platform in what they say, but we also have to speak out about it – we can’t just ignore it and act like it’s OK because it’s not.”

Dozens of citizens and local government representatives helped paint over the epithets, and police promised to make prosecuting hate messages a priority.

Photo – Tseshaht Chief Councillor Wawmeesh (Ken Watts) speaks to dozens of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people, disgusted by the ignorant act of vandals. Photo courtesy Tseshaht First Nation