Description du lieu patrimonial

The Alberni Post Office is a one-and-one-half storey brick building with a basement. It is located on the corner of Johnston Road and Gertrude Street in Port Alberni, British Columbia. It has a flat roof and an articulated entrance.

Valeur patrimoniale

The heritage value of the Alberni Post Office lies in its ability to evoke a sense of the past, when the post office was the heart of the community and a central meeting place for the citizens of Alberni. The post office is a testament to the community identity which distinguishes Alberni from Port Alberni.

As a landmark building, the post office is also valued for its architecture. Its Art Deco style is important as a symbol of permanence and modernity in Alberni's history. Built in the key modern aesthetic of its day, the 1939 post office reflects its importance in the community, and stands as a monument to the value of Alberni's early identity and status as an important centre for the logging and fishing industries. The post office is a valued reflection of the status and modernity of this community in the first half of the 20th century.

The post office is also important as the only early symbol of the federal presence in this small town. Its architecture and styling reflect the national emergence of the "modern post office" which included the introduction of both trans-Atlantic and trans-Canadian airmail service.

The situation of the post office at the corner of Johnston Road and Gertrude Street is noteworthy as it was and remains a central location for the business section of Alberni. It is important to note that the land on which this building stands was donated by Mr. L.W.H. Marcon in 1914, specifically for a post office, reflecting an early desire to establish this part of town as a desirable location for business. The 1939 building is the second post office to stand at this location.

The cultural value of this historic site is evident in its continuous use as a post office from 1914 until it closed in 2009.

Source: Alberni Valley Museum and Archives

Éléments caractéristiques

The character-defining elements of the Alberni Post Office include:

- its one-and-one-half storey massing
- its basement
- its interior spatial configurations which relate to its 1939 design
- identification of the place as a post office, as seen in elements such as signs, post boxes, counter
- its Art Deco design, as expressed in its simple lines, flat roof and articulated entrance
- location at the corner of Johnston Road and Gertrude Street
- its brick construction
- existing wooden windows and doors
- the sense of place in the interior, seen in the prewar, mid-20th century interior design
- all surviving historic fixtures and fittings dating from 1939 onwards