Popularity of Port Alberni’s ‘Hole in the Wall’ raises safety concerns
Global News
An off-the-beaten-path tourist attraction near Port Alberni is drawing large numbers of tourists, raising safety concerns due to a lack of infrastructure.
An off-the-beaten-trail attraction near Port Alberni, B.C., has become a victim of its own success.
Known as “Hole in the Wall,” the spot is exactly what its name suggests.
At a picturesque clearing, a small waterfall pours through a man-made hole in a wall of limestone rock that was built decades ago as a former water line.
Driven by Instagram, TikTok and other social media, interest in Hole in the Wall has surged — and that’s where the problem starts.
The site is on private property, owned by forestry company Mosaic, and there is no parking available for hikers who want to see it — meaning visitors have been parking on the side of the highway.
“There’s a lot of safety issues with people jaywalking across the highway in order to access the hole in the wall attraction, which has become very popular over the years,” said Jenny Brunn, general manager of community services with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD).
Access and safety concerns have grown serious enough that the Alberni Valley Visitor Centre in Port Alberni has agreed it won’t promote the site anymore.
“We’re not telling people where it is,” Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Jolleen Dick told Global News.