Port Alberni RCMP investigating 3 suspicious deaths in B.C. city in 9 days

number one, a fateful put up go off. So, a fiery car containing human remains. And most recently, a fatal assault.

Three people have died in Port Alberni, B.C., within a nine-day period in early August, each of them under circumstances RCMP are investigating as suspicious.

The deaths — along with the limited information released about the investigations into them — have prompted concern among some members of the central Vancouver Island community, which reported a population of 18,259 in the 2021 census.

"We've been here waiting, holding our breath to hear something, and the only thing that we've been told as citizens of the community is that they're doing an investigation," said John Robert, a resident of Port Alberni for 43 years. 

Robert, who works as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, is one of many voicing unease on local social media groups.

With the Mount Underwood and Wesley Ridge wildfires also burning nearby, locals are already on edge, he says — and they are hoping to hear soon from the RCMP whether there is a connection between the suspicious deaths.

Cpl. Alex Bérubé, media relations officer for the RCMP, said it's too early to determine whether the deaths are connected, as they are still under investigation by the RCMP and B.C. Coroners Service.

He said police have been working to identify and locate suspects since the start of their investigation.

"The risks to the public remains unknown at this time," said Bérubé. "The co-operation from the public plays a vital role in advancing investigations." 

Trevor Bertrand said he got a call from a neighbour in the early hours of Aug. 6 that his daughter's car was on fire, and he rushed down to the scene. The car was parked in a gravel lot on the 3700-block of 4th Avenue, where RCMP and fire crews had put out the blaze.

He said he followed behind a police officer to take a look at the car — something he now regrets.

"I really shouldn't have, you know, because there was a burnt up body in the car," he said. "It wasn't a pretty sight."

Bertrand was relieved to discover shortly after that his daughter was safe — but said he has felt unsettled in the wake of these deaths.

RCMP say "unidentified human remains" were found in the car once the fire was out, and are seeking anyone with information or footage of the area betwen 2 a.m. And 4 a.m. That day.

Bertrand says the car was located in a "rougher" part of town, about one block from an overdose prevention site and the Wālyaqił Tiny Home Village operated by Port Alberni Friendship centre. He says his daughter struggles with addiction.

"It is a little unnerving, for a small town, Port Alberni. But I do have confidence in our RCMP detachment," he said.

Four days earlier, emergency services responded to an early-morning house fire on the 2000-block of 16th Avenue, according to RCMP.

Firefighters rescued a man and a woman from the fully engulfed building, police said, and both were taken to a hospital outside the community. The woman is in stable but serious condition, police said in a release on Aug. 6, but the man died from his injuries in hospital. 

His death is being investigated as suspicious, Bérubé said. 

Forensic identification services and investigators from the Office of the Fire Commissioner have examined the scene of the fire. RCMP have requested any footage of the neighbourhood between 10:30 p.m. On Aug. 1 and 1:30 a.m. Aug. 2. 

The most recent death, on Aug. 10, occurred following reports of an assault near the intersection of Johnston Road and Victoria Quay, RCMP said.

Police who responded to the scene found a man with serious injuries. He died later in hospital. RCMP said they know his identity but are withholding it.

The man's death is also being investigated as suspicious, with Port Alberni RCMP General Investigation Section currently looking into the circumstances around his death.

Robert understands that the police and the coroners' service are doing what they can to investigate — but he says people in the community are anxious for answers.

"I'm hoping that they can get something out to the public soon enough," he said. "We have the [Mount Underwood] fire going on just outside our community as well, so it's been a wild couple of weeks."

The coroners' service said they could not provide any details on the deaths, as the investigations are ongoing, and RCMP declined to share further details.

Mayor Sharie Minions did not respond to an interview request. 

Emily Fagan is a journalist based in Victoria, B.C. She was previously a staff reporter for the Toronto Star. Her work has also appeared in publications including the Globe and Mail, Vice, and the Washington Post. You can send her tips at emily.fagan@cbc.ca.

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