From Alberni Valley News

Entrepreneurs breathe life into Port Alberni

Young business owners see potential, possibilities in city that straddles Island’s divide

A number of diverse businesses in the Valley have been breathing new life into the city’s economy.

Twin City Brewing opened this spring, and business has been booming at the Margaret Street brewpub.

Owner Aaron Colyn said there have been a few surprises since the brewery’s opening. “It’s been interesting,” he said. “I didn’t expect to have this many staff. There are 15 of us now. It’s pretty cool to be an employer and be creating jobs.”

He said the brewery’s demographic is a wide variety, from young professionals to retirees.

“I like seeing the different people we have coming in,” he said. “It’s definitely not just one crowd. We are trying to bring the community together over really good food, really good beer and really good service.”

Colyn’s business venture started with a crowdfunding campaign in 2014, which eventually raised more than $7,000 from 100 backers.

“I lived here my whole life, I come from a family of entrepreneurs,” said Colyn. “When I was first starting out with the brewpub, I didn’t know if Port Alberni would support it. That’s what initiated the crowdfunding.”

He said that he was in the process of getting his space and finalizing his business plan while the online campaign was running, and Twin City Brewing started to gain more support as it gained ground.

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  Filed under: Beer In The News, Breweries & Cideries
  Tagged under: Mid Island, New Breweries, Port Alberni, Twin City Brewing, Vancouver Island