Port Alberni is located in the Alberni Valley at the end of the Alberni Inlet, surrounded by the snow capped peaks of Mt Arrowsmith, Mt Cokely & Mt Klitsa, and the rounded green hills of Copper Mountain and the Beaufort Range.   The city's population is just under 20,000, but with the surrounding communities of Beaver Creek, Cherry Creek, and Sproat Lake, the valley is home to almost 30,000 people.   The Alberni Valley was built on a natural resource economy, heavily reliant upon the fishing and forestry industries.  While these industries remain strong in the valley, Port Alberni is now capitalizing on its beauty and location in its expansion of the local tourism industry, and is also using community resources such as the brand new hospital and state of the art recreation facilities to draw retirees to the area.