Houses for Sale in Echo

About Echo

Echo is a desirable, central location in Port Alberni favoured for its combination of good quality homes, choice of recreational activities, and convenient amenities. Seniors, singles, and families of all sizes enjoy this area for its easy access to grocery stores, drug stores, good quality schools, doctor offices, West Coast General Hospital, restaurants, Echo Aquatic Centre, and fitness facilities. The RCMP have a local detachment in this area, making it all that more safe. The newly built Alberni District Secondary School is one of several schools in the area, including Wood Elementary School and St. John Paul II Catholic School. Several restaurants and fitness facilities border the neighbourhood on most sides. With its abundance of amenities and recreational activities, this neighbourhood has historically been known as a preferred place to set down roots, raise a family, and retire in peace.  Islands recreational paradise!

Real Estate in Echo

Echo offers a variety of real estate listing options. Single-family suburban homes, duplexes, triplexes, condominiums, townhouses, and commercial properties are all options. This area is a mixed bag of real estate choices, but is mainly populated with residential properties.

As an established neighbourhood, homes in Echo are well maintained, strong builds. There are some newer builds directed towards seniors and retirees, but most are single-family suburban homes. Pioneer Towers (senior housing) and Alberni Towers (12 story high-rise) are the largest multi-unit residential properties, with the rest being a mix between single-family homes, ranchers, duplexes, condos, and more. 

Commercial properties are distributed mainly in high traffic areas, and are dominated by small businesses and health facilities like doctor and dentist offices. Roger Street and Redford Street border the neighbourhood on opposite ends with 10th Avenue connecting them. Most commercial properties are found on one of these three roads, streamlining traffic to follow a particular route when shopping around. However, there are some smaller commercial properties on side streets, mixed in with residential housing. Many homes are within walking distance of some sort of commercial property, which makes them ideal properties to invest in. 

Things To Do

Echo ‘67 Community Centre

The Echo ‘67 Community Centre was constructed in 1967 and stands as one of the historic landmarks of the area. This building contains an aquatic centre, sauna, gym, library, museum, and community spaces for special events. The Echo Aquatic Centre contains a 121 foot pool, a warmed tot’s pool, whirlpool, dry sauna, and fitness centre. It is the home of the Tsunami Swim Club, where competitive swimmers get their start. Swimming lessons, aqua fitness classes, and safety classes occur on a regular basis.

The mid-section of the community centre is a rental space for special events and gatherings. Further along is the Vancouver Island Regional Library and the Alberni Valley Museum. The library is one of many branches all over Vancouver Island, with access to the entire collection. A book in another island branch can be transported conveniently to Port Alberni within days. The museum has a rich collection of First Nations artifacts and Port Alberni’s historical culture.   

Bob Dailey Stadium & Glenwood Centre

Bob Dailey Stadium is a 400m long, oval track with a large field in the middle. Soccer and football games are played on the field while friends and family watch nearby from the wooden bleachers. The soft track is gentle on joints compared to concrete or cement sidewalks, which makes it an ideal place to get in your steps for the day. The track area is suitable for walking, jogging, running, and other group activities. Many locals routinely stop at Bob Dailey on their way home from work to get a few laps in, catch up with other residents, or to relax on the bleachers with a coffee while they look at Mount Arrowsmith. Adjacent to the track is an outdoor fitness park, suitable for all fitness abilities because it uses the person’s own body weight for individualized training. 

A stone’s throw away is Glenwood Centre, a large indoor venue for sports and events. Known as the place for rollerskating and rollerblading, Glenwood has also been a site for the Port Alberni Toy Run, Alberni District Fall Fair, craft fairs, markets, and special events. The building has a raised stage, is wheelchair accessible, and has an optional concession making it perfect for home shows, dog shows, and more. It’s a multi-purpose space that adapts well to almost any indoor gathering event. 

Echo Sports Fields

Echo is known for its abundance of sports fields popular for softball, baseball, and soccer. Warmer months offer bustling activity for slo-pitch and softball tournaments, and the Funtastic music festival hosts shows nearby at Bob Dailey Stadium. It’s not an uncommon sight to see local kids kicking around a soccer ball after school one day, then a full-blown softball tournament the next. 

Sunshine Club 

Seniors aged 50+ are invited to join the Sunshine Club. This volunteer driven organization provides recreational activities and get-togethers to improve quality of life. Appropriate for all fitness and mobility levels, the club offers programs like quilting, Tai Chi, bowling, pickleball, painting, dancing, bridge, woodworking, and so much more. It’s a no-brainer to join the Sunshine Club as soon as you hit 50 because of the huge variety of things to do, places to go, and people to see!  

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