Sign In Subscribe Now The Fernie Rod and Gun Club (FRGC) is anticipating raising $50,000-$60,000 in funds for its Eco-System Enhancement Project, with proceeds from its annual banquet Just over 700 people attended the club banquet on April 26 auctions and draws will support a land restoration project at Wigwam Flats near Elko but FRGC president Kevin Marasco said they would like to hit the $2 million mark to fund ongoing work Between money from the banquet and donations from the provincial government and Columbia Basin Trust Much of the project focuses on reducing tree density on the land to improve the quality of food for ungulates like deer and open their line of sight to keep them safe from predators "The landscape has changed to much over the last 30 We're just trying to help it out," said Marasco That's why we're cutting trees down and getting rid of the invasive plants." Marasco said the growing wolf population has proven to be a threat to ungulate herds and it has been difficult to keep their numbers in check We're working with the ministry to try and control the wolves a little more We have tried and hunters aren't that successful FRGC has tentatively scheduled an on-site land clearing party to kick off the project on June 15 Grade five and six students recently constructed birdhouses with help from FRGC volunteers to be placed at the Wigwam Flats site Awards were given out to local youth at the banquet Lyle Letcher, Rosco Rocca, Korbin Roberts and Georgie Lou Roberts were recognized for catching fish ranging from nine to 20" long.  Abraham Buch, Logan Hurley, Lily Earl, Jax Hurley, Austin Marasco were given awards for mule deer hunting and Logan Hurley and Aaron Marion for whitetail deer Brett Thorner and Rosco Rocca were tied at the top of the youth division in the Junior Youth Shoots. Korbin Roberts, Jude Hughes and Taryn Mutcher each earned more than 340 points in various youth shoot classes Austin Marasco achieved the maximum score in youth archery for the Junior Olympic Program Awards Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Fernie Old School Boxing Club brings its Legendary Judgement Night Boxing show to the memorial Arena May 10 The annual event has moved to the arena for the first time since it's inception We loved the melting point atmosphere the Community Centre created but we also knew there was a lot of disappointed people out there who couldn't attend as it was always a sell out at that time of year But of course our hands have been forced and we are now looking at 1000 tickets and an opportunity to raise a ton more money for causes throughout the Elk Valley," said president and head coach Mike Johnson There will be eight charity bouts featuring male and female boxers who have been training for six months and a further eight bouts featuring amateur boxers of all ages from across Alberta and BC As a club we are super excited to be hosting both ends of the spectrum of boxing We have a debut fun box featuring two nine-year-old boxers and a bout featuring former Cranbrook Canadian Champion Tom White, and his former coach Kevin Oishi from Lethbridge.  Those that attended our inaugural and sell out show at The Knox earlier this year will know what to expect a thrilling and entertaining night of Amateur Boxing The event is licensed and tickets are available at Edge of the World Limited tickets will be available on the door.  A Fernie resident who was reported missing on April 14 has been located safely by Elk Valley RCMP Barbara Currier was reported missing by a concerned family member on Monday April 14 Her family told police that she left her home on Friday April 11 at 9 a.m to go to a doctor's appointment at the Elk Valley Hospital They became concerned when they had not seen or heard from her in a few days The RCMP has successfully located Currier alive in the South Country area near Newgate and Meadow Creek Forest Service Rd They were tipped off by a member of the public who stayed with Currier to ensure her safety prior to police arrival Currier was found to be uninjured after she was attended to by staff at the Elk Valley Hospital.  and expressed appreciation for the public’s assistance in locating Currier Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Home to rowdy terrain and family-friendly slopes Fernie Alpine Resort is a place of seemingly impossible contradictions Dylan Siggers would have seemed out of place in Fernie A lanky goofball with a lighthearted disposition Siggers is today the antithesis of the hardnosed figures of Fernie’s yesteryear His skiing (which went viral in a series of self-produced videos called BURRLAPZ) making light play out of his home resort’s serious terrain with slashes Never mind that the headwall linking Fernie Alpine Resort’s five massive bowls features lines that The terrain above is as gnarly as the folks that used to make up the town it’s about simple fun—and he’s made his home mountain famous for it Fernie is a place of seemingly impossible contradictions Positioned on the border of conservative Alberta and liberal B.C. it’s common ground for dirtbag hippies and Fortune 500 CEOs It’s also in the heart of a temperate microclimate that bestows it some of the most snow in all of B.C. while the resort simultaneously profits from the giant relief of the usually dry and continental Canadian Rockies And, despite being one of the most expansive resorts in Western Canada, it remains a locals’ hill. So long as you count the 1.4 million-person burg of Calgary, Alberta—three hours away—as local, too. Peer down just slightly from the serrated edge of the famous headwall, and Fernie Alpine Resort has a softer side on offer that’s just good leagues of families and skiers seeking the mellower edge of the sport’s bell curve are tuning in to that Fernie gets 30 feet of snow a season: arguably the driest you can see exactly how the Lizard Subrange of the Canadian Rockies got its name It runs in the shape of a reptile’s slinking tail flanking the town of Fernie and forming the spine of the resort A virtually endless series of cirques extends from its contiguous ridgelines to form bowl after bowl all the way out to Island Lake Lodge cat skiing it’s a 3,550-foot-high wall of rock plastered with snow but there are a few places where you can get on top of it you get wondrous views of the chunky peaks that fade into the rolling hills of Montana “The terrain links together really well,” Siggers tells me as we hike with patroller Connie Henderson to a chute in the headwall called THC they point me down a lofty inbounds funnel that feeds into the Timber Bowl The line is chalky and has a slight right bend and as I turn the corner it mellows into a massive dreamscape of a bowl with more room than a football field These gigantic alpine canvases run along the entire resort and have made it famous for wide-open powder skiing that stretches for miles skiers have so much space in the gargantuan terrain These bowls then lead into serene glades that trace natural contours before spilling onto wide All of it is slung together by a series of chairlifts that drops skiers on top of each successive ridge Siggers grew up here and watched the system that links it all pop up in 1998 supplanting the then-humble Fernie Snow Valley community ski hill that preceded it “When I was a little kid RCR happened,” he tells me referring to when Resorts of the Canadian Rockies bought the mountain “They built the new side: the Timber chair the Bear… They kind of just pimped out the infrastructure; the Bear chair was just a T-bar before They put a ton of money into the mountain and made it huge “Murray,” as he’s colloquially known around these parts is Canadian energy-industry mogul Murray Edwards He became majority owner of the multi-resort company in 2000 (along with and has made a successful enterprise of it since Thanks to that (perhaps hasty) initial infusion of capital Fernie Alpine Resort now has an amenity-rich base area with hotels and the fine dining of Cirque Restaurant & Bar tucked into the Lizard Creek Lodge by the top of the Timber Bowl Express Quad All of this infrastructure services 2,500 acres and 142 marked runs without missing a beat You never feel like you’re commuting between lifts—just skiing the fall line and the lift upgrades didn’t necessarily change what you could ski from the first two T-bars white-haired guy with an exceedingly warm way about him Robin Siggers is Fernie Alpine Resort’s mountain operations manager He was one of the first ski bums to find Fernie He first showed up in 1977 for a job in the ski school after getting kicked out of a literal squat in the woods in Whistler When he discovered the obscure but handsome industry town where you could ski five bowls from two T-bars He split a $100 rental house four ways with three roommates for $25 a month and skied more powder than he ever had before It sort of stayed like that almost until the ’90s.” It was so raw back then there wasn’t even an avalanche control program The management dealt with the overhead hazard of the headwall by simply waiting a few days after it snowed before opening until an avalanche destroyed the mountain’s first ever chairlift only weeks after it was installed Siggers became one of the first patrollers on the mountain and raised his son on ski cuts and dawn patrols Now their family name is synonymous with skiing in Fernie “The mountain is super playful,” the young Siggers insists when I ask about his style curious why he’s less into big-mountain—given the abundance of it available—than what I consider jibbing used to host one of the burliest freeride contests in North America back in the early 2000s It raised fierce competitors like Janina Kuzma and Ryan Oakden (That was before the top brass found the whole production too risky and scaled things down to junior freeride contests on the lower mountain.) “For me there’s tons of stuff to jump off that isn’t necessarily a cliff,” Siggers explains or the terrain is shaped in a way you can catch air without there being a crazy cliff you have to jump down but lots of stuff you can scare yourself with Other places tend to either be boring or really extreme.” It turns out that middle ground is exactly what a lot of people want has made a career out of skiing the resort’s most relatable terrain It offers a gnarly headwall if you so choose or some of the most stress-free and deepest powder you can find or a sprawling midriff that families swoon over That’s the other secret ingredient to the mountain’s success The generation that skis the most has kids now the mountain’s entertaining for every level of skier That all started back in the ’90s when RCR first offered a multi-area family pass to its clientele of Alberta skiers It introduced a whole generation to the resort and cast a lasting spell over the City of Calgary—the nearest big market Fernie would not be what it is today without Calgarians—or Califernians While many small ski towns tend to treat people from the big city with an arm’s-length attitude There’s a symbiosis; Fernie would not be what it is today without Calgarians—or Califernians “We’re definitely tied to their economy,” the elder Sigger says without hesitation “The Califernians have the respect of the people that live here They’re as much a part of the community as anyone who lives here Califernians—Albertan kids who grew up skiing in Fernie and made the move when they grew up and it almost seems like you’re in a different country “The snow quality and the terrain is the biggest thing compared to the resorts that are close by,” says Rob Meaney a Calgary-based former competitive freeskier with two young sons who spends weekends in Fernie “You go there and you kind of mesh with the people from the Fernie community It’s very welcoming to people from Alberta It’s cool to see B.C.ers and Albertans cohabitating and really liking each other.” Fernie gets to avoid a bit of the jet-set circus other resort towns are struggling with Thanks to staple patronage from Calgarians Fernie doesn’t need to be an international destination or the frenzy of powder consumption that comes with it and there are crazy lift lines and a kind of powder panic,” says Siggers you get the weekend crazy rush of people who fly in from time to time Following behind Siggers and patroller Olivia Johnson I watch the duo make impressively quick work of the Knot Chutes a series of sunny alpine ramps that run in parallel below the White Pass quad (whose bull wheel is delightfully painted in mustard yellow and ketchup red) Each ridge at Fernie bisects a bowl—like Siberia For lifelong groomer Blair Craig—whose been laying corduroy on the mountain and skiing his own work 100 days a season since 1987—the Great Bear Express Quad is the zone His waist-long hair tied in bulky sections he lays into his edges with decades of technique sharpened by these exact runs As we lap the Boomerang Triple Chair to hit North Ridge and Linda’s Run Craig points out all the hidden signs in the trees: tributes to people who loved this place “There are spirits all over this mountain,” he tells me a feral moustachioed man whose face appears in the rocks of Grizzly Peak Local lore says he was a child who wandered into the woods and was raised by bears Now he lives in a cave in the headwall and shoots his musket in the sky to make it snow Everything around Fernie is named after him not least of which is the famed Griz Bar at the bottom of the resort with the tongue-and-groove tones of the ’70s impregnated in its walls and antique paraphernalia decorating it which is just something you’ll have to ask a local about there’s a winter festival called Griz Days down in town The city’s proud brick and stone façades—the emblems of its mining heritage— play backdrop to days’ worth of parades it highlights one of the best and sometimes overlooked part of a trip to Fernie: the town itself “A lot of the world-class ski hills and ski towns are getting blown out,” he posits “And Fernie hasn’t really gotten blown out yet We have a really cool downtown and lots of places to eat and drink everyone kind of leaves and it’s a small town again rock ’n’ roll and burgers at the Brickhouse Bar & Grill where local or traveling acts keep the nightlife bustling Second Avenue likewise has a wealth of coffee shops and stores to lose hours in But what’s most impressive is how well balanced everything is Fernie has struck a rhythm few places in the ski world have “When I moved here in the ’70s the population was 5,000 people,” Siggers tells me We’re at a pace where everybody’s got work The tourism influence provides a flow and an energy I ride the Polar Peak Chair as my final foray into Fernie’s multiple dimensions There are few lifts in North America that rise up such a steep and pronounced piece of terrain the slope below it was the qualifier for Fernie’s freeride competition and remains pretty serious avalanche terrain the resort placed the crown jewel of its lift system on it and made it one of the most coveted openings to chase on the mountain—also eliminating the bootpack up the Currie Headwall the mountain drops several hundred feet straight down cliffs you need to have your wits about you to find your line a cat-track ushers skiers gently into Currie Bowl Polar Peak showcases everything Fernie has on offer all in one spot I don’t get to experience the Currie Headwall on this particular visit; instead the young Siggers shepherds me out into the far corners of the bowl where we share fresh wind buff with a hundred other eager souls chasing openings without crossing a single track Home » Heritage Strategy moves forward for Fernie The Fernie & District Historical Society (FDHS) presented at the City of Fernie’s latest council meeting (Apr. 8) at the Senior’s Centre, requesting that city officials adopt their Heritage Strategy before ratifying the next update of the Official Community Plan (OCP). FDHS Board President Mike Palamarek gave Mayor Nic Milligan, city councillors, and the public an overview of the Fernie Heritage Strategy (FHS). Palamarek stated his organization’s intention to realign and integrate an existing partnership agreement between the city and FDHS, drafted in 2023, to assess the key performance indicators (KPI) from the FHS released to the public in 2020 and adopt the existing FHS before the next update of the OCP. “Fundamentally, it’s a guided resource to assist the city in achieving its goals and actions- that’s why it was created,” said Palamarek. He further explained that the FHS is designed to preserve and promote Fernie’s unique heritage, enhance the city’s cultural identity, and potentially attract tourism and investment, which could bring new opportunities and growth to the community. Palamarek’s report listed the specifics of the FHS, including the History and Timeline of Fernie’s Heritage Activities, the Vision for Heritage in Fernie, Best Practices/Planning Tools, and Strategies/Actions to Achieve the OCP Goals and Actions. Touting the success of Kelowna’s Heritage Strategy (KHS), he suggested that Fernie follow its lead as a municipality with comparable heritage resources. According to Palamarek, Kelowna has successfully adopted the KHS into its OCP and created a community heritage register, conservation areas, a heritage planning committee, protected tree and heritage development bylaws, and historical designations because of its impact. Fernie council voiced concerns regarding the alignment of the FHS with the current bylaws and the OCP, suggesting that adopting the FHS before the finalization and adoption of the upcoming OCP update could lead to conflicts in future planning. After careful discussion between the mayor, council, and staff members, Fernie council adopted a motion suggested by City Manager of Planning Derek Cimolini to see both documents (FHS & OCP) adopted together, following a review and refinement of policies in both articles before ratifying either agreement. The city council’s decision to adopt the new motion was unanimous. “I think the FHS and the OCP should be adopted together. This accomplishes both and is in concordance through process and legislation as a precaution,” said Milligan. To receive future episodes as soon as they’re live please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription You can also subscribe to the free tier below: Share Andy Cohen, General Manager of Fernie Alpine Resort, British Columbia Photo courtesy of Andy Cohen.Recorded onSeptember 3 Click here for a mountain stats overview Owned by: Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which also owns: Closest neighboring ski areas: Fairmont Hot Springs (1:15) Panorama (1:45) – travel times vary considerably given time of year and weather conditions Average annual snowfall: 360 inches/914 Canadian inches (also called centimeters) Trail count: 145 named runs plus five alpine bowls and tree skiing (4% extreme Lift count: 10 (2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 3 triples, 1 T-bar, 1 Poma, 1 conveyor - view Lift Blog’s inventory of Fernie’s lift fleet) On Fernie still being an active mining town; housing; the massive potential expansions outlined in Fernie’s masterplan; avy control when you build a ski area beneath five massive alpine bowls; “what do you have to do in yield and volume to pay off a $22 million lift?”; managing Polar Peak; “Covid changed Fernie”; it’s an intermediates game really; yes even Fernie has a little snowmaking; and “La Nina is back!” Photo courtesy of Fernie Alpine Resort It’s curious that Fernie is on the Epic Pass and nobody seems Really Mad about it “Ikon Pass” is a four-letter word in Little Cottonwood Canyon Sun Valley locals were reportedly thrilled to ditch Epic But the general reaction to Fernie being on the Epic Pass seems to be “oh I didn’t know that Fernie was on the Epic Pass.” Perhaps it is the configuration of this partnership – seven days split across all six RCR resorts and only on the full Epic Pass (or four-plus day Epic Day Pass) – that dampens the outrage Perhaps the ease of accessing Vail’s brand-name flagships pulls would-be Fern-A-Maniacs away from Powder Highway fantasies Or perhaps Vail is just underselling the partnership sticking RCR off in a corner with Paoli Peaks and waving vaguely in its direction “Your Epic Pass delivers access to more than 9,000 EPTAKULAR RESORTS and a bunch of other crap like Crested Summit or Stalking Horse whatever.” There is another conclusion one could draw from these dramatic-but-somewhat-misleading photos: maybe we should find someplace to snosportski where that doesn’t happen. According to Cohen, you can most often “ski right onto our lifts” at Fernie. So yeah think about that. This is a bowl you can ski on the Epic Pass that is not a Legendary Back Bowl(TM) Photo courtesy of Fernie Alpine Resort.Questions I wish I’d askedUp until around 2007 Fernie ran a surface lift called “Face Lift” up into Lizard Bowl but I’d like to know the logic behind removing it I said that Copper Mountain “had only been open a couple of years” in 1976. The resort opened in 1972. I noted that Kimberley’s Black Forest Expansion was “teased” on old trailmaps, but that terrain has in fact been live in its current form since the 1990s. What I meant was that circa early-2000s trailmaps teased new terrain adjacent to Black Forest (see Kimberley trailmap above). Sometimes I get overly doctrinaire on how much better Canadians – and especially British Columbians (or whatever) – are at facilitating the expansion of ski areas and building out of associated infrastructure. While I still believe this is true, Cohen checks me on this, saying (in essence) “actually things are a real pain in the ass up here too.” But both things can be true, and I believe that they are. When I decided that I wanted to be a skier, I did what anyone who wanted to be anything did in the 1990s: I went to the drugstore and bought a magazine on the topic. Skiing, December 1994. It only took a few pages to begin absorbing the jargon and the zeitgeist, and to conclude that the unnamable glee that unwound as I free-fell down a mountain was not a singular experience, but a profound force running invisibly through the world that, like radio waves, transformed existence once tapped. And I learned, quickly, the places to be. A big profile on Squaw. A big profile on Whiteface. And a 12-page spread entitled Inside B.C. – A radical road trip into the unknown heart of one powder-rich province. It began: British Columbia is best known for Whistler/Blackcomb and CMH heli-skiing, but neither of these drew me up there. Instead it was the stories from my ski-bum friends. Having ventured into the snow-blessed boonies of B.C., skiing places with names I’d never heard of, my friends had come back from Canada practically rabid with glee. I had never been to British Columbia, except for a weekend at Whistler. I had to see what was going on. Late last March I decided to find out. My plan was ambitious: a nine-day, 2,200-mile loop alone the back roads of southeastern B.C. The trip would encompass seven distinctly different and seldom-publicized ski experiences, ranging from lift-served to backcountry to snowcat and heli-skiing. My transportation for this road trip would be my pickup truck, a weak, four-cylinder vehicle that would lose a race to a canned ham. We left my house in southern Montana before dawn on a Tuesday morning. We followed the northern Rockies, on U.S. 93, crossed the Canadian border, and continued 40 miles north to Fernie, an old mining town wedged into a narrow valley encircled by rock-crested peaks. Drop-dead gorgeous like Jackson, snow-flooded like Alta, and entirely tourist-trap free, Fernie is a ski-bum’s paradise. … That’s not all. If you’re willing to do a good bit of slogging, Fernie’s out-of-bounds options include eight more powder bowls, hundreds more chutes, and countless additional tree lines. You can’t even see all the skiable terrain in one day. If Fernie were in the States, it would probably eclipse Jackson Hole or Taos or Squaw as America’s hard-core hangout. Well that looks fun. Photo courtesy of Fernie Alpine Resort.Podcast NotesOn Fernie’s masterplanSo much potential terrain, none of which we’re likely to see anytime soon: On Ski RoundtopCohen learned to ski at Roundtop, Pennsylvania, a 600-vertical-foot bump that’s now owned (along with seemingly everything else in the state), by Vail Resorts. The ski area only averages 30 inches of snow per winter, making it a case study in snowmaking’s potential to push skiing through the weather apocalypse. Roundtop delivers some terrific fall line runs, and it skis bigger than this trailmap makes it look: On Spademan bindingsI’m not much of a gear aficionado, and I sort of just nodded along when Cohen was describing his history peddling Spademan bindings in his Summit County yesteryears. But I looked them up afterwards and gosh these things sound pretty great – per Retro Skiing: There was no toe piece or heel piece for that matter A small metal plate attached mid-sole of the ski boot clipped into the binding The concept was that the plate and binding aligned with the tibial axis of the lower leg and would release in the event of an excessive twisting force One adjustment controlled the release tension of the binding The binding caught on with rental shops since it shortened set-up time significantly Spademan rental statistics showed an injury rate of 1 fracture in 50,000 skier days versus an average 1 in 20,000 skier days for other types of rentals Ski boot soles were changing and it took negotiating a standard that would assure compatibility with the Spademan binding The standard also involved changes to the bindings Re-tooling meant that Spademan was late getting the new bindings to market for the next season which impacted sales significantly Spademan sales continued to drop and in 1983 Spademan bindings went out of business Hmmm maybe these things would have come in handy when I twisted my lower leg bones into cornmeal. On Whitefish/Big MountainCohen refers to one of his past jobs at “Whitefish,” then corrects it to “Big Mountain.” These are in fact the same ski area, before and after a 2007 rebranding, as covered in last year’s podcast with Whitefish President Nick Polumbus For a time, Cohen owned Poley Mountain, New Brunswick. This is a 660-footer served by a triple and a fixed-grip quad: Modern-day Poley Mountain.On Kicking HorseFernie’s Powder Highway sister resort, Kicking Horse, is generally considered to have some of the nastiest inbounds terrain in North America. The place also rocks a 4,314-foot vertical drop, roughly equal to Big Sky: On Kimberley’s lift evolution and the fireIn late 2021, an arsonist set fire to Kimberley’s North Star Express, knocking the high-speed quad out of operation for the remainder of the winter. The problem, as you can see on the resort’s trailmap, is that North Star acts as Kimberley’s sole out-of-base connector lift to the ski area’s extensive backside terrain: In North Star’s absence, mountain officials acquired extra snowcats to move skiers to Tamarack Ridge and beyond for the remainder of the winter. It wasn’t a terrible stopgap, but the mountain may have found it handy to have been able to flip on one of the three redundant lifts that once served Kimberley’s frontside: Kimberley circa 2002. All vintage maps sourced from skimap.org.But after stringing North Star to the summit in 1999, Kimberley methodically removed the double, T-bar, and triple. Cohen, who also long oversaw this Fernie sister resort, explains why. Like so many B.C. ski areas, Fernie was, for decades, a relatively small operation crowded at the base of a huge mountain. Here’s a 1996 snapshot of the resort boundaries and rustic lift network: Fernie circa 1996.Two monster lifts – the 8,616-foot-long, 2,154-vertical-foot Timber Bowl Express quad and the White Pass fixed-grip quad – blew out Fernie’s borders substantially in 1998: Fernie circa 1998.The 2011 addition of Polar Peak set the basic modern resort footprint Fernie Alpine Resort doesn’t rise directly over town in that walk-to-the-lifts Aspen or Telluride kind of way, but it looms over town, and does sit just down the road: due to the failure of aging equipment and poor operational and management decisions according to a report by Technical Safety B.C TSBC — the independent body that oversees the installation and operation of arena ice-making machinery — found that a small ammonia leak in the equipment at the Fernie Memorial Arena curling rink escalated into "a rapid release of ammonia" into the mechanical room Fernie's chief facility operator and Jason Podloski a refrigeration technician with contractor CIMCO Refrigeration in Calgary and likely suffered a "rapid death," according to Jeff Coleman Exposure to acute levels of ammonia causes trauma to the respiratory system Canadian ski towns seem to be weathering the various pressures of short-term rentals and general lack of new housing inventory somewhat better than their American counterparts and used my podcast conversation earlier this year with Red Mountain CEO Howard Katkov on his mountain’s relationship with Rossland as context WARNING: Pretty much everyone who listens to the Red Mountain episode has already decided to move there so expect disruptions to the local housing markets over the long-term (still hating on you The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round Share This podcast hit paid subscribers\u2019 inboxes on Oct To receive future episodes as soon as they\u2019re live Share Andy Cohen, General Manager of Fernie Alpine Resort, British Columbia Click here for a mountain stats overview Panorama (1:45) \u2013 travel times vary considerably given time of year and weather conditions Lift count: 10 (2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 3 triples, 1 T-bar, 1 Poma, 1 conveyor - view Lift Blog\u2019s inventory of Fernie\u2019s lift fleet) On Fernie still being an active mining town; housing; the massive potential expansions outlined in Fernie\u2019s masterplan; avy control when you build a ski area beneath five massive alpine bowls; \u201Cwhat do you have to do in yield and volume to pay off a $22 million lift?\u201D; managing Polar Peak; \u201CCovid changed Fernie\u201D; it\u2019s an intermediates game really; yes even Fernie has a little snowmaking; and \u201CLa Nina is back!\u201D It\u2019s curious that Fernie is on the Epic Pass and nobody seems Really Mad about it \u201CIkon Pass\u201D is a four-letter word in Little Cottonwood Canyon But the general reaction to Fernie being on the Epic Pass seems to be \u201Coh I didn\u2019t know that Fernie was on the Epic Pass.\u201D Perhaps it is the configuration of this partnership \u2013 seven days split across all six RCR resorts and only on the full Epic Pass (or four-plus day Epic Day Pass) \u2013 that dampens the outrage Perhaps the ease of accessing Vail\u2019s brand-name flagships pulls would-be Fern-A-Maniacs away from Powder Highway fantasies \u201CYour Epic Pass delivers access to more than 9,000 EPTAKULAR RESORTS and a bunch of other crap like Crested Summit or Stalking Horse whatever.\u201D There is another conclusion one could draw from these dramatic-but-somewhat-misleading photos: maybe we should find someplace to snosportski where that doesn\u2019t happen. According to Cohen, you can most often \u201Cski right onto our lifts\u201D at Fernie. So yeah think about that. Photo courtesy of Fernie Alpine Resort.Questions I wish I\u2019d askedUp until around 2007 Fernie ran a surface lift called \u201CFace Lift\u201D up into Lizard Bowl I didn\u2019t notice this T-bar (I\u2019m assuming) but I\u2019d like to know the logic behind removing it I said that Copper Mountain \u201Chad only been open a couple of years\u201D in 1976. The resort opened in 1972. I noted that Kimberley\u2019s Black Forest Expansion was \u201Cteased\u201D on old trailmaps, but that terrain has in fact been live in its current form since the 1990s. What I meant was that circa early-2000s trailmaps teased new terrain adjacent to Black Forest (see Kimberley trailmap above). Sometimes I get overly doctrinaire on how much better Canadians \u2013 and especially British Columbians (or whatever) \u2013 are at facilitating the expansion of ski areas and building out of associated infrastructure. While I still believe this is true, Cohen checks me on this, saying (in essence) \u201Cactually things are a real pain in the ass up here too.\u201D But both things can be true, and I believe that they are. And I learned, quickly, the places to be. A big profile on Squaw. A big profile on Whiteface. And a 12-page spread entitled Inside B.C. \u2013 A radical road trip into the unknown heart of one powder-rich province. It began: British Columbia is best known for Whistler/Blackcomb and CMH heli-skiing, but neither of these drew me up there. Instead it was the stories from my ski-bum friends. Having ventured into the snow-blessed boonies of B.C., skiing places with names I\u2019d never heard of, my friends had come back from Canada practically rabid with glee. I had never been to British Columbia, except for a weekend at Whistler. I had to see what was going on. We left my house in southern Montana before dawn on a Tuesday morning. We followed the northern Rockies, on U.S. 93, crossed the Canadian border, and continued 40 miles north to Fernie, an old mining town wedged into a narrow valley encircled by rock-crested peaks. Drop-dead gorgeous like Jackson, snow-flooded like Alta, and entirely tourist-trap free, Fernie is a ski-bum\u2019s paradise. \u2026 That\u2019s not all. If you\u2019re willing to do a good bit of slogging, Fernie\u2019s out-of-bounds options include eight more powder bowls, hundreds more chutes, and countless additional tree lines. You can\u2019t even see all the skiable terrain in one day. If Fernie were in the States, it would probably eclipse Jackson Hole or Taos or Squaw as America\u2019s hard-core hangout. Well that looks fun. Photo courtesy of Fernie Alpine Resort.Podcast NotesOn Fernie\u2019s masterplanSo much potential terrain, none of which we\u2019re likely to see anytime soon: On Ski RoundtopCohen learned to ski at Roundtop, Pennsylvania, a 600-vertical-foot bump that\u2019s now owned (along with seemingly everything else in the state), by Vail Resorts. The ski area only averages 30 inches of snow per winter, making it a case study in snowmaking\u2019s potential to push skiing through the weather apocalypse. Roundtop delivers some terrific fall line runs, and it skis bigger than this trailmap makes it look: On Spademan bindingsI\u2019m not much of a gear aficionado, and I sort of just nodded along when Cohen was describing his history peddling Spademan bindings in his Summit County yesteryears. But I looked them up afterwards and gosh these things sound pretty great \u2013 per Retro Skiing: Spademan sales continued to drop and in 1983 Spademan bindings went out of business.  Hmmm maybe these things would have come in handy when I twisted my lower leg bones into cornmeal. On Whitefish/Big MountainCohen refers to one of his past jobs at \u201CWhitefish,\u201D then corrects it to \u201CBig Mountain.\u201D These are in fact the same ski area, before and after a 2007 rebranding, as covered in last year\u2019s podcast with Whitefish President Nick Polumbus For a time, Cohen owned Poley Mountain, New Brunswick. This is a 660-footer served by a triple and a fixed-grip quad: Modern-day Poley Mountain.On Kicking HorseFernie\u2019s Powder Highway sister resort, Kicking Horse, is generally considered to have some of the nastiest inbounds terrain in North America. The place also rocks a 4,314-foot vertical drop, roughly equal to Big Sky: On Kimberley\u2019s lift evolution and the fireIn late 2021, an arsonist set fire to Kimberley\u2019s North Star Express, knocking the high-speed quad out of operation for the remainder of the winter. The problem, as you can see on the resort\u2019s trailmap, is that North Star acts as Kimberley\u2019s sole out-of-base connector lift to the ski area\u2019s extensive backside terrain: In North Star\u2019s absence, mountain officials acquired extra snowcats to move skiers to Tamarack Ridge and beyond for the remainder of the winter. It wasn\u2019t a terrible stopgap, but the mountain may have found it handy to have been able to flip on one of the three redundant lifts that once served Kimberley\u2019s frontside: Kimberley circa 2002. All vintage maps sourced from skimap.org.But after stringing North Star to the summit in 1999, Kimberley methodically removed the double, T-bar, and triple. Cohen, who also long oversaw this Fernie sister resort, explains why. Like so many B.C. ski areas, Fernie was, for decades, a relatively small operation crowded at the base of a huge mountain. Here\u2019s a 1996 snapshot of the resort boundaries and rustic lift network: Fernie circa 1996.Two monster lifts \u2013 the 8,616-foot-long, 2,154-vertical-foot Timber Bowl Express quad and the White Pass fixed-grip quad \u2013 blew out Fernie\u2019s borders substantially in 1998: Fernie Alpine Resort doesn\u2019t rise directly over town in that walk-to-the-lifts Aspen or Telluride kind of way, but it looms over town, and does sit just down the road: TSBC \u2014 the independent body that oversees the installation and operation of arena ice-making machinery \u2014 found that a small ammonia leak in the equipment at the Fernie Memorial Arena curling rink escalated into \\\"a rapid release of ammonia\\\" into the mechanical room were trying to fix the ice-maker on Oct when the ammonia burst from the unit, and likely suffered a \\\"rapid death,\\\" according to Jeff Coleman and used my podcast conversation earlier this year with Red Mountain CEO Howard Katkov on his mountain\u2019s relationship with Rossland as context WARNING: Pretty much everyone who listens to the Red Mountain episode has already decided to move there Share The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 63/100 in 2024, and number 563 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account A 67-year-old man died Wednesday at the Fernie Alpine Resort despite “tremendous efforts” to rescue him Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Fernie Alpine Patrol found the man within a natural terrain trap buried in snow near the top of the ski hill The ski patrol and BC Ambulance attempted to keep the man alive including through the use of an automated external defibrillator and he was taken to a local hospital by BC Ambulance But after several hours of medical intervention the man was taken off life support and declared dead Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Poor visibility is believed to have led the man into a naturally occurring terrain trap under one of the first lift towers of the Polar Peak lift roughly six metres long by nine metres wide and was filled with loose and undisturbed snow offers an “impressive” vertical descent of 1,052 metres from peak to base and is the “exclusive domain for experts.”  “Elk Valley RCMP offer their condolences to the family during this difficult time who continue to be supported by RCMP Victim Services,” RCMP said Friday Fernie is about 190 kilometres southwest of Calgary stipper@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Last week Fernie Fire and Emergency Services presented a cheque for $1500 to Twin Meadows Animal Rescue The Fire Department raises money each year for local nonprofits through their annual Calendar Fundraiser and this year they raised a total of $3000 The remaining proceeds will be donated to other local nonprofits later this year.  For the most up to date recreation schedules The City of Fernie's Stage 1 Water Restrictions are automatically in effect from March 1 - October 31 of each year David Beckham and youngest son Cruz brought some celebrity buzz to the slopes of Fernie during a recent snowboarding trip now drawing international attention The former professional soccer star shared photos of the excursion Thursday with his 88 million Instagram followers “Nothing like being in the powder with family,” said the 49-year-old father of four which commentators say were taken at Fernie “We’re so glad you got to experience how rad the cat skiing is at Island Lake Lodge,” said Tourism Fernie Others were pleased to see that Beckham — one photo showed him in a mint-green skit jacket on a snowy mountain with the caption “Nothing better” and a maple leaf underneath — was supporting Canada We are glad you and family are here,” said one poster posting that it’s “pretty sure those are the mountains that inspired our Iced Capp.” The globetrotting pair are becoming regular March guests of Island Lake Lodge when he posted: “What an amazing experience with friends creating incredible memories … ending with the perfect triple somersault face plant.” “Special family moments in Muskoka,” said Victoria.  An Island Lake spokesperson declined to comment on Beckham’s recent trip, saying in an email to Postmedia that “we value the privacy and experience of all our guests and do not share information about them out of respect for their confidentiality.” Beckham, who has a Netflix series about his life, began his professional soccer career with Manchester United, representing the world-famous English club from 1992 to 2003 and winning six Premier League titles and one European Cup there. He also played for other European soccer giants Real Madrid, Paris St.-Germain and AC Milan, and finished his 21-year playing career at the Los Angeles Galaxy. The fashion icon is now an owner of Inter Miami, the team led by Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, and is a UNICEF ambassador. View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) Home » Missing woman found alive near Newgate the missing person Barbara Currier was located alive in the South Country area near Newgate and Meadow Creek Forest Service Road The reporting witness stayed at that location to ensure her safety Currier to the Fernie Hospital to be checked on by hospital staff are very appreciative of the public’s assistance in the safe resolution of this concerning event Barbara Currier (pictured) was reported missing to Elk Valley RCMP on Monday The family indicated that Barbara had left her residence on April 11 at approximately 9 a.m Barbara left driving her black 2012 Dodge Journey (see above stock photo for reference) saying she would be going to a doctor’s appointment and then returning home She was wearing jeans Her wallet and cellphone were left at her residence Barbara may walk with a limp and be seen to have some type of growth on the underside of an arm that is clearly visible Police have spoken with a number of friends hospitals and health authorities and have checked video at a number of locations in the Fernie area in an attempt to locate Barbara or a pathway of travel for her vehicle Financial records have been investigated since the file’s outset and family and police are concerned for her wellbeing  The family has shared some information on social media already about Barbara If anyone has information regarding Barbara the public is asked to contact Elk Valley Regional RCMP at 250-425-6233 to speak with an officer Please refer to Barbara by name or file number 2025-1024 A person who wishes to remain anonymous can also provide their information through BC Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 Further updates will be shared with the public when available Photos submitted by Elk Valley Regional RCMP The Fernie Chamber of Commerce is hosting its third annual Golf Tournament FUNdraiser on June 19 The event features a nine-hole scramble at Fernie Golf Club to raise money to support some of the Chamber's primary initiatives including membership advocacy labour force development, economic development and engagement This is one of the Chamber's most popular fundraisers providing an opportunity for businesses to network and team-build Early registration runs from May 1 – 19 with the chance of winning one of two range passes donated by The Fernie Golf Club. Up to 80 golfers can participate with attendees registering in teams of four Tickets are $150 per person for Chamber members or $200 per person for future-members  Registration includes green fees The Fernie Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit membership-driven business association representing nearly 300 businesses across the Elk Valley Its mission is to sustainably strengthen the local economy and quality of life in Fernie through advocacy and events that directly support its members To register, visit the Fernie Chamber of Commerce website. All residents who currently receive curbside collection will also receive weekly pickup of organic waste (kitchen and yard waste) beginning September 23rd for Area 2 and September 24th for Area 1. On your neighborhood’s designated collection day simply place your cart in the same spot as garbage or recycling and it will be collected.   the community will help to extend the life of the landfill reduce our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and the City’s impact on the environment August – September 2024:  Starting on August 19 residents will receive delivery of curbside organics cart collection schedule and information package September 2024: Changes to Collection Area Boundaries: The Alpine Trails and Parkland Terrace neighbourhoods will be part of Area 1 starting with the first organics collection on September 23rd First Curbside Organics Collections: Curbside organics collection begins September 23rd for Area 2 and September 24th for Area 1 December 2024: Garbage collection:  Will move to every other week Area 2 will have their first bi-weekly collection on December 12th You’ll be able to put a range of items in your organics bin from yard waste and food scraps to pizza boxes If you can't determine if an item is compostable 1) Review acceptable items at fernie.ca/organics 2) Email operations@fernie.ca for clarification 3) Put it in your garbage bin - when in doubt For more information on the new Organic Collection Program, visit our LetsTalk page or visit our Waste & Recycling Collection page 2024 Collection Calendar  Organics Guidebook  Home » Fernie Fox Hotel expansion announced Peacock Hospitality is proud to announce its plans to expand the Fernie Fox Hotel with the addition of 50 new one and two-bedroom suites mid-sized meeting space and enhanced guest amenities This expansion project is a continuation of the company’s efforts to provide the highest level of guest experience to increase the sustainability of the hotel (both socio-economically and ecologically) and to attract more visitors and investment to the local community The development will elevate the guest experience in Fernie offering mountain-modern suites to travellers visiting from around the world fully-funded project will incorporate a strong focus on eco-friendly building design The expansion helps build upon Peacock Hospitality’s goal of operating the most sustainable hotel property in British Columbia and construction techniques will prioritize long-term sustainability and optimize life cycle costs These priorities reinforce the company’s commitment to supporting the region’s economy preserving the natural beauty that draws visitors to Fernie and creating a vibrant and livable community for locals to prosper Revenues from the expansion will enable the company to increase it’s support and enrichment of Fernie’s vibrant local culture and community groups “We’re thrilled to enhance the Fernie Fox Hotel experience while staying true to our core values of sustainability and community support,” said Jeremiah Pauw “This project reflects a commitment to creating economic opportunities locally and protecting the environment for generations to come We invite the community to join us on this exciting newadventure as we strive to develop something the community can be proud of.” The new suites are designed with discerning travellers in mind offering premium accommodations while remaining in harmony with the community and its surroundings Guests can look forward to an upscale stay emphasizing comfort Design finalization and site prep work are currently in progress while construction is slated to begin spring 2026 The Fernie Fox Hotel currently has 43-rooms Lead image: An artist’s rendering of the proposed expansion over 300 swimmers competed at the 2025 Fernie Fox Invitational a three-day swim meet with athletes ranging from five-years-old to 20-years-old The hometown Dolphins fielded a team of 105 swimmers and came away with an astonishing 96 podium finishes managing a top-three spot in nearly every event “It would take too long to list all our medalists,” said coach Aidan Chudleigh “That’s an indication of the club’s growing depth What the coaching team is especially pleased with is the number of personal best times – in over 90 percent of our swims the athletes clocked significant improvement.” the swimmers had earned a combined 420 personal best times Some of those new records went to the usual high achievers: Layla Rella (50 free recently finished his hockey season and renewing his commitment to swimming set club records in the 50 back and 100 IM TJ Dube swam a strong 200 back to break a record that has stood for decades and Archie Locker broke Jaren Beck’s record in the 50 fly Dropping an impressive seven seconds in the 100 free Parker Egan made his way onto the record board for the first time The boys set records in the 200 free relays for both the 10 & under (Nate Dodds Parker Egan) and 15 & over (Ethan Sauve Anouk Demers) set out with the impressive goal of breaking two minutes in the 4 X 50 free relay and in so doing broke a record that dates back to the youth of Fernie swimming legends Olivia Howse and Leah Soetaert “I know they’re capable of getting under that two-minute mark,” said Chudleigh. “And we’ll keep pushing in that direction." The team will end the season at the ManSask Provincials in Winnipeg double the size of team they’ve fielded in the past “This team keeps proving two old adages: success breeds success and hard work always pays off.” Home » Federal All Candidates Forum April 17 in Fernie The Fernie Chamber of Commerce is hosting a federal all-candidates’ forum on Thursday This is your chance to hear directly from the candidates and make an informed decision in the April 28 election – Rob Morrison – Conservative candidate and incumbent MP; – Jim Weidrick – Independent candidate; – Kallee Lins – NDP candidate; – Reggie Goldsbury – Liberal candidate – Steven Maffioli – Green Party candidate Fernie athletes Ben Novecosky and Griffin Paterson finished the ski season with a bang at the Junior Freeride World Championships in Kirkwood They skied a challenging mountain course filled with rock features and cliffs earlier in April Novecosky landed a few strong cliff jumps and two 360 spins and moved up from the top of the pack in the first round to first place at the event finish in U19 He finished ahead of American athletes Gus Olson and Hayes Livernois who claimed second and third place He's currently ranked first in Canada and third overall in North America and South America which has opened up a spot for him to compete in the Junior Freeride World Tour next season.  Paterson launched a 360 jump off a 30 foot cliff which gave him an eighth place finish.  Freeride athletes are judged based on their control and style and energy, as they ski a run with natural features It's a more intuitive sport than other disciplines Skiers have to pick their best technical lines while also bringing their own style and energy to the run Athletes are not able to ski the course before the event so they have to think on their feet as they go When I drop in it's like yeah I'm just skiing with the boys That's how I have it in my head," said Paterson The weather started out as a mild five degrees in the morning and steadily warmed to 23 degrees by afternoon which made for challenging conditions on the course Novecosky said the icy slopes gradually became slushy revealing a lot of exposed rock.  the snow was literally melting off the cliff as people were dropping they actually have a guy start shovelling snow on the cliff It was basically unhittable if you didn't put snow on it," said Novecosky The event marks the end of a good season for the young athletes Novecosky placed fifth in Canada after competitions at Lake Louise Paterson made a comeback after a knee injury last season and he had his first competition in Lake Louise only a few weeks after returning to the hill Novecosky said he's excited about the World Tour next season His dream is to travel the world as a professional freerider and film ski movies in foreign countries he switched to online schooling so he can dedicate more time to skiing The Fernie Chamber of Commerce is hosting an All-Candidates Forum on April 17 at Park Place Lodge for the upcoming federal election Residents of the Elk Valley will have the opportunity to meet with some of the local candidates representing Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies in the federal election and discuss important political issues that impact the community is Conservative candidate and incumbent MP Rob Morrison NDP candidate Kallee Lins, Liberal candidate Reggie Goldsbury The candidates will be asked a series of written questions submitted by the audience prior to the event but there will be no live questions accepted from the floor Questions will be reviewed by Chamber staff prior to the event.  The forum is open to all residents and is free of charge To register and submit questions visit the Fernie Chamber of Commerce website click on the Events tab and visit the All Candidate Forum. All questions must be submitted prior to April 15 Canadians will head to the polls on April 28 Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines. but the city’s mayor says a recent cold snap has revived interest in the facility as well as $20,000 to help pay for half of its initial operation and maintenance The outdoor rink opened about two months after the tragedy closed the arena “It provided us with an immediate solution for skating in the community and it was great,” said Fernie Mayor Nic Milligan But it’s been challenging to keep the outdoor rink going in the past couple of years volunteers regularly cleared the snow from the asphalt pad interest waned and Fernie was relying on a single volunteer a temporary shed — containing equipment for flooding and maintaining the ice But the ice resurfacer can’t be stored there now The shed doesn’t conform to the building code and was never intended to be permanent estimating residents could skate at the rink for perhaps 20 to 25 days a season Volunteers cleared the concrete pad of snow last week but were disappointed they couldn’t skate at the outdoor rink due to the lack of services to flood the surface and get the ice ready to go because people are seeing a missed opportunity,” said Milligan The outdoor rink site is also being considered for a fieldhouse to fill a gap in the limited indoor recreation options currently available in Fernie after the city was forced to close its community centre last June But Fernie’s mayor does see a “path forward” for the outdoor rink at the current site or another one “We don’t want to squander the gift and we don’t want to squander the goodwill that it’s generated in the community,” said Milligan said that helping Fernie residents after the community’s arena closed would be the “perfect thing” to do but it will hopefully help the people of that community Home » Fernie Rotary searching for Griz Pin winner The Rotary Club of Fernie is searching for the winner of this year’s Griz Pin draw from Griz Days (Feb The winning number (2996) was drawn on March 5 but to date The lucky winner is invited to email [email protected] to claim their $1,000 cash prize “Thank you to everyone who supported the Fernie Rotary Club by purchasing a Griz Pin Your contributions help us continue our important community initiatives,” the club stated Contruction is set to begin April 14 on the Mountview Dike Phase 2 and Coal Creek Bin Wall Rehabilitation Project.  The project will involve disruptions to the TransCanada Trail on top of the dike along Coal Creek and the Elk River and temporary closures to the south end of the Dogwood Park and associated trails the Sharpes Field Section and the Coal Creek Section The Mountview Dike Phase 2 and Coal Creek Bin Wall Rehabilitation project is the City’s fifth major flood mitigation initiative and is valued at $1.98 million (grant funded) The Mountview Dike is approximately 2,100 m long and located to the north and west of the Mountview neighbourhood on the left bank of the Elk River The Coal Creek Bin Wall is approximately 235 m long and is located on the left bank of Coal Creek just upstream of the confluence of the Elk River and Coal Creek This rehabilitation project will armour 350m of the dike at the confluence of the Elk River and Coal Creek along Sharpes Field repair sections of the Coal Creek Bin Wall and rehabilitate scour protection in the creek The first phase will impact the Mountview Dike along Sharpe’s Field – from Mt Minton entrance of James White Park to the start of the Coal Creek Bin Wall The contractor will be removing trees in the area to armour the waterside of the dike with additional riprap.  TransCanada pathway along the top of the dike and the path along the water’s edge of the park within the Sharpes Field Section will be closed for the duration of repairs Coal Creek will temporarily be rerouted from its path hugging the bin wall to the opposite side of the creek bed for the duration of the Coal Creek Section work.  Several of the bins that make up the bin wall will be repaired and scour protection will be installed along the toe of the wall.  the Coal Creek portion of the TransCanada Trail will be closed from the Cokato Rd access to Sharpes Field Temporary closures to the south end of Dogwood Park will occur during this time as the contractor will need material storage and access the north shore of Coal Creek Access to the Dogwood Park Boat Launch will not be affected by this project the contractor intends to re-open areas of the parks and trail network where possible Sharpe's Field will be closed to the public while contractors utilize the area to store materials and heavy equipment Please respect all marked closures and give crews space to safely do their work If you have any questions or feedback about the project, please direct them to operations@fernie.ca  Impacted area residents will receive a written notice outlining the project timeline you could hack it in any ski town for a winter but if you’re thinking about sticking it out you’re going to want more than just access to lifts It takes a fine balance to make a perfect ski town: equal parts culture and deep snow is one of the places we think we could settle down for a while When I decided shortly after college to quit my new job in New York City it was for just one more full season of skiing Ingrained in my head was a clip from an old Greg Stump movie I flew to Colorado and promptly hitched a ride north with a fellow skier I didn’t know we pulled into a little town where snowbanks hid the buildings and stop signs had to be dug out I bought a season pass at the end of my first day skiing The fact that I didn’t know anyone in town and couldn’t work in Canada didn’t even register Fernie seemed like the kind of place where one could work that stuff out later this little valley got the most snow in North America that season And I could blame Fernie for the fact the fact that ‘one more year of skiing’ has stretched to a decade Want more? No chance at Canadian citizenship.  There are other dream towns Fernie draws people for a few reasons side and backcountry terrain in the Lizard Range are Fernie’s stand-out assets and attitude is best left in other ski towns The sense of community in Fernie is strong as well as those who arrived in search of powder and draw a big crowd for whom summer sports are tops Fernie-based pro telemarker Martha Burley sums that part up saying,“In the end this makes more people want to move here for the winters because there is so much powder still and no one to ski it!”  Fernie also holds the Smith Optics Fernie Freeskiing competition and a plethora of other local ski comps All the usual ski town service industry and construction jobs can be found in Fernie Going from seasonal work to any semblance of a career is not easy The deal in Fernie: the economy still has a reliance on coal-mining Some locals make a good living mining and then get out and shred hard but Fernie is steadily growing its tourism economy The growth has opened plentiful opportunities for entrepreneurs and industrious individuals to open ski and tourism-related businesses Or you can hole up at the Raging Elk and go shred every day you’ll soon have plenty of friends to ask for help first hand one other thing Fernie does not lack for is fun—maybe too fun—locals A lively crew of international ski bums call Fernie home and Fernie is a main stop for live music in BC and the Northern generally wins it for late night fun but there’s a growing plethora of fun bars and restaurants For people with their eye on the powder alone “There’s a whole clubbing scene now which keeps lots of people off the slopes and on the dance floor,” is Burley’s local take on the revelry Fernie does well on the gastro scale as well with a variety of ethnic eateries, and newcomers like Picnic are pushing the high-end it boasts specialties like a chocolate shop The best beef jerky you’ll ever eat is found at the Fernie Meat Market which will also pack wild game for successful local hunters Transportation:  Access to a car is key – public transit is not stellar Season Pass: $1,300 CAN full price for full pass Triva:  It was the town and resort filmed in the 2010 comedy “Hot Tub Time Machine” we want to ensure it will be the right fit for everyone involved When Liv and their partner were camping up island in September 2024 they thought of checking out the local BC SPCA shelter since they had been searching for a dog for a while It was there, at the BC SPCA Parksville-Qualicum Beach Community Animal Centre where they met and quickly fell for Fernie a young German Shepherd in need of a forever home From there, we worked with Liv and their partner to work out the logistics of transferring Fernie down to the BC SPCA Victoria Community Animal Centre where she could continue her care and live with Liv as a foster until she was ready to be officially adopted we have received an update from Liv on their life with Fernie: “My partner and I met our sweet Fernie on a spontaneous visit to the BC SPCA Parksville-Qualicum Beach Community Animal Centre while camping at Horne Lake We had been searching for a dog to adopt into our little family for a while and let’s just say we fell in love with her immediately Her little eyebrows were our ultimate weakness We fostered Fernie while she was transferred over to our local BC SPCA Victoria Community Animal Centre and within that time she fit into our family perfectly She never quite responded well to ‘Cassy,’ her name at the time so we started calling her Fernie just for fun but she has blossomed into a quirky little wiggle worm She loves napping on blankets right at her peoples’ feet rolling around in the grass in the sun and chomping her little front teeth together when she is excited Taking Fernie to our local park and watching her see the ocean for the first time was the best moment as a first-time adopter She just stared with curiosity and amazement at the water as though she hadn’t interacted with many others before she has become more confident on her walks and just has the biggest urge to play with anybody Fernie was also afraid of toys and catching balls when we first got her She will chase and retrieve her prized chuck-it ball her entire walk then walk all the way home with it proudly in her mouth Fernie has made our lives so full and we love her so much We are so blessed that fate brought us together as a family For my first time owning a dog as an adult Thank you, Liv, to you and your partner for choosing to adopt Fernie It warms our hearts hearing how integral a part of your family and daily lives she has become With your love and commitment to making her comfortable we can see that she has really come out of her shell Thank you for giving Fernie the second chance at life she truly deserves Have you adopted an animal from the BC SPCA and want to share your joy with others? Submit your adoption story Caring for dogs How do I welcome a new dog home? Tips for 5 common dog training challenges we must be prepared for the new and everlasting spotlight that will shine on them in the family structure This was certainly true for Amanda and her family when they were ready to commit to the sweetest puppy Continue reading “Roxy” Our mission is protecting vulnerable animals and mobilizing communities so animals and people thrive together The BC SPCA respectfully acknowledges that we live work and play on the unceded traditional territories of the numerous and diverse First Nations within British Columbia We express our gratitude to all Indigenous communities - First Nations Métis and Inuit for stewarding and sharing this land and there are often circumstances outside of our control that mean we have to restrict access to our animal centres we appreciate your understanding if we need to reschedule your volunteer day at short notice We also kindly request at least 48 hours notice if your group is no longer able to attend your scheduled volunteer day Please Note: We request a minimum donation of $3,000 from your company to cover arranging the day In consideration of being permitted to participate in the Volunteer Programs of the BC SPCA agree to assume all risk of loss or injury to myself or damage to my property while on any of the premises of the BC SPCA including its Shelters and elsewhere while participating in any Volunteer Programs and hereby release and waive any rights of action I presently have or may in the future acquire against the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals agents or volunteers for any such loss or injury even though such loss or injury is caused by the negligence or default of the BCSPCA whether acting in the scope of employment or not I acknowledge that the animals of the BC SPCA are not trained by the BC SPCA and that they can be unpredictable and dangerous I also acknowledge the BC SPCA strongly recommends I keep current with my tetanus and rabies immunizations and to consult my physician about this and any other concerns relating to working with animals If I have any reason to suspect I am pregnant BCSPCA recommends I may wish to ask my physician about working with cats I hereby waive for my personal representatives and dependents all such claims or rights of action aforementioned that the undersigned or my personal representative and dependents may herein have against the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals I also acknowledge that the Senior Staff person present is in full and total charge of the facility GENERAL PHOTO & VIDEO RELEASE AND AGREEMENT or volunteer of The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) I hereby authorize the use and reproduction by the BC SPCA of any and all photographs sound recordings and any other audiovisual materials taken of me for promotional material or for any other use for the benefit of the BC SPCA I understand that cameras and video recorders including phone cameras and video recorders are not permitted to be used within any BC SPCA facility or site unless authorized by the facility or site manager or dispose of audiovisual materials without authority I understand that my legal obligation does not end with my employment contractor or volunteer activities with the BC SPCA but continues in perpetuity and that failure on my part to adhere to these standards is grounds for legal action GENERAL PHOTO & VIDEO RELEASE AND AGREEMENTAs an employee or for any other use for the benefit of the BC SPCA.I understand that cameras and video recorders including phone cameras and video recorders are not permitted to be used within any BC SPCA facility or site unless authorized by the facility or site manager.I understand that discipline or sanctions or dispose of audiovisual materials without authority.I understand that my legal obligation does not end with my employment contractor or volunteer activities with the BC SPCA but continues in perpetuity and that failure on my part to adhere to these standards is grounds for legal action.I acknowledge that I have read We also kindly request at least 48 hours notice if your group is no longer able to attend your scheduled volunteer day.Please Note: We request a minimum donation of $3,000 from your company to cover arranging the day Home » Fernie issues trail and park closure notice The City of Fernie today reported over the next several months contractors will be working in the Sharpe’s Field and Coal Creek areas as part of the Mountview Dike and Coal Creek Bin Wall Rehabilitation Project Phase 1 Sharpe’s Field from April to June: Contractors will be removing trees to access and protect the waterside of the dike wall with additional riprap The TransCanada Pathway within Sharpe’s Field will be closed for the duration of repairs Phase 2 Coal Creek from July to September: Contractors will temporarily reroute Coal Creek to the opposite side of the creek bed while they repair part of the bin wall and install scour protection This work will take place during the regions least risk window for fish and fish habitat The Coal Creek portion of the TransCanada Trail will be closed from the Cokato Road access to Sharpe’s Field and temporary closures will occur at the south end of Dogwood Park As work is completed the contractor will re-open areas of the parks and trails where possible Please respect the required park and trail closures so that we can complete this important flood mitigation project Learn more about this project Candidates running for election in Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies debated the issues during a forum at the Park Place Lodge in Fernie on April 17.  Five out of six candidates running for office were in attendance — Reggie Goldsbury (Liberal Party of Canada) Rob Morrison (Conservative Party of Canada) and Jim Wiedrick (Independent) People's Party of Canada candidate Laurie Baird did not participate.  The event was organized by Fernie Chamber of Commerce and moderated by Gordon Sombrowski.  Candidates were given an opening statement while prepared questions submitted by the Chamber of Commerce were given a response time of roughly two minutes Questions submitted by the crowd before the event were also read while the night wrapped up with candidate closing statements.   Some universal themes threaded through all candidates — namely removing inter-provincial trade barriers in the face of tariffs being implemented by U.S President Donald Trump and the reclaiming of Canadian sovereignty amid rhetoric over becoming the "51st state."  But it was also an opportunity for candidates to contrast themselves immigration and credentialing for foreign-trained professionals  Maffioli said the current health care system is in "shambles" and advocated for more infrastructure and pushed for more alternatives and holistic practitioners included in the system.  Morrison said one in five Canadians live in rural areas and eight per cent of physicians practice rurally He advocated for red tape reduction and working with the provincial medical governance bodies pairing foreign-trained doctors with local medical experts to gauge and develop their skills.  He pushed for an expansion of CT scanners into more rural communities and advocated for national licensing for health care professionals Goldsbury said his party would fast-track credentialing for internationally trained doctors and introduce incentive programs to get doctors and nurses to rural areas He also spoke about reducing the administrative burdens so that doctors and health care professionals can focus on health care instead of bureaucracy.  Lins said the NDP has committed to a one per cent increase in transfer payments to provinces and tying it specifically to hiring and retention of doctors and prioritizing rural communities She also highlighted the success of a rural pre-med program from Selkirk College and nodded to more nursing resources and support including a payment program while they're doing a practicum.  Building affordable housing in a resort community  Goldsbury pushed for more government involvement in creating new housing at the federal level prioritizing the construction of smaller 700 – 1,200 sq ft homes over larger buildings He said the Liberals would like to reduce bureaucracy by opening public land for housing development and altering laws so multiple houses can be built on one property The party will also remove GST from homes up to $1 million.  Lins said the NDP party is committed to doubling new housing projects by 2023 building 100,000 units across the country on crown land She shared plans to establish a National Rent Control Program to protect people from high rent increases and to offer publicly backed low-risk mortgages through the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation.  Wiedrick spoke out firmly against rent control programs he said he’d work with non-profits to establish more housing.  Morrison said the Conservatives are focused on removing red tape in the housing industry by streamlining building permit applications The party platform supports housing incentives for municipalities like Fernie as well as incentives for workers and tradespeople who undertake construction projects He emphasized the importance of keeping units small and the advantage of building on federal land.  Maffioli said the Green Party will roll out an Affordable Housing Development Plan to keep wealth in the public sphere and out of the hands of corporations The party will make use of covenants to keep housing affordable and prevent corporations from buying single family homes.  Combating discrimination against 2SLGBTQI+ Indigenous people and other marginalized groups   Lins and the NDP Party would provide non-profits with stable core funding as opposed to just individual project funding to address social needs and concerns.  She was disappointed that the proposed Online Harms Act did not pass in parliament and promised to advocate for a revised version of the bill to provide more protection against discrimination and hate speech on the internet.  Wiedrick approached the topic from a health care lens He said that Interior Health is doing an excellent job at caring for diverse groups of people mandating cultural safety education for physicians with privileges to help them better serve Indigenous patients.  As former chief superintendent for the B.C RCMP Morrison said police need better training to identify and aid vulnerable people He called for people who spread online hate to be incarcerated Morrison said he would like to make it easier for Indigenous people to start their own businesses.  Goldsbury said a crucial pillar of the Liberal platform is to increase funding for mental health support services and to continue developing age-appropriate educational programs to teach the value of diversity and respect in the classroom.  Maffioli and Goldsbury said they will advocate for enacting all the calls to action put forward by the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.  Maffioli said he would like to see more money go towards restorative justice programs and searching former residential school sites.  Lins said the NDP party has $2 million set aside to help Indigenous communities She would advocate for the removal of discriminatory language and practices from the Indian Act and help clear the backlog of status card applications on reserves.   Goldsbury said the Liberal party would provide funding for housing education and health projects to support better economic opportunities for Indigenous people.  water quality and biodiversity from large-scale resource extraction.  Wiedrick is keen on giving subsidies to citizens to purchase electric vehicles He expressed interest in exploring more opportunities to develop nuclear energy to help manage increasing demand for electricity.  Maffioli said the Green Party will advocate for cutting funding for pipelines and ending subsidization for major companies that pollute the environment using the money to invest in a National Power Grid to bring wind hydro and electric power under one collective body.  Morrison said the Conservatives will scrap the carbon tax and replace it with a carbon storage and capture project and clean energy like hydro and nuclear power He touted replacing coal in India with natural gas from Canada to help cut back on global pollution.  Goldsbury said the Liberal Party aims to protect 30 per cent of Canada’s land and water by 2030 which necessitates strong watershed protection as well as investment in clean energy and increased funding for conservation jobs.  Goldsbury said the Liberal Party is departing from its former carbon tax policy and has now turned to offering incentives for industrial decarbonization instead particularly for the forestry and mineral processing sectors.  Lins said the NDPs will advocate for the construction of an East-West Renewable Power Grid to connect renewable energy projects from coast to coast and adoption of a national insurance program to address damage from forest fires and floods the NDPs will focus on ending subsidies to oil and gas companies.   questions from attendees were submitted in writing and screened by moderators Topics included protecting women’s reproductive rights Indigenous rights and addressing critical infrastructure upgrades for water and wastewater systems.  Four out of five candidates vowed to defend access to abortion for women emphasizing the importance of individual choice in making medical decisions and bodily autonomy Lins and Maffioli said they would pursue greater accessibility for abortion clinics and reproductive care.  Wiedrick said that while he believes abortion is not a topic that should be pursued politically he would decline to vote on the matter due to his faith-based beliefs He said that he has abstained from providing abortions and medically assisted death throughout his career as a doctor.  Candidates were divided on their approach on infrastructure funding.  Morrison advocated for removing bureaucracy to better access infrastructure funding.  Wiedrick pressed for the expansion of infrastructure to support electricity generation and electric-powered vehicles.  Lins wants to increase federal government funding for municipalities to help build more infrastructure and move away from competition-based grants towards a more equitable selection process based on critical need.  Maffioli echoed her sentiments.  Goldsbury highlighted a previous project near his residence in Balfour where the government covered just over half of project costs on a $600,000 water system upgrade program which allowed for the development of 200 more houses.   Visit elections.ca for more information on specific polling locations in communities across the riding.  Home » Firefighters knock down grass fire near Fernie Fernie Fire Department crews responded to a grass fire on Robinson Road that got away from a property owner on Saturday Even though there is snow on the mountains the fine grassy fuels in the valley bottom have dried out quickly and it’s important to take extra precautions Fernie Professional Fire Fighters Local 2827 photos Home » New Year’s activities in Fernie Tourism Fernie has got you covered; here’s what’s happening in Fernie: CalgaryNews‘Essential for the community’: City of Fernie, residents working to reopen outdoor rinkBy Karsen MarczukPublished: February 06, 2025 at 5:52PM EST Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved 2025 there will be traffic interruptions and road closures on Montane Parkway and the Cokato Road crossing while Parastone Developments Ltd road reconstruction and paving in the area The first phase of work will impact the T-intersection at Cokato Road and Montane Parkway and is planned over four days (March 31-April 3.) To facilitate the installation of a sanitary sewer line across the roadway the area will be temporarily closed to vehicles and pedestrians and barricades to guide road users along the designated alternate routes The second phase of work will involve the full closure of Montane Parkway to vehicle traffic while Parastone’s contractor completes the sewer extension installation vehicle traffic will be re-routed using Slalom Drive to access Cokato Road Pedestrian traffic will still be able to use the existing pedestrian pathway on the north side of Montane Parkway Impacted area residents have received written notice from the contractor outlining the project timeline The work is anticipated to be completed by June 2025 If you have any questions or concerns related to this work please contact Parastone directly at 250.423.4136 Featured Image: Jake Burchmore | Words: Jordy Grant-Krenz streaking in and out of the sanctuary of our headlights We rumbled through the dark heading northeast traveling farther and farther into the land of maple syrup “Do you have any guns in the car?” the guard had inquired “Are you SURE you’re from Montana?” A long day of driving on three inches of packed snow and watching semi trucks jackknife had molded photographer Jake Burchmore and myself into weary road warriors ready and willing to settle down anywhere that seemed remotely hospitable as our three-ton metallic stallion hurdled through the sub-zero temperatures we knew we were heading somewhere with far higher standards than “remotely hospitable.” With cold digits and high hopes our sights were set on one of the best ski towns on planet Earth: Fernie Hunkered down between several mountain ranges in the towering Canadian Rockies Fernie is an unsuspecting freeski paradise The high peaks of the Lizard and Taylor Ranges dwarf the entire valley and make you feel like a fly on the wall especially if you’re in search of idyllic steeps The latter would serve as our tour guide as we layered up for a few laps preparing for soft snow and numbing cold; the perfect combination The resort boasts over 2,500 skiable acres and this is evident from the first run you take to the last The reason being that unless you’re trying to repeat runs The lower part of the mountain consists of a twisty assortment of groomers relentlessly glorious mogul pitches and more side hits than even Candide would know what to do with Toss in the fact that Fernie averages nearly 30 feet of snow annually and you’ve got a good thing going The upper part of the mountain is the type of terrain that sends your stomach rolling and your brain chattering with nervous excitement The massive headwall is marked by Polar Peak on the looker’s left side Lizard and Cedar Bowls proceeding as you move right The Siberia and Timber bowls make up the rest of the mountain’s left side the arctic air forced several lifts to close leaving us unable to access that area of the resort There’s no doubt that we’ll be back to explore that pocket of epic riding as our newfound friends assured us there were phenomenal turns to be had Liam Morgan (Morgz as he’s affectionately known) are prime examples of the skiers Fernie can breed Morgz has been creating fantastic projects for years and rides for LINE Skis Marnieau is a member of the Canadian Halfpipe National Team balancing steep turns with a successful business we got to know these three as they showed us an immaculate selection of steep trees clean turns and even a groomer or two; the perfect Fernie cocktail The resort had recorded over 25 in (65 cm) of snow in the last week and we were still picking up face shots on every run we ventured into this place is pretty much never crowded,” Marineau laughed We continued to harvest cold smoke pow for as long as our frozen fingers and toes allowed Finding hidden hits and fresh stashes was all but guaranteed on every run we decided it was wise to head to the Griz Bar at the base of the mountain and turn in for a cold pint We chatted all things skiing over a proper Canadian Kokanee beer the perfect cap to a day that left us with an itching desire to pack up all valuables from the States and settle down in this mountain oasis Fernie has a strange magnetism that’s easy to imagine and impossible to replicate It’s the type of allure that’s kept Morgz and his partner in film “A lot of the people that we used to ski with work at the mine now,” said Morgz It’s certainly a special place.” Siggers and the rest of the Burrrlapz crew have always displayed their riding in a less than traditional way Part of this unique lens these two locals possess might say a lot about Fernie itself You’ll notice that the resort and town are not flashy The area doesn’t boast massive mansions at least not many of them when compared to the usual ski town mega builds There’s no fancy three-course mid-mountain restaurant these are all signs that Fernie is truly a gem Morgz and Marineau weren’t biased when they said that and it’s shaped a beautifully unique ski community around it Fernie Alpine Resort isn’t trying to be something it’s not because from the genuinely kind lifties to the superb steeps Fernie is one of the finest spots any skier could dream of There’s always talk of how the current state of skiing is in decline but it’s equally as important to point out what’s going right so we can find light in the positive examples and as long as areas like this one continue to operate with the strength and support of the communities around them then skiing as a whole is moving in the right direction Watch the latest film from Liam Morgan and Dylan Siggers, “Spliff“ Don't waste time seeking out the best skiing content; we'll send it all right to you Home » Man dies after hitting terrain trap at FAR BC Coroner Service and RCMP are investigating after a man died Jan 8 following an incident near the top of Fernie Alpine Resort (FAR) Elk Valley Regional RCMP was notified of a possible sudden death at Fernie Alpine Resort BC Ambulance was already transporting the 67-year-old man to Elk Valley Hospital The man had been found within a natural terrain trap buried in snow near the top of the ski hill by Fernie Alpine Patrol “Tremendous efforts by the ski patrol and BC Ambulance to keep the man alive were made and he was taken to our local hospital by BC Ambulance,” reported S/Sgt after several hours attempting to improve his health status the man was taken off life support and declared deceased Family had been advised by hospital staff and were in attendance.” It is believed poor visibility at that time led the man into a naturally occurring terrain trap underneath one of the first lift towers of the Polar Peak lift the trap described further as a deep naturally occurring oval sink hole approximately 20 feet by 30 feet wide and filled with loose and undisturbed snow Elk Valley RCMP continues to assist the BC Coroner Service with its investigation who continue to be supported by RCMP Victim Services,” S/Sgt This week the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) is recognizing its Off-Ice Award winners in the categories of Scholastic Player of the Year, Community Player of the Year Broadcaster of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Today the KIJHL is proud to announce Scottie McKee of the Fernie Ghostriders as its Broadcaster of the Year “In a league with several top-quality broadcasts the Fernie Ghostriders have set a high water mark in quality for their fair commentary and video quality,” said Mark Berry the KIJHL’s director of broadcast and multimedia “Dan McSkimming and Ted Cardwell are the warm voices and call a fun and professional game His technical ability to get the most out of the equipment makes him one of the KIJHL’s go-to people for technical advice adds great value to the broadcast.”    McKee is professional and takes great pride in his role The hours he puts in during the off-season is incredible and greatly appreciated by the Ghostriders McKee has been the backbone of the Ghostriders broadcast team and has worked above and beyond to enhance the broadcast by adding cameras for every angle that can be taken Cameras are behind the nets on either side and the Ghostriders are able to do replays seamlessly The broadcast has also been enhanced with graphics and information provided to the viewers He puts in everything he has got into our broadcast,” said Ghostriders president Barb Anderson He’s done such a wonderful job and we’re super proud of Scottie.” Subscribe to YouTube Channel. CalgaryNewsMan dies after falling into sink hole at Fernie Alpine ResortBy Stephen HuntPublished: January 10, 2025 at 2:16PM EST Home » FTA contractor machine vandalized at Dirt Jumps one of Fernie Trail Alliance’s (FTA) local contractors had their machine damaged while parked at the Dirt Jumps The FTA works very hard to fundraise to pay for the work that we do Whoever did this is hurting a charitable organization by doing this damage  If you have any information on the damage caused A man is dead after falling into a sink hole and being buried in snow at Fernie Alpine Resort Elk Valley RCMP arrived at the hill on Jan to find B.C Ambulance transporting a 67-year-old man to hospital The man had been buried under the snow after falling into a natural terrain trap at the very top of the mountain on Polar Peak According to Resorts of the Canadian Rockies senior vice president Matt Mosteller the man was initially discovered by a visitor who had come across him unresponsive and Fernie Alpine Patrol was called in to provide medical assistance and help get the man off the mountain Ski patrol and B.C Ambulance went to significant efforts to keep the man alive He was transported to hospital and after several hours of unsuccessful attempts to improve his condition The man's family was with him in his final moments "Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this incredibly difficult time, and our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends and people in the community impacted by this," said Mosteller Svend Nielsen said weather conditions on the hill were a likely cause of the incident "It is believed poor visibility at that time led the man into a naturally occurring terrain trap underneath one of the first lift towers of the Polar Peak lift," he said The spot the man was found in had a naturally-occurring 20 by 30 foot wide oval-shaped sink hole filled with loose and undisturbed snow Nielsen added that the man had likely not been in the sink hole for long when he was found due to the date and time on his lift ticket He had been out on his own when the incident occurred Elk Valley RCMP is assisting the B.C Coroner Service with their investigation Police offer condolences to the family during this difficult time who continue to be supported by RCMP Victim Services Home » Fernie on Fire this evening Fernie’s biggest Christmas tree bonfire hosted by Fernie Fire Rescue is taking place this evening starting at 5:30 p.m Join the community at the Fernie Aquatic Centre for this free family-friendly event Bring cash for the 50/50 draw in aid of the Fernie Freestyle Club Bring your Christmas tree to the bonfire on the day of the event Fernie Fire Rescue is busy picking trees up curbside January 4 in Maintown the Airport and Ridgemont starting at 8 a.m A project proposal to build a gym at parking lots on 3 Ave has generated considerable response from the community and a fair bit of controversy Fernie Academy headmaster Jocelyn Sombrowski appeared before council on Dec 17 at a committee of the whole meeting to pitch the idea of building a gym at 402 and 422 3 Ave The school's sports teams used the Fernie Community Centre before it shut down due to health and safety concerns, and staff are desperately searching for a new space to hold practice and phys-ed classes 82 people showed up to the council meeting to hear Sombrowski's presentation and provide feedback on the project Many attendees took to the podium to share their thoughts with 23 speaking in favour of the build and four people opposed Current conceptual plans show the gym as being a multi-story building with space for sports courts on the roof and a covered parkade at ground level Sombrowski said the building would not be exclusive to the school and would be available for public use from 8 a.m to noon daily and after school intramurals in the evening as well as on weekends and public holidays The gym would be built on two of three adjacent parking lots along 3 Ave near the Fernie Museum, with some of the original space for parking retained The two lots the Academy is interested in currently belong to the City while the third is privately owned.  Fernie Chamber of Commerce executive director Wendy McDougall publicly endorsed the project at the committee of the whole meeting “With our community growing and facing a shortage of recreational space it seems short-sighted to reject an opportunity to enhance the amenities without relying on direct taxpayer funding," McDougall said "...The addition of a gymnasium and community gathering space in the heart of downtown is an invaluable opportunity We’ve already seen the power of community in action with the closure of the Community Centre and this project offers a similar opportunity for an independent organization to make a meaningful contribution to the quality of life for Fernie residents.” Not everyone was in favour of moving forwards with the project Sharon Quail appeared before council to speak against the proposed development. Quail's father donated one of the lots to the City in 1993 with a covenant established to ensure it would be kept as a space for public parking Quail said she would like to see her father's wishes honoured and have the space remain as he intended it She read letters from her siblings at the meeting She added that when her father was first made aware of the proposal to build a gym many years ago he was not in favour of the project.  "He specifically wished for the lot to be used for public parking for the communal benefit of Fernie citizens and downtown merchants He donated the lot in good faith with the agreement by the City that the lot be used for public parking," Quail told council at the meeting Council voted to meet with Fernie Academy and the Quail family to further discuss the project and bring back a report on it at a future meeting and to draft a letter of support in principle with Mayor Nic Milligan and Councillors Troy Nixon and Kyle Hamilton in favour and Councillors Tracey Audia-Kelly and Ted Shoesmith opposed Councillors Kevin McIssac and Harsh Ramadass were absent from the meeting A few of the councillors had strong opinions about the project Councillor Nixon expressed interest in the project and was eager to move forwards with discussion on cost "Fernie has an incredible opportunity here. Currently we have an unsightly parking lot that is filled with pot holes and puddles that make seniors slip and fall.  We have an opportunity to see a transformation of our downtown core while also providing an incredible amenity for the entire community," he told the Free Press He said he thinks the project would actually be an improvement on the covenant as part of it involves upgrading the lot's parking Councillor Shoesmith said he wasn't comfortable moving forwards with the project knowing the Quail family objected to the gym “So long as there is that covenant upon the land unless the people who signed it or their family comes around," Shoesmith said at the meeting “I will be voting against this despite the fact that I think it is a genuinely excellent proposal and it’s coming from a good place," he added Councillor Audia-Kelly said she'd like to discuss the matter further with the Quails drawing on past practice with the Prentice Park covenant When council voted to build a new fire hall in Prentice Park earlier this year they consulted with the Prentice family to ensure the project was something the family wanted.   "When we discussed the possibility of breaking the covenant on Prentice Park I believe there was unanimous agreement with this council to fully consult with the Prentice family and to respect the wishes of the Prentice family," she said Yet she did acknowledge the Prentice Park covenant was somewhat different from the Quail's parking lot covenant “The Prentice family was not the land owner," she explained "Bill Prentice worked for the corporation that donated the land to the City with the condition that it be used in perpetuity for recreational purposes and green space The park was named in his honour but the Prentice family was never financially impacted by the donation of that land.” The City will bring back discussion on the project in the New Year Cranbrook and the Flathead will come together in Prentice Park Fernie to take part in the Elk Valley Rugby Club’s annual Rucking in the Rockies Event The youngest players will be kicking off the event at 10 a.m Players ages three to 12 are invited to come down and try rugby The rest of the day will involve a round robin of senior men’s and women’s matches beer garden and bouncy castle will help to give a friendly rugby festival vibe The Elk Valley Bulls are finally moving to outdoor training on Tuesday and Thursday evenings after a couple of months of indoor training  “I am excited to see so many fresh faces joining our more senior players Our new players are showing so much potential This tournament gives everyone an opportunity to put the skills we’ve been working on in training into practice," said head coach Jessie Watson Club president Tony McElwee and sponsorship director Sam Gregory recognize that an event like this is only made possible with the help of our many community partners “We want to express our gratitude to our platinum club and tournament sponsor come down and enjoy the rugby and festivities.” Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. A skier has died after he was found buried in what the RCMP called snow sinkhole at a ski resort in Fernie on Wednesday. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. The ski patrol at the Fernie Alpine Resort tried to save the man and were joined by ambulance paramedics, a police statement said. Efforts to save the man included using a defibrillator. Police said the 67-year-old man was found buried in snow in a natural terrain trap under one of the lift towers. Police described the trap as a naturally occurring sink hole about seven metres by nine metres and filled with loose and undisturbed snow. The man was taken to hospital but was taken off life support a few hours later. It is believed poor visibility at the time lead the man into the area underneath one of the first lift towers of the Polar Peak ski  lift, RCMP said. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Fernie Fire and Emergency Services Department welcomed the public to the fire hall on Apr The fire crew gave tours of their facility at 1492b Railway Ave. and offered rides in their trucks located on the east side of the railway tracks near the derby grounds is a temporary location that was established to house the fire crew until a new building is constructed The fire crew has faced challenges with mobilization in this space due to the building layout and design. Fire Chief Brendan Morgan said they want to raise awareness of some of the difficulties they face located at a site that was not designed for a fire crew The crews face the challenge of moving in between three separate buildings on an emergency call They must leave the office or break room and get through two code-locked gates to gather their supplies and gear up they frequently get stopped by trains and get delayed in the school zone near Isabella Dicken Elementary School Morgan said it takes more than four minutes just for them to get everything together and leave "When National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) expects you to be on scene within 10 minutes for a fire We're finding that we're averaging just over 10 minutes because of the situation," he said "When you're in a fire hall that's purpose built your truck's in same place as where you're working and it's more efficient," he added "You should be out of building in 90 seconds Losing three minutes and 10 seconds can make all the difference in the world on a serious medical call or a fire." Morgan added that they've had a few medical calls in the past few months where they were unable to respond quickly enough due to delays in getting mobilized Morgan said the crew is advocating for the fire hall at 1500 5 Ave Planning for the new building is currently underway and the crew has been involved in the process Morgan said that while they're supportive of a more basic cost-cutting design The building has to be built to B.C Building Code and NFPA standards which means it must be located in close proximity to where the firefighters work and have good ventilation to filter toxins like diesel particulate from the bays and bunker gear room Morgan said the department is currently well-rated in the Fire Underwriters Survey, since they have a decently sized team and the proper equipment but he worries that if insurance agents actually took a trip out to visit the property and saw where they were working their rating would be worse and insurance rates would go up Demolition has begun for the fire department's previous fire hall on 692 3 Ave to make space for an apartment building run by Elk Valley Family Society The fire hall was decommissioned a few years ago after a safety review found that there were significant health and safety hazards in the building As workers began to tear the building down they found something special hidden behind a wall.  workers knocked down a wall in the former training room written messages and old photographs from the fire crew that moved into the building in 1981 "We were told when I first started that there were messages behind the wall I was always curious about what was behind the wall It was cool to see a lot of signatures and names of the people I worked with The bricks were from Fernie's original fire hall built in 1904 and were transferred to the previous space on 3 Ave Morgan said they've saved the bricks to include in a facade at the new hall "Firefighting's all about tradition," he said Sign up below for unlimited digital access for 30 days receive our daily news alerts & breaking news This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Home » Fernie Chamber AGM April 22 as the keynote speaker for our 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on April 22 Jared brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his work in cultural safety and humility training as well as continuous educational opportunities derived from the Nation’s Social Sectors Practice Framework he continues to work with health partners to develop culturally safe spaces with the hope and intention of impacting and benefitting future generations His work also reaches education institutions creating meaningful opportunities to learn about cultural safety creating long-lasting relationships that translate to strong healthy conducive working partnerships moving forward We’re honored to have Jared join us and share his insights on fostering inclusive workplaces and advancing cultural awareness in our community Get your tickets now — you won’t want to miss this inspiring session Where: Bayleaf Restaurant at the Fernie Golf Course A new board has formed to re-establish a new outdoor rink in Fernie next winter The Fernie Outdoor Rinks Society plans to build a new outdoor community ice rink following the closure of the former rink last year An additional eight society members are involved with the non-profit and Tim Cooper will lead rink maintenance with significant support from locals involved with the Community Centre Working Group with some residents expressing concern about the loss of the rink space.  The newly formed society has stepped up to help fill in the gaps.  President Christy Nguyen said they've been hosting monthly in-person meetings that have focused on finding a location for the new rink She said that while they haven't made any decisions yet they would ideally like it to be the same downtown area as the former rink they're working with the City, the Fieldhouse Society and other interested community groups to find a place that is ideal for everyone Nguyen said that while they would have liked to get the rink up and running this season for the last few weeks of winter it wasn't possible because the weather warmed too quickly "It would have been nice if it had been four weeks earlier but it is what it is and we took a lot of learning from that," she said. "It just sets us up for success for next year because we've already started the volunteer list Residents may notice some activity at the former rink site a temporary structure next to the outdoor rink is currently being decommissioned In the future the rink boards will be removed and put into storage where they will be saved for use at the new location next season Nguyen said they are considering grant funding to help move the project along and are interested in hosting fundraiser events once the rink is up and running They're also working on creating a website to help spread information Nguyen said she's looking forward to getting a valuable community space up and running again that her son and other youth can use to play hockey after school "You can't put a price on that kind of community That is small town living and you can't pay for that That is an authentic experience," she said * This story was updated to correct inaccurate information The article incorrectly stated that the boards are in the process of being removed from the former outdoor rink  While work is ongoing at the rink site the current project involves decommissioning of a temporary structure next to the outdoor rink The boards have not been removed at this time Enter your email to connect to 30 more days worth of stories by journalists living & working in Fernie Home » Rotary officially launches 2025 Griz Pin Fundraiser Rotary Club of Fernie members joined The Griz to kick-off Rotary’s annual Griz Pin fundraiser with the sale of the first pin to Mayor Nic Milligan the Rotary Club of Fernie has proudly partnered with the Fernie Chamber of Commerce Griz Days using Griz Pin sales to raise funds for local initiatives “Griz Days is a longstanding community tradition and Rotary is proud to participate and be a supporter,” said Cindy Pearson “Funds raised this year will support the Fernie Food Bank The special-edition pins can be purchased at local businesses and at a variety of Griz Day festival events happening Feb Only 4,000 pins are available for sale at $5 each until March 3 The winning pin number will be drawn March 5 and the holder of the winning number will be $1,000 richer Students from the first senior outdoor education class at Fernie Secondary School recently set off on an exhilarating adventure to Fernie Alpine Resort jumping into the thrilling world of avalanche safety The day was bursting with excitement as students were introduced to essential skills like using transceivers to locate individuals under an avalanche building snow pits for assessing snow stability and understanding the awesome roles of avalanche bombs and cannons in keeping the slopes safe Thanks to the generous support of the Fernie Summit Fund and guidance from fearless ski patroller and leader Jack The students were ready for a day filled with hands-on learning and pure adventure Designed to be a fully inclusive experience the trip embraced both skiers and snowshoers ensuring everyone could participate and enjoy the fun allowing them to engage fully in the excitement of the day At Fernie’s Avalanche Transceiver Training site students split into small groups to tackle scenarios involving “victims” buried under the snow they set out on their mission to locate the “victims” hidden beneath the white blanket When they successfully found their scenario “victim,” flashing lights erupted adding an exhilarating thrill to their practice Students watched in awe as the dog demonstrated its skills in locating simulated buried individuals emphasizing the vital role these heroic dogs play in avalanche rescues and public safety After warming up with delicious hot chocolate students prepared to dig snow pits under the guidance of Jack Students displayed their grit and resilience as they eagerly dug pits and cut columns of snow to assess layer stability students ventured to the Old Side for an informative introduction to avalanche control on the Cedar and Lizard headwalls of the ski mountain They learned about the powerful avy guns and avalanche bombs used to trigger controlled avalanches while also exploring the safety measures in place to protect skiers and the public from avalanche dangers This experience showed the work behind keeping the public safe on the ski mountain A heartfelt thank you goes out to Avalanche Canada for supporting the culture of safety in the mountains and for lending transceivers and shovels to introduce students to the essential equipment needed for backcountry safety Thanks also to all families and students for their incredible support and preparation for this epic day The students showcased impressive resilience and a willingness to learn in the initially challenging temperatures of -16°C demonstrating their intrinsic motivation to embrace new knowledge and experiences Don’t miss out on reading the latest local Join our community and receive daily news alerts & breaking news Skiers and boarders who hit the slopes this weekend, will have the opportunity to donate money to charity and learn a little bit more about avalanche safety.  Fernie Alpine Resort is hosting Community Appreciation Day on Jan.19 where residents will be able to buy a lift ticket for a minimum cash donation of $10 per person or $20 per family All proceeds will be donated to Fernie Food Bank Join thousands of other like-minded readers and sign up below to gain immediate & unlimited access to our news for the next 30 days – plus start receiving our newsletters