 From its boom town status at the turn of the twentieth century to its
reputation as the Whiskey Gap during the prohibition era of the 1920s, Fernie has inherited a unique and colourful history. A town with a strong history of coal mining, Fernie was named after mining magnate William Fernie who helped develop the town into the industry’s largest centre in the Elk Valley region, after he hadreported a major coal discovery in 1897 that led to the formation of the Crowsnest Pass Coal Company.
The founder of the city met a tribe of Indians during one of his many prospecting trips. Enquiring about the source of the shiny black stones that adorned a necklace worn by the Indian Chieftain’s daughter, the Chief agreed to reveal the origin in return for the prospector agreeing to marrythe princess. William Fernie never kept his promise, and refused to marry the princess, whereupon the angered chief put a curse of fire, flood and famine on the valley. On August 15, 1964, Chief Ambrose Gravelle of the Kootenai tribe, known as Chief Red Eagle, smoked the pipe of peace with the then mayor of Fernie to finally lift the Fernie Curse.
Abandoned mines, museums and heritage sites invite visitors to step back in time to explore the area’s bustling boom years. The beauty of the Elk Valley entices campers and hikers, and a challenging world-class 18-hole golf course sits at the foot of towering peaks.
Population: 5,168 |
Location: Fernie is located on Highway 3 in the extreme southeastern corner of British Columbia, 15 miles (31 km)
south of Sparwood and 26 miles (42 km) from the Alberta/
British Columbia border.
To the south on Highway 3 is the small sawmill town of
Fernie boasts a world-class ski mountain.
The Fernie Alpine Resort gets heaped with snow and is
renowned for its fabulous powder conditions.
Skiing and Winter Recreation in the BC Rockies.
Experience the thrill of snowcat-skiing and snowmobiling
the terrain is ideal, leading to panoramic alpine vistas and
powder-filled bowls just waiting for you.
Grab a pair of snowshoes or cross-country skis and explore
powder filled forests, or hop aboard a dogsled for an
ultimate adventure as you glide past scenic vistas.
The ski area rises about 5 km above the town of Fernie;
you can see the massive bowls from Main St.
Trails on the lower mountain cut through dense forest.
Fifty named runs and countless other secret chutes and
gullies drop a total of 2,400 vertical feet (730 m). Experts,
intermediate, and novices can all get the chance to ski
powder, since all levels skier can utilize each lift.
Fernie is well patronized by skiers from British Columbia
- these savvy skiers have known about Fernie’s bounty
for years - photographers regularly descend after a major
snowfall to take those great magazine cover shots.
Mountain biking in Fernie caters to newcomers
experiencing their first-time high, as well as hard-core
muddy madmen pushing the envelope of extreme
competition, Fernie offers hundreds of miles of beautiful
riding terrain, through the pastoral beauty of the valley’s
farms and ranches,through the old townsite on the Coal
Creek Heritage Trail o lift-accessed exploration of the
Fernie Alpine Resort’s extensive trail system.
For more one of a kind jewelery go to www.cherylyoung.ca
This Blog is brought courtesy of
CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR www.cherylyoung.ca
SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY
SIDNEY BC. cbythesea@shaw.ca
