FEATURE AUTHOR
Gordon Sombrowski
Gordon Sombrowski is a child of the
Rocky Mountains and an observer of
the world. He has been an artist since he
was a little boy and never lost the drive
to be artistically creative even while
pursuing a more traditional education
as a lawyer and then settling into a
leadership role in his family’s business.
After he turned fifty Gordon decided,
with some cajoling from his husband,
that some of his writing should be
shared with his community. He released
his first book, What Echo Heard, a
collection of short stories about the
people who lived in Fernie before
the town became an international
resort destination. The book explores
universal themes and how they affect
the townsfolk who live in the mountain
environment.
Gordon believes that central to
creating harmony and balance in our
lives is knowing about and honouring
our past (both the good and the bad)
because this is the foundation on which
we build the present and create the
future. Gordon’s creative and volunteer
work intersects art, culture, heritage
and cultural preservation. He believes
that historic communities which
have become resorts, like Fernie, can
only remain vibrant and authentic if
their heritage is preserved, culture
celebrated, and stories remembered. To
aid in this effort Gordon and his family
are sponsors, donors and promoters of
the cultural and heritage institutions of
Fernie and on a personal level Gordon
has created a blog, EdwardianFernie.ca,
where he muses about various aspects
of Fernie’s social history.
Gordon is currently finalizing a further
collection of short stories and a novel.
Both the collection and the novel
explore the links between the past,
present and the future, ideas about
home and away, and how Fernie is a
place and an idea that is both local and
international.
What Echo Heard
is available at
Polar Peek Books
& Treasures from
Oolichan Books.
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