Fernie & Elk Valley Culture Guide Issue 6 - Fall 2017 | Page 7

A BRIEF HISTORY OF FERNIE
Fernie is named after William Fernie
who, alongside Colonel James Baker,
was the early driving force behind
coal mining in the Elk Valley. For ten
long years they struggled to raise the
money necessary to build not only the
mines but also the railway needed to
transport the coal to the outside world.
In 1897, thanks to government subsidy,
Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR)
agreed to build the railway if Fernie
and Baker agreed to develop mines and
supply coal at reasonable prices.
With the arrival of the CPR in the
Elk Valley in 1898, local production
of coal began in earnest and the new
town of Fernie took shape alongside
the tracks. The construction of Fernie
generated the development of sawmills,
hardware stores, blacksmith shops
and other suppliers. In April 1904, a
fire destroyed Fernie’s commercial
district and later that year Fernie was
incorporated as a municipality. Then
on August 1, 1908, a second firestorm
visited the City and razed the town in
less than 90 minutes. The resulting
reconstruction (brick instead of wood)
dramatically transformed the city’s
landscape.
By 1910, Fernie’s businesses and their
buildings were firmly established and
the population had grown to over
6,000 residents. The Great Depression
brought Fernie to its knees, reducing
both population and prosperity. Only
government subsidies kept the stagnant
coal industry alive until the 1960’s,
when Japanese markets revitalized
mining and coal became used for steel
making. This led to the resurgence of
coal mining that continues to this day.
Tourism also played a part in Fernie's
past. As early as 1919 Joseph Spalding
was touting Fernie’s charms far and
wide, and by 1963, Snow Valley
Ski Development—a locally owned
company—had opened the ski hill at
its present site. Fernie’s bid for the
1968 Winter Olympics helped lay the
foundation for today’s Fernie Alpine
Resort and secure Fernie’s future as a
winter sports destination.
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