2015 began with an all-day session of reading to prepare for Budget and RDEK meetings. Monday, January 5 had a presentation by Urban Systems regarding the Development Cost Charges update with an open house held in the Senior’s Centre that evening. The grants committee and I reviewed applications the following day and then Wednesday was spent with registered parliamentarian Eli Mina followed by two days of meetings at Regional District. Mina is an absolute wealth of information regarding Council procedures and role of mayor and councillors. Regardless of how much experience one has on council listening to him allows for knowledge that is helpful and useful.

Regular council and committee meetings and attendance at functions including Tourism Fernie, CBT funding consultation, Hospice Resource Launch, and individual meetings with citizens filled the past weeks.

I want to extend a note of Thanks to RDEK Area A Director Mike Sosnowski for agreeing to continue his donation of $80,000 each for years 2015 and 2016 as a small contribution towards the many services his constituents of Area A use in the City of Fernie. We don’t mind sharing our services but having recognition with a show of financial support is very much appreciated.

Council has directed staff to initiate a process to extend the municipal boundary to include the property north of Brenner’s Road on which the Fernie Ford Dealership sits and also to initiate a boundary extension process to increase the supply of service commercial and light industrial land in the City.

Council has extended an invitation to Mr. John Gawryluk to present the designs of the proposed monument for the Munroe Cemetery for Council’s consideration within thirty days of the January 12, 2015 regular meeting to complete this capital project.

The trail system has many garbage containers along the route however in past winters it has been difficult for City workers to access the bins for several reasons. This year it was decided to try a pilot project that would have some bins remain closed instead of physically removing them. From the disappointing results it is obvious this experiment has failed. Maps showing where bins were open were ignored and garbage deposited at the base of the bins everywhere including in the proximity of where bins were open. I am appalled both as an individual and as mayor that people would deliberately throw their garbage and bags of dog poop everywhere. There is a certain amount of personal responsibility that needs to be shown by those using the trails. Lacking that, how about showing some respect for this beautiful area that many of us call home, for visitors and residents alike this is unacceptable behaviour, and is an incredible insult to the land and to the people.

Council has extended an invitation to East Kootenay Assessment Office for a presentation on their work and also to Teck to provide information on the tailings facilities, emergency response planning and Dam safety inspection reviews for their Elk Valley Operations.
I attended the opening of the Film Festival and got to meet actors Phillip Thomas, Terry Field and producer Caitlyn Das of the film “When the Ocean Met the Sky”. Phillip Thomas is a director/ producer/writer as well as actor. I extended an invitation to come to Fernie for the next film and he said that using Cranbrook and Fernie has already been discussed.
It was great to have Jaqueline Howard present Stephanie Rogers and myself with a cheque for $5000 in support of Smiles for Shyanne.

Stephanie Rogers accepting cheque for Shyanne

The CBT community consultation was well attended with over 85 people, fifty that stayed for the catered dinner. Lots of great ideas came forward such as CBT supporting bussing within Fernie, trails, buying land around town for conservation, affordable housing and a new College campus. Part of the evening was a draw for $1000 to donate. Earlier Alice Booth had said she needed money to help with future plans for the seniors. I responded that if I won I would give it to them. To my great surprise my name was drawn and an animated Alice jumped up causing husband Jim to jokingly exclaim “Why are you so excited it isn’t your name they called? I’m pleased to have the chance to pass this amount to the senior’s group.

This leads to the opportunity to thank all the volunteers in this town, they are truly unsung heroes. I’m so proud to call Fernie home. Especially when I read of Rhoda DeLuca and Jeri Mitchel organizing Random acts of Kindness, Stephanie Rogers stepping in to organize Smiles for Shyanne and the many people organizing fundraisers for the family, Sage McBride and the Colour festival, or the ladies that organized the Lantern Festival, and there are all the volunteers that make the film festivals, bike festivals, swim meets, kids triathlon, soccer, ball and all sports events happen. There is Search and Rescue, the environmental groups that clean the river each year, students from schools that do Trash Bash, all the church groups, service clubs that do so much like Rotary, Elks, Lions, Legion, Rod and Gun, 3300 and all of those people that volunteer on an individual basis for friends and neighbours and with City committees like OCP and Quality of Life, Design Review Panel, Beautification and Leisure Services Advisory Board, Greenhouse Gas Reduction, the Library and Arts Station. It’s impossible to name each person but certainly without this volunteer involvement to our town it definitely wouldn’t be what it is. Fernie may have physically changed over the years but the one thing that is constant are the great people that choose to live here full time or part time and that give back to this town. This contributes to Fernie staying a real community with heart, soul and spirit, and the place I will always call home.