Fernie’s a mountain town with an outstanding quality of life. We are blessed with naturual beauty, outstanding recreation, and a strong and diverse economy.

The economic prosperity creates philanthropists, businesses and politicians who support the vision of Fernie being everything it can be. The recent purchase of the Knox United Church building is a great example. This community asset was made possible by the generous underwriting of the financing by the Sombrowski Family, a long time community supporter.

Wealth abounds and great things are going to happen for Fernie!

Based on this optimism here’s Fernie’s New Years Top Five Wish List:

1. Industry has been running amuck for decades and impacting our landscapes. Help the Elk Valley Land Trust save our ecology.

2. Fernie needs a Conference Centre Theatre. The community would be proud to have a “TECK Conference Centre Theatre”.

3. Faster than anticipated population growth has maximized the City of Fernie wastewater treatment capacity. Provincial and Federal funding for a new sewerage treatment facility is necessary.

4. A wilderness trail on natural undisturbed terrain, often on a ridge top, that takes several hours to complete is an Epic Trail. Trails are Fernie’s most used and least costly community asset. Permission and funding for building and managing a sustainable Epic Trail needs to happen.

5. Our local ski hill requires capital investment focused on improving the resort experience. This includes new lifts and lodge facilities, a secondary access road, and the Fernie Valley Pathway completed.

It’s not a complete list however these initiatives would help maintain our naturual heritage, improve our recreation and quality of life, and keep our community economically competitive.

The power of envisioning our wishes can in turn become a reality.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes!