Harshan Ramadass has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Fernie, positioning his campaign around infrastructure, affordability, fiscal responsibility, and a call for more decisive leadership at City Hall.

Ramadass, currently serving as a Fernie City Councillor, was elected in 2022 as part of the current council term, which runs from November 2022 to November 2026. The next local general election is scheduled for October 17, 2026.

“I am excited to announce my candidacy for Mayor of Fernie,” Ramadass said. “It was not long ago that you put your trust in me to represent you on the City Council. I was honoured to receive the highest number of votes ever cast for a single candidate in a Fernie municipal election.”

In the 2022 municipal election, Ramadass topped the councillor race with 1,709 votes, according to published election results. He said that result continues to shape how he views public service.

“This trust humbled me,” he said. “On election night in the fall of 2022, I promised to work tirelessly on your behalf from that day forward. I sincerely believe I have, and I hope to earn your approval for another four years—this time as the Mayor of Fernie.”

Ramadass said his vision for Fernie is focused on rebuilding “a strong foundation” for the long term by drawing on the input and talents of residents, community leaders, business owners, City staff and council.

“Success to me will be when residents continue to flourish here while younger people and families choose this place to put down roots,” he said. “Success is when we continue to cherish our heritage while welcoming the new. Success is when we steward our wonderful natural environment while ensuring we attract new investment. Success is when everyone is welcome, and everybody flourishes. Success is when we build bridges and not walls.”

Ramadass framed the next council term as a critical period for Fernie, saying the community is facing major challenges related to aging infrastructure, roads, pipes, sewers, community spaces, taxation and affordability.

“Fernie is like no other place,” he said. “It is stunningly beautiful, and the history of this town is defined by the grit and determination of its people: a history of comeback stories, not once, not twice, but many.”

He said Fernie is now looking for “its next comeback,” more than 120 years after incorporation.

“Today, we face crumbling infrastructure, failing pipes and sewers, deteriorating roads, and the loss of community spaces,” Ramadass said. “We must address these issues while managing high taxes and a town that is becoming increasingly unaffordable for both generational residents and the new.”

Ramadass said the next four years will require strong leadership from council and argued that a “business as usual” approach will not be enough.

“What we need is a Chair of the Council who brings clear focus, clarity, and the ability to find consensus with the Council to steer the ship,” he said. “Not all decisions will be easy or popular, but we need a leader who listens to citizens, has a bias toward action, and gets things done.”

As a councillor, Ramadass said he has focused on transparency, public engagement, fiscal responsibility, outdoor recreation, economic development and the arts. The City of Fernie lists Ramadass as a current councillor, and notes he has lived in Fernie since 2011 and has worked in business improvement, operational and corporate roles.

“I successfully advocated with my fellow councillors for elevated transparency in our public engagements and worked tirelessly to reopen the Council chambers to citizens as soon as it was practical following the end of the pandemic,” he said.

Ramadass also pointed to his work on Fernie’s budgeting process and his role supporting local recreation and user groups.

“My relentless focus on fiscal responsibility helped overhaul our budgeting process, while the numerous motions I brought to the floor have accelerated support for Fernie’s vital outdoor recreation and user groups,” he said.

He said his experience includes serving as a non-voting board member with the Fernie Chamber of Commerce and currently with the Fernie District Arts Council, where he said he has contributed to economic development discussions and support for the arts community.

“I have pressure tested, debated and ensured the conversations at the table are focused on resident and taxpayer welfare, first and foremost,” he said.

Ramadass said his private-sector background will also inform his approach if elected mayor.

“Drawing upon twenty-three years of leadership in the private sector where I have managed people, resources, and complex outcomes, paired with my unrelenting dedication as your current City Councillor, I am ready to help navigate the Fernie City Council through these next four years,” he said.

He said he is seeking the mayor’s chair because the work ahead is important, not because it will be easy.

“Our community deserves a Mayor who prioritizes the welfare of its citizens above all else, someone who is unafraid to challenge the status quo and even more determined to take the decisive actions required to move us forward,” Ramadass said.

On infrastructure, Ramadass said solutions will likely involve a combination of senior government funding, debt and taxation, but argued the City must focus on execution.

“None of these solutions are easy or inexpensive,” he said. “However, what I have learned from four years as a Councillor is that the ideas exist and the solutions are in front of us. Ultimately, it is the pace and the unerring focus from the whole of Council and the municipality that is often missing.”

Ramadass said Fernie does not need more process where the issues are already understood.

“As the famous saying goes, ‘control the controllables,’” he said. “We do not need more conferences, or more reports to understand things we already know; the time now is for decisive action.”

Ramadass said he plans to continue meeting with residents, community voices and business leaders as his campaign begins, and will release more policy ideas and platform details in the months ahead.

“Thank you for your consideration,” he said. “Let us get to work!”

Editor