My life began in the small town of Castelsilano, Italy, a place I still feel a strong connection to.
But when I first set eyes on Fernie I immediately fell in love. The similarities of small town, mountainous surroundings, fragrance of pine and fields of yellow made this town instantly home.
As the oldest child of Italian immigrants Pietro and Giuseppina Aiello I worked alongside my parents in the gardens, spent summers sawing and chopping wood for winter storage and helped with younger siblings Rose, Joe and Rita who also had chores to do as our parents worked several jobs to get ahead.
This work ethic has served me well in life as it taught valuable lessons, notably that anything worth doing means hard work and if you want change you have to be part of it.
In high school I worked full-time as a telephone operator evenings and weekends. Later on I worked part time at the Tom Uphill Home facility and Sears order office as well as being manager of Kootenay Promotions.
I met Nick on the corner of Second Avenue and 11th Street, just a block up from where we have lived for over forty years. Mom and I were walking home when we met her friend Carmela and her young brother who had arrived from Italy the previous week. I was almost fifteen, Nick six years older. Attired in a grey, finely tailored suit and tie, Italian shoes and gold ring on his pinkie, he was breathtakingly handsome and I fell instantly in love. It took a couple of years for him to notice me but we married four years later. We have four children Julie, Pina, Nicky and Peter and in 1995 added Brandon to our family.
Moving from Fernie was never an option for us as Nick had good jobs first at Elko Mill and then Line Creek Mine. As well both of our families were here. But mostly because we both love Fernie and felt there was no better place to call home.
Over twenty years ago I was asked to write for the Free Press. I’m extremely appreciative of this as it has been an avenue to showcase the contribution to our town by people of all ages as well as to feature profiles of those that tend to stay in the background yet still have such powerful, interesting stories to tell.
In the past couple of years I have also been given opportunity to write for fernie.com. Thanks to Dan Savage this also gives opportunity to showcase businesses, events and individuals from this great little town, as well last year Ian Cobb of e-KNOW provided space to continue my passion for writing about Fernie and its people.
In 1998, Randal Macnair recruited me to co-ordinate Festa Italiana. With my brother’s camera I videotaped everything. Ken Odland, then manager of Monarch Cable offered to edit eight hours of events into two shown often on the Community Channel. He then suggested I produce a show I agreed on the condition that it would be taped out of my home so I could make guests comfortable. This volunteer show is also seen on Shaw Community Channel and fernietv.com.
Ten years ago when it became known that a company wanted to bottle Fernie water by joining directly to our water source my father requested that I do something about it. Dad understood the need to protect water as our home town in Italy often experienced shortages. I had finished reading Blue Gold by Maude Barlow about how companies were ruining water sources in different countries I did research and discovered that although not proven under NAFTA when one company is allowed to bottle the water any number of companies have the right to also bottle water until the source is dry and there is absolutely no recourse legally or otherwise to stop them.
Armed with a petition that Sherry Earl and I had collected signed with 1200 signatures we went before council and presented our opposition. We were met with resistance but Council sought legal advice and hookup to Fernie’s water never proceeded. This resulted in much encouragement for me to run for council. I had also become known for my involvement in doing activist work to bring a dialysis unit to the Elk Valley and helping to organize demonstrations in support of keeping the operating room at our hospital. Who can forget the day Pepper Sterling and I stopped traffic on Highway Three, something I certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone attempting ever again but it got us Canada wide coverage for three days on CTV News Net. I also found that it was easy to get coverage by Alberta and BC television stations for issues such as health care and certainly used my connections to get us as much coverage as possible.
Looking back I never planned to do the work I have done. I have always just acted on a need that I saw in the community and strived to find a solution to it. The volunteer work, the show, the writing, the activism, I saw opportunities to help. Being on council provided even more opportunity. It’s not my nature to be discriminatory so I try to help everyone regardless of who they are or what they believe in. I’m extremely appreciative of opportunity to achieve the Miner’s Walk, beautify the town with flowers and lights or help Home Support recipients to have better service. Being given the privilege to now serve as mayor of the town that I love so passionately is the greatest honour and gift of my life, and I promise not to let anyone down. Thank you to all that supported me. My friends that gave advice and helped with distributing brochures, my sorority sisters that were so supportive in every way, especially Alice, Ellen and Diana, Mary L, Mary M, Helen, Alan, Betty, Keith, Judith, Dennis, thank you so much. Patrick thanks so much for your help with the webpage, Chantel, L’wren, thank you. To everyone your constant support was pivotal to me once I committed to entering the race. My family especially my husband thank you for all your help There are so many that supported me with encouragement, you know I will remember who you are and will never forget your kindness and expression of help. To those that didn’t rest assured that I am here for everyone because it is all of us together that gives strength to the wonderful tapestry that is Fernie.
To everyone who ran for council Congratulations! Regardless of whether you made it to a seat or not you are to be praised for having the courage to run the race.
Thank you to everyone that voted for me, I promise to work diligently to keep Fernie the great place it is for everyone.
