I’d like to provide an update for some activities of 2013 beginning with the 20,000 square meter multipurpose Max Turyk Sports Field slated for completion this June. This is thanks to the City, the Province, Teck and Fernie Youth Soccer.

A larger boat launch was built at Dogwood Park and the Splash Park became operational.

The pilot project for Patios was a huge success and certainly added a positive vibe and great ambiance to Second Avenue although there was criticism about lost parking spaces.

The Beautification committee has been working to add to the natural beauty of our surroundings by addition of flowers and decorative lighting downtown and on the highway with lighting up of two large trees and gazebo in Rotary Park. This group is also supporting development of a bike rack strategy and a donation and gifting policy for Fernie.

Fernie committed to the Energy Diet program reducing consumption in municipal operations and realizing significant savings. This program was also offered to the public with some assistance provided by the City.

The Leisure Services Masterplan, a long-range planning document designed to provide direction for management and development of parks and recreation facilities, program infrastructure, resources and investment over the next ten years was completed.

Nearly $653,000 came from the Federal gas tax fund to improve the wastewater treatment system that will help to protect the Elk River by allowing the City to more effectively discharge treated wastewater by extending the length of outfall by 75 meters enabling it to reach the main channel of the river. This brings compliance with the new BC Provincial municipal wastewater regulation and contributes to cleaner water in our river.

The City has completed a Liquid Waste Management Plan to plan and implement a long- term strategy for managing stormwater and sewage and prevent water related pollution and a Facility Study was also finalized.

Several developers are working on offering lots in the future such as at the Cedars, Landa, Wexford, Coal Creek andAlpine Trails properties.

There are 41 lots available at the Miner’s Village at Riverside, the Masonic Hall redevelopment has four large condos in that heritage building and the Hamilton building is seeing redevelopment to the tune of three million dollars of investment.
Also the new Home Hardware store, back addition to the Loaf, the addition presently happening to the Liquor Store on Highway 3, the very important changes accomplished to the Senior’s Centre and Museum buildings and a new Ford dealership to begin construction this year.

The City has engaged Urban Systems to review the Development Cost Charge Bylaw and an interim update should be achieved in the next few months. This is something that the development community has asked for and also something this council wants to see accomplished.

The City recently added an Emergency Planning Committee to put together an Emergency program so as to be ready for disaster events such as floods, forest fires and from hazardous materials transported through town by highway and railroad.
This committee is fortunate to have Dr. Will Mathews as a volunteer. He has many years of experience in disaster relief and development of programs from working around the world with Red Cross.

The Official Community Plan update is almost completed after months of hard work by a dedicated committee aiding the consultants.
The members of the committee have poured over each item finely so as to make sure each one listed was Fernie specific and a positive for the town.

Recently, Council approved expenditure of $163, 000 for the purchase of stage and related infrastructure funded by the Resort Municipality Initiative and new directional signage will be placed in several areas around town as a result of the Comprehensive Signage Strategy.

I chair the Elk Valley CBT community directed funds committee that will be soon be making the decision on how best to spend 600, 000 dollars that CBT is giving us for a project that will be of benefit to residents of the Elk Valley, I want to mention a newly formed group that is looking at the possibility of a new college campus and convention centre to Fernie and also the beautification subcommittee that is bringing art to the streets by a program to paint the dumpster bins around town that is modelled after the very successful program of art banners.

Something else being worked on by the City and the Lions Club is the possibility of finding crown land suitable as a multi -use exhibition ground for the many organizations that plan important events such as the annual Demolition Derby, music festivals etc.

In December I attended an evening with Santa at Rocky Mountain Village and it was great to see how much seniors enjoyed the interaction with the bearded one. Thanks to Jim and Alice Booth for organizing this event and to Teck for sponsoring the gifts.
I attended a function at the Heritage Library last week with seniors from RMV and Fernie Academy kindergarten students. Annie Hepher had both generations singing along and then everyone listened to Lori Bradish read the story of the Curse. Tea served in china cups and cookies followed so it was a really lovely morning for everyone. Thanks to Emma and staff of the Library.
This month Jim Hendricks, Mike Sosnowski, Lee-Ann Crane and I met with Minister Coralee Oakes to discuss West Fernie coming into the City and possibility of getting financial assistance from the Province in this regard.

The Cemetery committee met for the first time but the meeting was cut short when one of the members walked out citing the mandate was not what he expected.

The City has a letter dated June 4, 2013 from Mr. Gawryluk thanking Mayor and council for “Meeting with us to discuss the possibility of erecting some form of monument to acknowledge and respect those individuals who have passed away and for which there is no known place of rest”. That same month another letter was submitted reiterating that request and suggesting “ A committee should be set up to examine this issue in detail and be comprised of representatives from all the stakeholders.” On July 8,2013 Council adopted the Cemetery Committee’s Terms of Reference and staff was directed to “Advertise for volunteers and contact the Fernie Heritage Cemetery Society and the Fernie and District Historical Society for nomination from their organizations for Council’s consideration”.

The mandate of the Committee as defined in the Terms of Reference was to “Advise Council on a suitable location for the placement on a monument to honour those individuals who have been laid to rest in unmarked graves” and “ The primary objective of the Committee is to identify a suitable location for the installation of the monument and oversee the installation requirement.”
Advertising followed and committee members appointed with date to meet set at January 21, 2014. Agendas and Terms of Reference were circulated a week prior so all members were apprised.

Documents provided to the City by the BC Archaeological Branch indicate that a site inventory report was prepared in 2003 in relation to the area referred to by Mr. Gawryluk as the Stork Cemetery. This report indicates that the area is protected by legislation. Staff has contacted the BC Archaeological Branch to determine whether additional steps need to be taken to register the area as a historical site.

At the January 27, 2014 regular council meeting Council provided direction that during 2014 budget deliberations Council consider a funding allocation to undertake work to delineated the boundary of the area referred to in documents provided by Mr. Gawryluk as the Stork Cemetery if that is deemed necessary by the BC Archaeological branch.

The area outside of the fenced area referred to by Mr. Gawryluk as the Munroe Cemetery is privately owned by the developer of Silver Ridge and the City has no authority to undertake any works on those lands. As requested the City has allowed Mr. Gawryluk access to all cemetery records in its possession.

Ownership of St. Margaret’s Cemetery didn’t transfer to the City until 1949. Prior to that date it was owned by the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Co. Ltd. and the Crow’s Nest Pass Electric Light and Power Co. Ltd. Mr. Gawryluk and Ms. Harstad keep going to the media with this issue so I have been interviewed several times as Mayor. It is not clear as to what they truly require from the City but I did say to CBC Radio that we do not have staff or financial resources to assist Mr. Gawryluk and Ms. Harstad in anything but what Council mandated and what was requested to Council in writing.

This isn’t because we don’t have respect for the dead but simply because it is not a directive we can reasonably comply with in regards to resources available or in trespass of private lands.

Last Tuesday STARS new chopper landed on the hospital pad to a flurry of excitement as many people were on hand to check it out. It is a gorgeous machine. As I shook the pilot’s and paramedics hands I thanked them on behalf of the City for this very valuable service that has saved numerous lives from our area.