As another year settles into the Elk Valley, Fernie has plenty to reflect on—and even more to be thankful for. Gratitude here isn’t about perfection or pretending the challenges don’t exist. It’s about recognizing resilience, community, and the steady progress that keeps this mountain town moving forward.
We can be thankful for winter showing up when it mattered most.
After a hesitant start, snowfall returned in earnest, restoring confidence in the season and reminding us why we choose to live here. The mountains filled in, the snowpack stabilized, and that familiar rhythm—early mornings, cold air, and shared lift rides—came back into focus. Winter remains Fernie’s heartbeat, and this year it reminded us why.
We can be thankful for community-first decision making.
Across Fernie and the surrounding areas, difficult conversations unfolded around infrastructure, land use, and long-term planning. They weren’t always easy or unanimous—but they were thoughtful. Residents showed up, volunteered time, asked hard questions, and pushed for solutions that balance fiscal responsibility, safety, and community spaces. That willingness to engage is one of Fernie’s quiet strengths.
We can be thankful for the people who hold the place together.
From volunteer firefighters and trail builders to event organizers, coaches, and caretakers—Fernie runs on people who give more than they take. These contributions rarely make headlines, but they define daily life here. A town this size doesn’t function without that kind of commitment, and it’s worth acknowledging how much of Fernie is built on unpaid effort and shared responsibility.
We can be thankful for access—to nature, to each other, and to opportunity.
Few places offer this level of connection between town and terrain. Trails begin at the edge of neighbourhoods. Rivers, forests, and ridgelines aren’t backdrops—they’re part of daily routines. That access supports physical health, mental well-being, tourism livelihoods, and a deep sense of place that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
We can be thankful for a community that still feels connected.
Fernie may be made up of distinct neighbourhoods and surrounding hamlets, but it functions as one community. You see it at the rink, on the trails, at council meetings, and in line at the grocery store. People still recognize each other. Conversations still happen face to face. That connectivity is increasingly rare—and increasingly valuable.
Fernie isn’t without its pressures. Growth, affordability, climate uncertainty, and infrastructure demands are real and ongoing. But this year, as always, the town met those challenges with openness, grit, and a strong sense of shared responsibility.
That’s something worth being thankful for.
Fernie.com Editor
