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Powderpig, who did you report said drug use to? Do the RCMP know that your rental is now a coke house? Did you ever find out where the drugs where coming from, and report them to the RCMP for supplying?

Of course not, you’re a cool guy right, you wouldn’t snitch on anyone!!! So what exactly are we supposed to do? Roam the streets at night with pitchforks and sniffer dogs?

I’ve seen this issue mentioned several times and it’s clear that a lot of people think we have a problem, as do most small towns and big cities and pretty much everywhere there are people, but unless you are prepared to actually do something concrete, like report people, then you’re wasting your breath.

Powderpig, you made a mistake leaving. The snow is awesome!

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Dearest Gavin,

I don’t think anyone was saying that the changes at the Golf Course are good, if indeed they are as whathas… explains them to be. But who knows, the poster is so angry that it is hard to tell if anything (s)he is saying is based on fact.

Again, like the mogul smoker forum, the point has been missed. What I believe everyone was trying to point out this time was that Fernie is not an awful place full of greedy people, it’s actually quite wonderful and the folks who actually live here like it, and get a bit defensive when people who have moved away start forums that begin with sweeping comments about the town which are simply not true.

I, without really knowing much about Golf, am sure that a strong Junior program is an excellent idea. I’m sure most people agree with me, and as the poll suggests, most do. However, whathas…’s post was mainly angry and bitter about the town in it’s entirety and that is what I think got us all upset.

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I’m starting to get a little confused about what your point is here…Are you just saying you don’t like the management at the FGCC, or are you attacking the whole town for being greedy and corporate? Which is how you opened this string.

I don’t know enough about the FGCC to comment on that, it was your comments on Fernie as a town that I didn’t like, and how you seemed to be accusing everyone of the same attitude that you feel the Mgmt of the FGCC has. I don’t think that is fair, Fernie has some wonderful people, old and new. I definately shop local and support the little guys. You’ve left and don’t come back any more so I guess that’s not the case with you….You seem to suggest thta it is up to the LONG residents of Fernie to decide on what changes are okay, well how do you know how long either I or Erica have been here?

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Fernie [b:3dgozhtn]IS[/b:3dgozhtn] an awesome little town. It has not [b:3dgozhtn]BECOME[/b:3dgozhtn] anything. Like everyplace around the world, Fernie is evolving and changing with the times.

If you want Fernie to stay like it was in the 50’s then you’ve got your head in the clouds, it just isn’t possible. We’ve got McDonalds, drive-thru banks, late night grocery stores, a nightclub, 4+half star resort facilities, more spas that you can count and a soon-to-be Canadian Tire (even I’m not happy about that one) but where do you draw the line? Progress is progress, and it’s all driven by cash, this is North America, not Tibet.

I am not saying that there shouldn’t be preservation of something if it was a good thing, it definately sounds like the Junior program at the golf club was a good thing that went bad. But please don’t trash our entire town and population, just because you are wound up about one little thing, that only affects less than one tenth of the people living here. There are a lot of little things in Fernie that could be better, but it is still a fantastic place to be and most of those things really don’t figure in the bigger picture.

And please don’t reply that your point was about the golf club, because you opened your post with some pretty barbed comments about Fernie as a town and community, and you have used a login of “what has Fernie become” – pretty damn negative if you ask me. You made a point about Flyingecko not being a golfer but making comments about the Golf Club, but you havn’t even visited Fernie in a year and yet you have comments about the town? Please keep to the point and don’t attack a town that a lot of people who live here still love, when you don’t even come here any more.

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Doubtful as the Aussies seem to rule in Fernie, but maybe if you and all your Kiwi friends call enough places and ask what they are doing, they might get a band in or something, although it may be too late by now…start calling the bars! Maybe the brickhouse on the corner of 2nd & 4th would do a pre-opening party night? They are due to open in the next week or so. Call Luc Coultry (Mgr) and convince him it’s a good idea.

What are YOU doing??? Maybe you need to invite all kiwis to one pub or the other and get your flags out and just have a party. Post here!!

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Glad you havn’t been back to Fernie, you just sound angry and bitter about something that probably has more to it than just the golf course.

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Localmom,

I’m sorry you had such a bad time in Fernie, something obviously put you off the small town feeling that exists here.
I grew up in a place even smaller, less socially and culturally diverse and even more remote than Fernie, and I say a silent thank you to my parents every day for moving me as a two year old from a big city, to a place where I was free to roam and express myself.
We made regular trips to various cities so my brothers and I could experience “life’s rich tapestry” of museums, sporting & cultural events and big city atmosphere. We ate in expensive restaurants, and stayed in nice hotels. Movies and McDonalds were a twice-a-year special treat, instead of the weekly event that now seems to be the norm. Riding on a bus or in a taxi was a huge excitement. But after a few days I couldn’t wait to get in the car and go home, where we didn’t need to lock our doors and I could wander the hills to my heart’s content. Kids need to be kids, and to me that means riding your bike for miles, building remote mountain fortresses and climbing trees. In other words, free stuff that builds the imagination and encourages the spirit. Public transport and careers are for adults, and yes that might mean moving away, but Fernie is full of young people who came back pretty damn quick.
I don’t know why there are so few kids in the parks. It puzzles me too. Maybe they are all out mountain biking, skiing, fishing or off for a day at the lake. Street hockey? Still see that a lot in the annex in the summer, and plenty of hoops up on garage doors.
I hope one day you will come back and see how wonderful it is here, breathe the clean air instead of the pollution and walk down the street without worrying about your bag being stolen.

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re, instead of picking out the negatives from my post yourself, why not answer the questions? What are you afraid of?
I [i:3pwicalu]know[/i:3pwicalu] the party was a success, people got drunk and listened to music, woohoo, awesome. Good on the punters for braving the cold.
I [i:3pwicalu]know[/i:3pwicalu] it’s snowing, I can see that out of my window. I’m happy ’bout that as anyone, and I’ll be up there this week hollering my way down the Currie bowl, getting my share of faceplants and drinking overpriced beer at the Griz bar. Yey Griz!! Cheers baby!!
Buuuuut, you’re still not getting the point are you??? I’ve already written a post on the Snow forum to tell all the Calgarians who are are baking in 10 degree weather to get their buts down here and spend some moolah and enjoy our amazing whitestuff.
The whole point of this string was about the event, and it became about how it was being handled. Which wasn’t good. How does great pow pow make it okay for people to trash a Fernie tradition, ignore the requests of several locals, and abuse potential visitors by swearing at them on a public forum????

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Ahh, re, how easily we forget…

It would be nice to just let it go but I personally am still a little upset at the way it was handled. That “just cough up your f***ing $15” still sticks in my throat a little. Really not the attitude that Fernie thrives on, and yet we never got an apology.

LOADS of questions were asked of the organisers, and yet after the first few responses from Mark, it just turned into a mudslinging competition, with very few actual facts about the event being offered. That’s what a forum is all about, opinions, good and bad. Several times the SPCA donation has been mentioned and still no real answer…Sometimes it might not be pretty, but it gives people a chance to show their feelings and to get the facts out there, and in this case, the organisers didn’t seem interested in that…Just because the party was a sucess in itself, doesn’t make it okay to trash other people in the run-up…

I notice even you can’t bring yourself to call it a Mogul Smoker! And for the record, it was raining two days after the event.

Thanks to the Griz for all the awesome snow and bluebird days, Griz you rock! Now can we have some more visitors???

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You guys are better than politicians, I don’t think a single question has received a straight answer on this entire forum!

The question was HOW MUCH not where did it go!

I understand from rumours Griz boy that the total donation was $500.

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Czar,

Thank you. Fernie has its faults like any other place, but I could easily say this is my most favourite place to live of the 12 towns, cities and ski resorts I have called home. The people might grumble, but they do it with a smile, and the general feeling is one of excited contentment. You might not make your millions here, but there’s nowhere you will feel richer.

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KLO was our old photo processing shop but they recently closed down, couldn’t compete with Extra Foods. Ahh, big business! Support the little guys!!

I don’t think Extra Foods do passport photos. I believe the Cotton Tree Quilt Shop on 2 Ave now have the passport photo equipment. I saw a sign in a window around there, if not them then someone nearby.

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Hi Deano

I think you would find Fernie a very different place to what you left, however it is still (or is now, don’t know what it was like then) a wonderful place to be. I didn’t see it in the seventies so I can only tell you what it is like now.

The community has become a bit of a melting pot of old-timers, and young incomers, with a fairly even split between those involved in the mine, and those involved in tourism. The Sparwood mines are booming and last year we had an accommodation train parked in Fernie for most of the summer to house the extra workers. I’ve heard much grumbling in the ranks about how people get treated there, but they pay well (not as well as they used to though) so I guess they will always be able to find willing workers. Tourism has gone from strength to strength, with a huge terrain expansion on the ski hill and new high speed quad lifts. Fernie Alpine Resort (no longer Snow Valley) is truly international, with huge numbers of groups and individuals coming from the UK and other parts of Europe, Australia, South America and South Africa. A Greg Norman golf course is planned, but has been on hold while much procrastination goes on. Last summer was glorious and record numbers of visitors were reported. We have become a popular summer destination, although it is still a short season, really only July – September.

The downtown received a facelift for the centenary year, and is now a beautiful tree lined avenue. While crippling rents forced a few store closures, the past few months have seen some improvements. We have a huge new Grocery store on the edge of town, and Canadian Tire are due to build soon. Hopefully no wal-mart, but who knows?

The CL Salvador school closed down, and the Fernie Academy (Independant) is now growing in numbers each year. The high school has moved out to the very end of 2nd Ave, past the Isabella Dicken School, next to the golf course. The old yellow striped high school is due to be renovated into apartments, as is the CLS school. Housing is ridiculously expensive, prohibitively so for most people on low wages. Sparwood is becoming a satellite town of Fernie, with people moving there to avoid the high costs. A good proportion of houses sold these days go to Calgarians who consider Fernie their weekend playground. Rotary park will receive a facelift next year.

The Ghostriders have done an amazing about-face. Last year, we thought we would no longer have a team as they had done so badly. They they received a place in the KJHL (Kootenay Junior Hockey League) and have so far won all but one home game this season. Last week they played to a sold-out crowd, and support for the team is again on the rise. Fernie has become a mecca for artists and artisans, we have a pottery store and an arts co-op, the old railway station was moved and renovated and is now the Arts Station. The coal train continues to call it’s haunting melody as it passes through town. I know people come back just to hear it, and it is a sound I will never forget if I do ever leave.

The mountains and River are still as beautiful as ever, and surround the town making it feel like we live in our own little world. I think Fernie is growing up, but more than anything there is a wonderful youthful feeling here. Fernie-ites love their town, and really live it. While I havn’t seen any ski-doo tracks down 2nd Ave, there’s still penty around on the quieter street. I don’t think Fernie will ever loose it’s cheeky grin. I’m sure there’s less children now than when you lived here, but there are lots of very young families now, who obviously feel there is no other place to raise your kids.

Y’all come back now!

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Have just heard that Boston will this year have a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree.

Does this mean that we will now have Holiday candles instead of a menorah (hannukah) or mishumaa saba (kwanzaa), holiday rabbit instead of the Easter bunny and holiday fat man instead of Santa Claus? Somehow it doesn’t seem to have the same ring…I can’t see myself bending down to my kids and saying “now, who want’s to go and see the fat man and sit on his knee?”

As far as I am aware, the other celebrations that take place around Christmas don’t celebrate with a tree decorated with glittery baubles and lights, so why is it being deemed neccessary to change the name to accommodate them? I’ll bet none of them are interested what we call our decorations.

I like to think that I am not a hypocrite in celebrating Christmas even though I am not a Christian, as I believe this particular celebration to have been stolen from the druids who celebrated the midwinter and the turning of the sun around this time, by drinking beer and eating feasts (now that’s my kinda party!) and most of the ways we celebrate don’t have anything to do with Christianity anyway. To me it’s a time to celebrate friends and family, give gifts and make merry. I don’t go to church on Christmas Eve, because I don’t go any other time of the year.

Am a little afraid of this move towards generalization of festive symbols. Why do age old traditions need to be constantly bastardized in the name of political correctness? And if you want a new tradition, why can’t there be a new name, instead of trashing an old one (I had to get the Mogul Smoker in here somewhere).

Growing up I don’t remember anything about Kwanzaa. I don’t know if it even existed outside of Africa back then, although it started in 1966. I am happy for the Black population to have their own Festival, it is all theirs, and they have their own traditions and rituals. I was always a little jelous of Jewish Hannukah – it seemed to be about people, family and equality, and I loved how it seemed to avoid the glitz and glam that Christmas has become.

One more thought, Christmas is one day (or two if you count Christmas Eve, which is more important to Continental Europeans, or three if you count Boxing Day, the traditional slouching around in the pub day for most Brits) while Hannukah and Kwanzaa both celebrate for a week. If we are standardising the holidays, should we not all celebrate for 5 days, and then call the whole thing off? And who does New Year belong to? And what about the Gregorians?

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I don’t own a dog, but I do walk them for other people. What I have noticed, in no particular order –

1. Any dog is capable of running under a car if it is not on a leash. I’ve seen it happen, and it’s not pretty, and everyone cries.
2. All dogs poop wherever they feel like if they are not on a leash.
3. Carrying a leash doesn’t always mean you can get it on the dog before it causes a problem. This only works in the case of extremely well behaved dogs, and there’s not many of them. And as lk says, just because your dog is nice, doesn’t mean the other one is.
3. People who walk their dogs off leash always have an unwavering belief that it is acceptable for them despite the city bylaws because thier dog is well behaved, doesn’t jump up, doesn’t run off, won’t chase birds, cats, squirrels, won’t bite a child if it pokes it in the eye…

What I know –

1. You can walk your dog off leash in the off-leash dog park, or outside the city boundaries. If you cannot be bothered to go this far, then leash your dog. You have a choice. If you can’t be bothered to do either then you are too damn lazy to have a dog. If you believe that dogs have a right to roam free, then live somewhere that it there is room for them to do so and stop making excuses.
2. Some people are afraid of dogs. If a dog runs up to them, they will be afraid. You may know that your dog just want’s to say hello but they don’t, and if they have a heart attack (it’s possible) or run, fall and break their arm (happend to my sister when she was 10, and chased (in fun) by two of the nicest, friendliest dogs imaginable, she just got spooked by their big teeth, and the fact that they were bigger than her) then it is your fault. Their is a bylaw to protect those people, and if you don’t like it, that is your problem, not theirs.
3. Dog faeces contain bacteria that can cause blindness in children. If you allow your dog to roam wild, and the dog craps in a child’s play area, and a child then, in the course of play, get it in their eyes, they could go blind, or catch all sorts of who knows what illnesses. Also your fault.
4. Roads are for cars. The speed limit is the safe speed to travel on the road. If you are travelling at, say, 60kmph, and a dog runs out in front of you, you may not have time to stop. To travel much less than the speed limit is as dangerous as going over it (you get a ticket in some countries) and to travel way under the speed limit just in case a dog runs out, is damn stupid – I don’t know anyone who does. The speed limit at which a dog can be hit and have any reasonable chance of survival is 20kmph. Are you suggesting we all travel at that speed because you can’t be bothered to walk your dog? Kids need to run free too – but most parents manage to keep them off the highways. Should dog owners have less responsibility for their animals? Or do you just care less?
5. On a dark night in October (hungry bear season) in one of the city parks, a large black animal came racing out of the trees at me. I was so scared I nearly passed out. When I realised that it was a dog, I called to the owner “you should really have your dog on a leash when it is this dark” the response? “So should you!” – mine was.

Angry dog owners with the unwavering belief that they are the exception to the above, please respond here!

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