Join us on Family Day, February 17 as we we launch Heritage Week in Fernie with an Open House to present the Fernie Heritage Strategy to the public. Presentation by our lead consultant, Elana Zysblat begins at 2:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Free admission to the Fernie Museum from 1:30 to 5:30 pm.
THE FERNIE HERITAGE STRATEGY
Heritage Fernie and it’s partners, the Ktunaxa Nation Council (Economic & Investment Sector) and the City of Fernie, have been working with the FHS Task Force, the City of Fernie planning team and an incredible consulting team to develop a succinct and implementable heritage program for Fernie.
This plan has incorporated community input and feedback received from an online community survey, community open houses and focus groups, and on the ground neighbourhood walks where we had a chance to learn what locals valued about their neighbourhoods (and got to see the inside of some really cool heritage homes!). We also learned from projects like Fernie’s first Heritage Revitalization Agreement, the redevelopment of the Leroux Mansion, and the heritage planning and conservation projects funded by the Columbia Basin Trust in 2018 and 2019. The plan also took into account input from our very first Heritage Values workshop which was attended by over 30 members of the community and verified the need for this initiative!
On behalf of Heritage Fernie and our partners, thank you to everyone who took the time to give us your thoughts and feedback throughout the process; this plan reflects the values of the community as a result. Heritage Fernie is also grateful to the members of the Fernie Heritage Strategy Task Force – thank you for all your hard work to bring this community-led initiative to this stage of development. We are also very grateful for funding from Columbia Basin Trust, the City of Fernie and Gordon Sombrowski to undertake development of the FHS. We are so very grateful for all the support and assistance from Janice Alpine and her team – this document has truly been co-authored with the Ktunaxa.
HERITAGE WEEK
Heritage Week is celebrated by communities across BC and Canada. In 2020 the theme is “2020 Vision: Bringing the Past into the Future”. The restoration and adaptation of heritage buildings is key to a sustainable future, preserving community and cultural spaces, retaining affordable retail and residential spaces and keeping usable building materials from landfills, all while enriching our streetscapes and neighbourhoods. The future also includes reconciliation with Indigenous communities and a more inclusive telling of the stories of the past for all communities.