City of Fernie

According to Civic Info BC, voter turnout was 54.59% in our last municipal election in 2022... which according to statistics, is higher than average, but I really think we can do better! What a privilege it is to vote and to have a say in what happens in our community. To be able to attend meetings...

Well, it has been a good run. Truly. This is my final column in the Fernie Fix. I have very much appreciated the editor for providing this platform and I hope I have, in return, provided some insights into what it is to be a local elected representative, both the job and as a human being in the role...

FERNIE, BC — Serving Fernie City Councillor Harshan Ramadass has officially announced his candidacy for Mayor of Fernie in the upcoming municipal election on October 17, 2026. Ramadass is running on a platform focused on pragmatic, results-oriented leadership, clear accountability, and applying...

Someone said to me recently: “You picked a hard time to be mayor.” This observation is both true and not quite true. Why true? There has been a lot written about the effect of the Covid 19 pandemic and its profound and lingering effects on trust in politicians and political institutions generally...

On October 17 Fernie will decide on those who will govern for the next four years. It’s important stuff for any community as it will set the course of the town for not just the next four but the next forty years and beyond. At the time of writing two people have declared for the office of Mayor of...

FERNIE, BC – The City of Fernie has received $200,000 through the Province of British Columbia's Local Government Development Approvals Program to support the digitization and modernization of planning and development records and information management. The project will improve records, enhance...

I recently had the good fortune to have morning coffee with Major Rick Robbins who, along with his wife Major Jennifer Robbins, are co-commanders of the Salvation Army units in both Fernie and Cranbrook. Together this couple are amongst the most decent, inclusive, and caring people I have ever met...

Fernie, B.C. – Elk Valley Resources (EVR) and the City of Fernie are pleased to announce EVR has purchased a new ice resurfacer to be used at the Fernie Memorial Area to prepare the ice for hockey, figure skating and other events. The new ice resurfacer has been officially ordered and is scheduled...

Stepping out my front door on a recent morning I had an experience that reminds me what it is to live in, but more importantly, to be part of a community. A neighbour who was walking by, someone I don’t know especially well but with whom I cross paths regularly as we are walking our dogs on similar...

By now most readers of this column will know I will not seek re-election. I did this early to clear the decks, so to speak, and allow others time to think about their own next steps. Ultimately, I suppose, my decision puts paid to the statement I’ve made at the Council table: I did not run to get re...