by R. Edwards

Fernie Historical Society president Laura Nelson (left), Julie Langille (centre) and curator Mike Pennock in the new Fernie Museum building on Second Avenue.

Community goodwill and elbow grease have helped open the new Fernie Museum building to the public, exactly one year after Fernie Historical Society received the keys.

Volunteers stepped in to work long days and nights renovating the former BC Hydro building on Second Avenue after the project lost 35 per cent of its budget to provincial funding cuts.

Fernie Historical Society President Laura Nelson said this week that the directors had “a very serious meeting” last August after finding out their budget had lost $200,000 of gaming funds it had expected to receive from the province. The project’s total budget was $585,000.

“We asked ourselves 'What are we doing?'” said Nelson. “Are we going to go ahead and seize this opportunity or do we have to miss out?

“We had to really look at the worst case scenarios and what we could accomplish and whether it was irresponsible to go ahead?”

Curator Mike Pennock said they took “a small leap of faith” in choosing to go ahead, which paid off when news of their funding plight reached local tradespeople and organizations.

“It was a snowball effect,” said Nelson. “I would invite them in, not expecting things to be done for free but explaining that we had a tight budget, and all of them helped in some way.”

Donations totalling more than $100,000 from Columbia Basin Trust, RCR, Island Lake Resort Group, IGS Enterprises and Fernie Rotary Club also played a major part in the project.

Volunteer labourers included Fernie Secondary School students, family and friends of the society directors.

Nelson said the focal point of the project is the flooring. The main floor had five layers of aged covering removed to reveal the original oak boards, which had to be painstakingly restored.

In the entrance to the main floor, the original period tiles had been covered with several inches of concrete and were too badly damaged to be salvaged, but a local company found replacements and laid them for nothing.

The plumbing was completely replaced for no charge, and the building got a total rewire was at a reduced cost.

The volunteer effort meant the main floor and second floor gallery are now both close to completion – something the directors never believed could happen so soon.

The museum is now open as a visitor information centre with some picture exhibits from the previous building.

It will take longer than expected to install the planned core exhibit, which will feature multimedia presentations on the early years of Fernie and panels that can be replaced as new exhibits are received.

But Nelson said she is just relieved to have overcome the past year’s obstacles and top open the building to the public.

“Many thanks to all those who helped – they have created a legacy for our community,” she said. “There is no way we could have accomplished this much without their help – they made it all possible.”

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