The Fernie Fix is celebrating their fifth anniversary on December 1.
The lifestyle magazine has been a firm fixture on Fernie’s coffee tables since Krista Turcasso and Vanessa Croome published their first issue in 2006.
The two met in May 2006 and realized they had differing skill sets that complimented one another.
“We met working in Fernie,” said Krista. “We actually only knew one another six months before going into business.
“Vanessa studied Graphic Design in Montreal, QC and worked with a firm there before moving to Fernie with her family. I studied English Literature in Victoria, BC and Business Administration in Missoula, MT and worked in Calgary before moving back to Fernie.
“Neither of us had imagined we would be applying what we collectively learned through publishing a magazine.”
After meeting and brainstorming on possible ideas, they decided that they were interested in producing something along the lines of Fast Forward in Calgary, but more applicable to Fernie. “From the beginning we wanted to showcase Fernie as the unique and chic town we knew it was. That’s how we came up with the distinctive size and went full colour on quality paper,” said Krista.
Deciding on a December 1 shelf date for the first issue, they put their heads down and got to work, Vanessa on the creative process of designing a brand and style for the monthly magazine, and Krista on the content, deciding upon different aspects of Fernie they wanted to highlight each month.
And from there it unraveled and evolved with each month, discovering new corners of Fernie that had yet to be exposed and sharing the stories of the many individuals making an impact in the community.
“People have asked us what we will do when we run out of stories to tell, but it hasn’t been a problem yet and we can’t see it becoming a problem anytime soon!” said Krista.
“Fernie is full of vibrant people starting businesses, volunteering for different organizations, creating art, and pushing the limits. We’re excited to continue telling their stories and sharing Fernie with the many people that will visit in years to come.
“We would like to see the magazine continue to support the needs of the community as it evolves, and evolve alongside it while continuing to remain fresh, engaging and relevant.
“We also realize the importance of Fernie’s web presence and plan on continuing to offer FernieFix.com (an ever growing and developing database) to encourage people to visit our community and to help those already here stay up to speed on what’s going on.”