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Fernie Brewing Company recieves $75,000 grant

After recieving $75,000 from the Province, the Fernie Brewing Company will be increasing the size of their warehouse by 3000-square feet.
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Fernie Brewing Company business manager Lenka Hawrys

In 2003, the Pask family brewed their first batch of suds in an old barn.

Driven by increasing demand for craft beers and a rock-solid product, Fernie Brewing Company has been steadily expanding ever since.

On March 27, the Province announced that Fernie Brewing Company would be receiving up to $75,000 through its Buy Local Program to launch a marketing campaign to increase awareness of its brand.

Business manager Lenka Hawrys explained that the funds would be spent on a social media campaign, an improved website and advertising.

“We’re trying to get the Fernie Brewing brand to the rest of B.C.,” she said. “We’ve got four new products coming out this spring so we’re really trying to push those.”

In 2007 the brewery tripled in size when it moved to its current location at 26 Manitou Rd. just off the highway on the east side of Fernie.

Hawrys said the brewery would be once again expanding this spring. They’ll be increasing the size of their warehouse to gain an additional 3,000-square-feet of storage space.

“We’ve got a bit of a bottleneck here,” said Hawrys. “There are a lot of people who come in here to sample our products so we need a little bit more space.”

They’ll also be expanding their tasting room, adding offices and a boardroom.

Since 2012, the B.C. government has committed $14 million to the Buy Local Program including $6 million over the next three years. It has helped about 200 companies expand their reach and sales in communities throughout the province.