By Len Kosiec, President
The last progress report about the Heritage Cemetery was published in November, 2011, after Remembrance Day. Since then, the Society completed the metal row marker signs for all 30 rows on graves in Section B. The signs will make it easier for both visitors and locals to locate gravesites.
The Society has entered all the internee data of the 812 internees in Section B onto an Excel computer base. The Society's goals for 2012-2013 are as follows:
• To update the website.
• To begin the geo-mapping of gravesites in Sections A, B, and the military portion of the cemetery.
• To complete the metal signs for Section C this year.
The Fernie Heritage Cemetery Restoration Society has received some grant money from the following: the Columbia Basin Trust through its Community Initiatives grants and the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance; the East Kootenay Community Credit Union, and the City of Fernie. The Society received Summit funds from Fernie Alpine Resort in 2011.
The major fundraiser in our community was the Canada Day Beer Garden. The Society owes much of its success to the many volunteers who provided materials and worked in the garden.
The Society had a three-hole golf venue fundraiser. The Society thanks Carolyn Woodfine and Giselle Kitchen for manning it.
The Society is now engaged in a can and bottle drive in the surrounding communities in order to continue fundraising to help pay for the work in the Hosmer and Morrissey cemeteries. To support this fundraising project, you may donate your cans and bottles to the Society by calling Len Kosiec, 250-423-6091 to come pick them up.
Supporters of the cemetery projects can make a monetary donation on the Society's web site, Pay pal, fernieheritagecemetery.com or by cheque to the Fernie Heritage Cemetery Restoration Society, P. O. Box 1275, Fernie, B. C. V0B 1M0.
The Society invites you to visit the website to see the progress that the Society has made in cleaning and restoring the cemetery for the past five years and to submit your comments.